The Ambiguous Emperor: Hirohito's Role in Engaging in and Ending the Pacific War

Abstract

Currently, Japan is the only country to sustain a nuclear attack. The devastation of such an attack resonates with only Japan’s citizenry, but is also a grave reminder that such a force exists in the world. It is important for historians to dissect the events that perpetuated the war, and even more important to understand how such a war could have transpired. This thesis attempts to look at Emperor Hirohito’s role in engaging in war and more importantly his inability or perhaps his unwillingness to end the war. We will dissect the Emperor’s complicated place in the monarchial system, the Meiji constitution that was seemingly designed to complicate and the Emperor’s role, how his advisors were able to buffer the Emperor in order to maintain his omnipotent image, and how the military looked to the Emperor for guidance and leadership.