Saneyuki Akiyama

Japanese: 秋山真之 - あきやま・さねゆき

Year of death: February 4, 1918
Year of birth: Meiji 1.3.20 (1868.4.12)
A naval officer during the Meiji and Taisho periods. The fourth son of Matsuyama feudal lord Akiyama Hisataka and Sada. The younger brother of Army General Akiyama Yoshifuru. He graduated from the Naval Academy at the top of his class in 1890 (Meiji 23). In 1897 he studied in the United States. His experiences of observing the Spanish-American War, studying military history and war books, and meeting strategist Colonel Mahan all contributed greatly to the formation of Akiyama's own strategic theory. He returned to Japan in 1908. He became an instructor at the Naval War College in 1900, and his systematic lectures, which incorporated war and chess exercises and were organized into strategy, tactics, and operations, became the foundation of Imperial Navy military science. He served as a staff officer for the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05). He devised numerous strategies while munching on roasted beans, and the Battle of Tsushima in particular raised Akiyama's reputation as a strategist and master writer, along with the drafting of the famous telegram, "Today the sky is clear, but the waves are high." In 1914, he was asked by his friend, Minister of the Navy Yashiro Rokuro, to serve as Director of the Military Affairs Bureau, and in 1916 he made a business trip to various European countries. In 1917 he became a member of the Generals' Council, and was promoted to Vice Admiral, but was placed on leave due to illness. <References> Akiyama Saneyuki Association, "Akiyama Saneyuki," Shimada Kinji, "Akiyama Saneyuki in America," "Akiyama Saneyuki on the Eve of the Russian War"

(Masaya Kishimoto)

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

Japanese:

没年：大正7.2.4(1918)
生年：明治1.3.20(1868.4.12)
明治大正期の海軍軍人。松山藩士秋山久敬と貞の4男。陸軍大将秋山好古の弟。明治23(1890)年海軍兵学校を首席で卒業。30年アメリカに留学。米西戦争を観戦,戦史戦書を渉猟して戦略家マハン大佐に接したことは,秋山流戦略論の形成に資するところ大であった。33年帰国。35年海軍大学校教官となり,兵棋演習を取り入れ,戦略,戦術,戦務に組織化した系統的な講義は帝国海軍兵学の基礎となった。日露戦争(1904～05)では連合艦隊参謀として出征。炒り豆をかじりつつ数々の作戦を編み出し,特に日本海海戦は,名電文「本日晴朗ナレドモ波高シ」の起草とともに戦略家,名文家秋山の名を高めた。大正3(1914)年には友人八代六郎海軍大臣に請われて軍務局長を務め,5年ヨーロッパ各国に出張。6年将官会議議員となり,海軍中将に進むと同時に病のため待命となる。<参考文献>秋山真之会『秋山真之』,島田謹二『アメリカにおける秋山真之』『ロシヤ戦争前夜の秋山真之』

(岸本昌也)

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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