Katsura Taro

A Meiji era soldier and politician. Born November 28, 1844. From the Choshu Domain. Served in the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period. In 1869 (Meiji 2), he became a student at the Yokohama Language School, and from August 1870, studied in Germany for about three years. In 1874, he became an army captain, the same year a major, and worked at the Army Ministry and then the General Staff Bureau. In March 1875, he was attached to the German Embassy. In July 1878, he returned to Japan and worked at the General Staff Headquarters as a lieutenant colonel the same year. From January 1884, he accompanied Army Minister Oyama Iwao for one year to inspect the military systems of various European countries. During this time, he assisted Yamagata Aritomo in building a German-style military system, and was nicknamed the "Military Administrator Katsura" and the "Military Commander Kawakami Soroku." In 1885, he became a major general and Director General of the Ministry of Army's General Affairs Bureau. In 1886, he became Vice Minister of the Army. In June 1890, he became a lieutenant general, and in 1891, he became the commander of the 3rd Division. He then went to war in the Sino-Japanese War, where he fought hard at Haicheng. In August 1895, he was made a viscount for his military achievements. From June 1896, he became Governor-General of Taiwan for four months, and devised a plan to advance south. From January 1898 to June 1901 (Meiji 34), he served as Minister of the Army in four cabinets, starting with the third cabinet of Ito Hirobumi, and was seen as the successor to Yamagata Aritomo, and grew into a politician rather than a military leader. He was not favorable towards party-based cabinets such as the first cabinet of Okuma Shigenobu and the fourth cabinet of Ito. During this time, he was promoted to general in September 1898, and in June 1901, he organized the first Katsura Cabinet. After that, he alternated between power with Saionji Kinmochi (the so-called Kei-en period). He skillfully appeased the three genro (elder statesmen) from Choshu, including Ito, Yamagata, and Inoue Kaoru, and compromised with the Rikken Seiyukai (Friends of Constitutional Government) to overcome difficult situations, and his ingenuity was described as "Nikopon-shugi" (appeasement). In February 1902, he was made a count for his contributions to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, in September 1907 he was made a marquis for his contributions to the Russo-Japanese War, and in April 1911 he was made a duke, surpassing his predecessor in the annexation of Korea, and was given the same rank as Yamagata. His obsession with power and promotions were contrasted with Saionji's indifference, and he was most wary of Hara Takashi as a political opponent. He gradually came into conflict with Yamagata, and his arrogance was so great that Emperor Meiji described him as "the great Tengu of Katsura."

He traveled to Europe in July 1912, and after arriving in Moscow, he returned to Japan upon hearing that the Emperor was critically ill. In August, he became Grand Chamberlain and Minister of the Interior, but shortly thereafter, the Second Saionji Cabinet resigned en masse and he organized the Third Katsura Cabinet in December. However, due to the Movement for the Protection of Constitutional Government, he resigned en masse in February of the following year, 1913 (Taisho 2), and his political career was ended. He tried to form a political party, but died on October 10 of the same year.

[Yamamoto Shiro]

"The Life of Duke Katsura Taro: Kenkon" edited by Tokutomi Soho (1917, Katsura Taro Biography Publishing Association/Reprint edition, 1967, Hara Shobo)" ▽ "The History of Japanese Political Parties, Vols. 2 and 3, by Masumi Junnosuke (1966, University of Tokyo Press)" ▽ "The Autobiography of Katsura Taro, edited by Uno Shunichi (1993, Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)" ▽ "Biography of Prime Ministers Series 6: Katsura Taro, supervised by Mikuriya Takashi (2005, Yumani Shobo)" ▽ "Biographical Series: Katsura Taro, by Uno Shunichi, new edition (2006, Yoshikawa Kobunkan)" ▽ "Documents Related to Katsura Taro, edited by Chiba Isao (2010, University of Tokyo Press)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治時代の軍人、政治家。弘化(こうか)4年11月28日生まれ。長州藩出身。幕末戊辰戦争(ぼしんせんそう)に従軍。1869年（明治2）横浜語学校生徒、1870年8月より約3年間ドイツ留学。1874年陸軍大尉、同年少佐、陸軍省ついで参謀局勤務、1875年3月ドイツ公使館付、1878年7月帰国、同年中佐、参謀本部勤務、1884年1月より1年間大山巖(おおやまいわお)陸軍卿(りくぐんきょう)に随行してヨーロッパ各国の兵制を視察。この間、山県有朋(やまがたありとも)を助けてドイツ式軍制の建設に努め、軍政の桂、軍令の川上操六(かわかみそうろく)と併称された。1885年少将、陸軍省総務局長、翌1886年陸軍次官、1890年6月中将、翌1891年第三師団長。ついで日清(にっしん)戦争に出征し海城で苦戦した。1895年8月戦功で子爵。1896年6月より4か月間台湾総督となり南進策を構想。1898年1月より1901年（明治34）6月まで第三次伊藤博文(いとうひろぶみ)内閣以降4代の内閣に陸軍大臣を歴任、山県有朋の後継者と目され、軍政家より政治家に成長。第一次大隈重信(おおくましげのぶ)、第四次伊藤内閣など政党的内閣には好意的でなかった。この間1898年9月大将に昇進、1901年6月第一次桂内閣を組織、以後西園寺公望(さいおんじきんもち)と交互に政権を担当した（いわゆる桂園(けいえん)時代）。伊藤、山県、井上馨(いのうえかおる)ら長州出身の三元老には巧みに機嫌をとり、立憲政友会とは妥協して難局を切り抜け、その巧妙さは「ニコポン主義」（相手を懐柔するの意）と評された。1902年2月日英同盟の功で伯爵、1907年9月日露戦争の功で侯爵、1911年4月韓国併合の功で先輩をしのいで公爵となり、山県と同爵となる。その政権への執着心と昇進は西園寺の淡泊と対比され、政敵としては原敬(はらたかし)をもっとも警戒した。また山県としだいに対立し、その慢心ぶりは明治天皇も「桂の大天狗(てんぐ)」と評したという。

　1912年7月渡欧、モスクワ到着後天皇危篤の報に帰国、8月侍従長兼内大臣となるが、まもなく第二次西園寺内閣の総辞職で12月第三次桂内閣を組織、憲政擁護運動に会して翌1913年（大正2）2月総辞職、政治的生命を絶たれ、政党結成を進めたが、同年10月10日死去した。

［山本四郎］

『徳富蘇峰編著『公爵桂太郎伝　乾坤』（1917・桂太郎伝刊行会／復刻版・1967・原書房）』▽『升味準之輔著『日本政党史論　第2・3巻』（1966・東京大学出版会）』▽『桂太郎著、宇野俊一校注『桂太郎自伝』（1993・平凡社・東洋文庫）』▽『御厨貴監修『歴代総理大臣伝記叢書6　桂太郎』（2005・ゆまに書房）』▽『宇野俊一著『人物叢書　桂太郎』新装版（2006・吉川弘文館）』▽『千葉功編『桂太郎関係文書』（2010・東京大学出版会）』

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