Mineo Osumi
Encyclopedia
Baron was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy
and served twice as Minister of the Navy of Japan
during the volatile 1930s.
, but grew up in Aichi Prefecture
. He was a graduate of the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
, where he placed 3rd out of 18 cadets. He served as midshipman
on the corvette
, cruiser
and battleship
. After being commissioned as ensign
, he was assigned to the cruiser and then the cruiser on its voyage to France
in 1899.
, and served as chief navigator on the cruisers and , and the patrol ship Manshu during the Russo-Japanese War
. While on Matsushima, he participated in the Battle of Port Arthur
and other combat engagements.
After the end of the war, Ōsumi returned to the Naval War College (Japan)
, emerging as a lieutenant commander
on 29 September 1906. After serving in a number of staff positions, Ōsumi was assigned as naval attaché to Germany
from 27 January 1909-1 December 1911.
On his return to Japan, Ōsumi was promoted to commander
, and was assigned as aide-de-camp
to Fleet Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
. He spent a year as executive officer
on the battlecruiser
from 1913–1914, returning to staff positions until 1 December 1917, when he received his first command: the battleship .
From 1 December 1918-1 July 1921, Ōsumi was appointed as military attaché to France. During that time, he was a participant in the Japanese delegation to the Versailles Peace Treaty negotiations. Also during this period, on 1 December 1920, he was promoted to rear admiral
.
After his return to Japan, Ōsumi served as Director of the Bureau of Naval Affairs in 1922, and was promoted to vice admiral
in 1924, Vice Minister of the Navy in 1925, commander-in-chief of the IJN 2nd Fleet
in 1928, and Commander in Chief of the Yokosuka Naval District
in 1929. He was promoted to full admiral
on 1 April 1930. Ōsumi was a strong proponent of Japan's southward expansion
, but refused to align himself with either the Treaty Faction
or the Fleet Faction
within the Navy.
from December 1931-May 1932, under the short-lived second cabinet of Prime Minister
Wakatsuki Reijirō
.
His second term as Minister of the Navy
was from January 1933-March 1936, during the cabinets of Prime Minister Saitō Makoto
and Keisuke Okada
. Ōsumi, despite his reputation as a liberal, supported the decision to withdraw from the League of Nations
and also argued forcefully for higher naval appropriations budget and re-negotiation of the Washington Naval Treaty
. In a "guns and butter" debate, Ōsumi told Japanese legislators that it was incumbent to expand Japan's navy, and that "the whole Japanese nation must make up its mind to cope with the situation, even if we are reduced to eating rice gruel.".
On 26 December 1935, he was ennobled with the title of baron
(danshaku) under the kazoku
peerage system. He served as Naval Councilor from 1936 onwards.
Ōsumi was killed in action
in the Second Sino-Japanese War
on 5 February 1941, when his plane, a navy transport, was shot down by Chinese guerrillas soon after takeoff from Guangzhou
on a flight towards Japanese-occupied Hainan
.
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
and served twice as Minister of the Navy of Japan
Ministry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
during the volatile 1930s.
Early life
Ōsumi was born in Kōchi PrefectureKochi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the south coast of Shikoku. The capital is the city of Kōchi.- History :Prior to the Meiji Restoration, Kōchi was known as Tosa Province and was controlled by the Chosokabe clan in the Sengoku period and the Yamauchi family during the Edo period.- Geography...
, but grew up in Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
. He was a graduate of the 24th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
Imperial Japanese Naval Academy
The was a school established to train officers for the Imperial Japanese Navy. It originally located in Nagasaki, moved to Yokohama in 1866, and was relocated to Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1869. It moved to Etajima, Hiroshima in 1888...
, where he placed 3rd out of 18 cadets. He served as midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
, cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
and battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
. After being commissioned as ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
, he was assigned to the cruiser and then the cruiser on its voyage to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1899.
Naval career
After his return, Ōsumi was promoted to lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and served as chief navigator on the cruisers and , and the patrol ship Manshu during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. While on Matsushima, he participated in the Battle of Port Arthur
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
and other combat engagements.
After the end of the war, Ōsumi returned to the Naval War College (Japan)
Naval War College (Japan)
The was the staff college of the Imperial Japanese Navy, responsible for training officers for command positions either on warships, or in staff roles....
