Nogi Maresuke - Nogi Maresuke

Japanese: 乃木希典 - のぎ・まれすけ

Year of death: September 13, 1912
Year of birth: November 11, 1849 (December 25, 1849)
A representative army officer of the Meiji period. The third son of Nogi Mareji, a samurai of the Chofu Domain (a branch of the Choshu Domain). His childhood name was Mujin. He aspired to be a writer and aimed to study at the private school of Yoshida Shoin's uncle Tamaki Bunnoshin, but was persuaded to study both the literary and military arts and was allowed to enter the school. In 1871 (Meiji 4), he became an army major. During the Seinan War, he served as the acting commander of the 14th Infantry Regiment and lost the regimental flag in the fierce battle of Tabaruzaka. This is said to have tormented Nogi for the rest of his life. His mother, Toshiko, encouraged him to marry, and on August 27, 1811, he married Oshichi (later called Shizuko), the fourth daughter of Yuji Sadayuki, a samurai of the Satsuma (Kagoshima) Domain. However, he continued to drown his frustrations in alcohol. However, in 1819, he studied tactics in Germany with Kawakami Soroku, which marked a turning point for him. After returning to Japan, he submitted a paper of opinion on the establishment of military discipline, but he himself always wore military uniform. During the Sino-Japanese War, he occupied Port Arthur as commander of the 1st Brigade. In 1928, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and the following year, he was appointed Governor-General of Taiwan. During the Russo-Japanese War, he went to war as a general and commander of the 3rd Army, and launched three all-out attacks on the Port Arthur fortress, which was said to be impregnable, and occupied Hill 203 on December 5, 1937. On January 1 of the following year, he agreed to a surrender offer from Lieutenant General Stessel, commander of the Port Arthur fortress, and the following day, the terms of surrender were established at Shuishiying, and he met with Stessel on the 5th. Two of his sons were killed in the fighting leading up to the fall of Port Arthur, and he became a tragic general who was revered by the nation. In March, at the Battle of Mukden (Shenyang), the 3rd Army fought a fierce battle with the Russian army retreating to the north. In 1939, he was made a military councilor. In 1940, he was made a count, and with the strong trust of Emperor Meiji, he was appointed president of Gakushuin in 1941. On the day of the funeral of Emperor Meiji, he committed suicide by disembowelment at his home in Akasaka, Tokyo, and his wife followed suit. "The Meeting at Mizushi-ei" (lyrics by Nobutsuna Sasaki, music by Teiichi Okano) was sung as a song by the Ministry of Education. <References> Tetsuya Ohama, "Nogi Maresuke," Masao Wada, "Nogi Maresuke Diary," Yukichi Kuroki, "Nogi Maresuke"

(Kageyama Koichiro)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：大正1.9.13(1912)
生年：嘉永2.11.11(1849.12.25)
明治期の代表的陸軍軍人。長府藩(長州藩の支藩)藩士乃木希次の3男。幼名は無人。文を志し吉田松陰の叔父玉木文之進の塾をめざしたが,文武両道を諭され入門を許された。明治4(1871)年陸軍少佐。西南戦争では歩兵第14連隊長心得を務め,田原坂の激戦で連隊旗を失う。これが終生乃木を苦しめたといわれている。母寿子は妻帯を勧め,11年8月27日薩摩(鹿児島)藩士湯地定之の4女お七(結婚後,静子)と結婚させたが,鬱屈の情を酒にまぎらす日々は続いた。しかし,19年川上操六とドイツに留学し戦術を研究したことが転機となった。帰国後,軍紀確立などに関する意見書を提出する一方,自らは常に軍服で身を律した。日清戦争では第1旅団長として旅順を占領した。28年中将に進み,翌年台湾総督に就任。日露戦争では大将,第3軍司令官として出征し,難攻不落といわれた旅順要塞を3回にわたって総攻撃し,37年12月5日203高地を占領した。翌年1月1日,旅順要塞司令官ステッセル中将の降伏申し入れに同意,翌日水師営で開城規約が成立,5日ステッセルと会見した。旅順陥落までの戦闘で2子が戦死し,悲劇の将軍として国民的敬愛を集めた。3月奉天(瀋陽)の会戦で第3軍は北方へ退くロシア軍と激戦を展開した。39年軍事参議官。40年伯爵,明治天皇の信任厚く,41年学習院院長に任じられた。明治天皇大葬の日,東京赤坂の自宅で割腹して殉死し,夫人もその後を追った。「水師営の会見」(作詞・佐佐木信綱,作曲・岡野貞一)は,文部省唱歌として歌われた。<参考文献>大浜徹也『乃木希典』,和田政雄『乃木希典日記』,黒木勇吉『乃木希典』

(影山好一郎)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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