Sadao Araki

Army officer. Born in Tokyo. 9th class of the Army Academy. Graduated top of his class from the Army War College. Known as an expert on Russia within the Army, he served as a member of the Russia Section of the General Staff, an aide to the military attaché at the Russian Embassy, ​​and a military attaché in Russia during World War I. During the Siberian Intervention, he supported the counter-revolutionary forces as a staff officer of the Vladivostok Expeditionary Army. He served as the commander of the military police, the head of the Army War College, the commander of the 6th Division, and the head of the Inspector General of Education. His spiritualist and anti-communist views were supported by right-wingers and young officers, and he was even considered a candidate for prime minister during the October Incident. He was the Minister of War in the Inukai Tsuyoshi Cabinet in 1931 (Showa 6), and continued in the Saito Makoto Cabinet after the May 15 Incident in 1932. During this time, he carried out factional personnel management as a leading Imperial Way faction member, deepening the conflict with the Control faction. With the backing of military pressure, he promoted the fascistization of the domestic system and preparations for war against the Soviet Union against the government. He became an army general in 1933, a military councilor in 1934, and a baron in 1935. He sided with the rebel officers during the February 26 Incident in 1936, and was placed in the reserves after the incident. As Minister of Education in the first Konoe Fumimaro cabinet and the first Hiranuma Kiichiro cabinet, he advocated reform of university autonomy and worked to militarize education. After Japan's defeat in the war, he was sentenced to life imprisonment as a Class A war criminal at the Far East Tribunal, but was released on parole in 1954 (Showa 29) to recuperate from an illness, and was later released to spend the rest of his life giving lectures and other activities.

[Yuji Odabe]

``Secret History of the Army - Seventy Years of Shogun Araki'' by Manabu Tachikawa (1954, Yamato Shobo)' ' ▽ ``Shogun Araki Fighting the Storm'' by Manabu Tachikawa (1955, General Sadao Araki Biography Compilation and Publication Society) ▽ ``Thirty Years of Wind and Snow by Sadao Araki'' by Shuji Aritake (1975, Fuyo Shobo)''

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陸軍軍人。東京生まれ。陸軍士官学校9期。陸軍大学校を首席で卒業。参謀本部ロシア班、ロシア公使館付武官補佐官、さらに第一次世界大戦中はロシア従軍武官を務めるなど、陸軍内のロシア通として知られた。シベリア出兵ではウラジオストク派遣軍参謀として反革命軍を援助した。憲兵司令官、陸大校長、第六師団長、教育総監本部長などを歴任。精神主義的、反共主義的言動が右翼や青年将校に支持され、十月事件では首相候補に擬せられた。1931年（昭和6）犬養毅(いぬかいつよし)内閣の陸相、翌1932年五・一五事件後の斎藤実(さいとうまこと)内閣にも留任。この間、皇道派の雄として派閥人事を断行し、統制派との対立を深めた。政府に対しては軍部の圧力を背景に国内体制のファッショ化と対ソ連戦準備を推進した。1933年に陸軍大将、1934年軍事参議官となり、1935年男爵。1936年の二・二六事件では決起将校に同調し、事件後予備役となる。第一次近衛文麿(このえふみまろ)内閣、平沼騏一郎(ひらぬまきいちろう)内閣の文相として大学自治改革を主張し教育の軍国化に努めた。敗戦後、極東裁判でA級戦犯として終身刑を宣告されたが、1954年（昭和29）病気療養のため仮出所、その後釈放され講演活動などで余生を送った。

［小田部雄次］

『橘川学著『秘録陸軍裏面史――将軍荒木の七十年』（1954・大和書房）』▽『橘川学著『嵐と闘ふ哲将荒木』（1955・荒木貞夫将軍伝記編纂刊行会）』▽『有竹修二著『荒木貞夫風雪三十年』（1975・芙蓉書房）』

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