, emerging as a lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
on 29 September 1906. After serving in a number of staff positions, Ōsumi was assigned as naval attaché to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from 27 January 1909-1 December 1911.
On his return to Japan, Ōsumi was promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, and was assigned as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Fleet Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō
Togo Heihachiro
Fleet Admiral Marquis was a Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy and one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. He was termed by Western journalists as "the Nelson of the East".-Early life:...
. He spent a year as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
on the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
from 1913–1914, returning to staff positions until 1 December 1917, when he received his first command: the battleship .
From 1 December 1918-1 July 1921, Ōsumi was appointed as military attaché to France. During that time, he was a participant in the Japanese delegation to the Versailles Peace Treaty negotiations. Also during this period, on 1 December 1920, he was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
.
After his return to Japan, Ōsumi served as Director of the Bureau of Naval Affairs in 1922, and was promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
in 1924, Vice Minister of the Navy in 1925, commander-in-chief of the IJN 2nd Fleet
IJN 2nd Fleet
The was a fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy.-History:First established on 28 December 1903, the IJN 2nd Fleet was created by the Imperial General Headquarters as a mobile strike force of cruisers and destroyers to pursue the Imperial Russian Navy's Vladivostok-based cruiser squadron while the...
in 1928, and Commander in Chief of the Yokosuka Naval District
Yokosuka Naval District
was the first of four main administrative districts of the pre-war Imperial Japanese Navy. Its territory included Tokyo Bay and the Pacific coasts of central and northern Honshū from the Kii Peninsula to Shimokita Peninsula.-History:...
in 1929. He was promoted to full admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on 1 April 1930. Ōsumi was a strong proponent of Japan's southward expansion
Nanshin-ron
The was a political doctrine in the pre-WW2 Japan which stated that Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands were Japan's sphere of interest and that the potential value to the Japanese Empire for economic and territorial expansion in those areas was greater than elsewhere.This political doctrine...
, but refused to align himself with either the Treaty Faction
Treaty Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers supporting the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
or the Fleet Faction
Fleet Faction
The was an unofficial and informal political faction within the Imperial Japanese Navy in the 1920s-1930s of officers opposed to the conditions imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty.-Background:...
within the Navy.
Political career
Ōsumi served as Minister of the NavyMinistry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
from December 1931-May 1932, under the short-lived second cabinet of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Japan
The is the head of government of Japan. He is appointed by the Emperor of Japan after being designated by the Diet from among its members, and must enjoy the confidence of the House of Representatives to remain in office...
Wakatsuki Reijirō
Wakatsuki Reijiro
ōBaron was a Japanese politician and the 25th and 28th Prime Minister of Japan. Opposition politicians of the time derogatorily labeled him Usotsuki Reijirō, or "Reijirō the Liar".- Early life :...
.
His second term as Minister of the Navy
Ministry of the Navy of Japan
The was a cabinet-level ministry in the Empire of Japan charged with the administrative affairs of the Imperial Japanese Navy . It existed from 1872 to 1945.-History:...
was from January 1933-March 1936, during the cabinets of Prime Minister Saitō Makoto
Saito Makoto
Viscount was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, two-time Governor-General of Korea from 1919 to 1927 and from 1929 to 1931, and the 30th Prime Minister of Japan from May 26, 1932 to July 8, 1934.-Early life:...
and Keisuke Okada
Keisuke Okada
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, politician and the 31st Prime Minister of Japan from 8 July 1934 to 9 March 1936.-Early life:Okada was born in what is now Fukui Prefecture to an ex-samurai family. He attended the 15th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, graduating 7th out of...
. Ōsumi, despite his reputation as a liberal, supported the decision to withdraw from the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
and also argued forcefully for higher naval appropriations budget and re-negotiation of the Washington Naval Treaty
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
. In a "guns and butter" debate, Ōsumi told Japanese legislators that it was incumbent to expand Japan's navy, and that "the whole Japanese nation must make up its mind to cope with the situation, even if we are reduced to eating rice gruel.".
On 26 December 1935, he was ennobled with the title of baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
(danshaku) under the kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage system. He served as Naval Councilor from 1936 onwards.
Ōsumi was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
on 5 February 1941, when his plane, a navy transport, was shot down by Chinese guerrillas soon after takeoff from Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
on a flight towards Japanese-occupied Hainan
Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
.