Inukai Tsuyoshi

Infobox Politician
name =Inukai Tsuyoshi

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imagesize =250px
caption =Prime Minister of Japan
birth_date =birth date|1855|4|20|df=y
birth_place =Okayama, Bizen Province, Japan
residence =
death_date =death date and age|1932|5|15|1855|4|20
death_place =Tokyo, Japan
office =29th Prime Minister of Japan
salary =
term_start = 13 December 1931
term_end = 15 May 1932
predecessor =Wakatsuki Reijiro
successor =Saito Makoto
constituency =
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party =Rikken Seiyukai
religion =
occupation = Cabinet Minister
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website =
footnotes = nihongo|Inukai Tsuyoshi |犬養 毅|"Inukai Tsuyoshi", (20 April 1855–15 May 1932) was a Japanese politician and the 29th Prime Minister of Japan from 13 December 1931 to 15 May 1932.

Early life

Inukai was born to a former "samurai" family of the Niwase Domain, in Niwase village, Bizen Province (present-day Okayama city, Okayama Prefecture), and was a graduate of Keio Gijuku (subsequently Keio University) in Tokyo. In his early career, he worked as a journalist. He went with the Imperial Japanese Army to the front during the Satsuma Rebellion as a reporter for the Yubin Hochi Shimbun.

Political career

Inukai helped form the "Rikken Kaishinto" political party in 1882, which supported liberal political causes, and strongly opposed the domination of the government by members of the former Chōshū and Satsuma domains "(hanbatsu)." He was first elected to the Lower House of the Imperial Diet in 1890, and was subsequently reelected 17 times.

His first cabinet post was as Minister of Education in the first Okuma Shigenobu administration of 1898, and as Minister of Posts and Communications in the second Yamamoto Gonnohyoe administration.

He was a leading figure in the "Shimpoto," the "Kenseito" and the "Rikken Kokuminto," which eventually toppled the government of Katsura Taro in 1913.

In 1922, the "Rikken Kokuminto" became the "Kakushin Kurabu," which joined forces with other minor parties to form the cabinet during the premiership of Kato Takaaki in 1924. During his time, Inukai served on the cabinet again as Minister of Posts and Communications. The "Kakushin Kurabu" then merged with the "Rikken Seiyūkai," and Inukai continued as a senior member. In 1929, after the sudden death of Tanaka Giichi, Inukai became president of the "Rikken Seiyūkai".

Prime Minister

Inukai became the 29th Prime Minister of Japan in 1931. At the time, Japan was in a serious economic situation due to the effects of the Great Depression of 1929, and its untimely return to the gold standard. Inukai's government immediately took steps to inflate the economy and to place an embargo on gold exports. However, Inukai was unable to impose fiscal restraint on the military, nor was he able to control the military’s designs on China after the Manchurian Incident. Inukai's struggle against the military led to his assassination during the May 15 Incident of 1932, which effectively marked the end of civilian political control over government decisions until after World War II.

Inukai's third son was writer, politician and post-war Minister of Justice Inukai Takeru.

References

* Bix, Herbert B. "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan". Harper Perennial (2001). ISBN 0060931302
* Brendon, Piers. "The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s". Vintage; Reprint edition (2002). ISBN 0375708081
* Oka Yoshitake, et al. "Five Political Leaders of Modern Japan: Ito Hirobumi, Okuma Shigenobu, Hara Takashi, Inukai Tsuyoshi, and Saionji Kimmochi". University of Tokyo Press (1984). ISBN 0860083799

External links

*
* [http://www.pref.okayama.jp/seikatsu/bunkasin/bokudou/bokudou.htm Inukai Memorial Museum (Okayama)]