Seishiro Itagaki:
Army General, Army Minister

1885-1948
Graduated from Military Academy (age 16), Military College (age 28). Inaugurated as head of Houten Secret Service, in 1932 as a staff officer, planned and executed the Manchurian Incident with Kanji Ishihara. From his broadminded and bossy personality, he completely trusted his subordinates to carry out all tasks and bore all the responsibility on himself. In 1937, after he assumed the head of the Kwantung Army, he became part of the cabinet as Army Minister. According to Foreign Minister Ugaki, he had daytime peace talks with radicals that required “Chiang Kai-shek out of office.” Even though he was in the Hiranuma Cabinet, after serving as Army Minister, he moved out to become Head of the Chinese Expeditionary Force Chief of Staff. In 1942, he was promoted to General. As an experienced commander in Korea, he was commander of the seventh district (Singapore) where he surrendered.