was the 22nd head of the Fushimi-no-miya shinnōke (branch of the Imperial Family). He was a

field marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

in the Imperial Japanese Army.

Early life

Prince Sadanaru was born in Kyoto as the fourteenth son of Prince Fushimi Kuniie (1802–1875) and the second son of Princess Takatsukasa Hiroko; he was thus the half brother of Prince Yamashina Akira, Prince Kuni Asahiko, Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, and Prince Kan'in Kotohito. He succeeded his father as the head of the Fushimi-no-miya family in 1875.

Marriage and family

In 1872, Prince Fushimi Sadanaru married Princess Arisugawa Toshiko (1858–1927), the daughter of Prince Arisugawa Takahito, with whom he had two sons (Kunika and Akinori). Two concubines bore Prince Hiroyasu and Princess Sachiko respectively. # # # # ; married Count Toyokage Yamauchi. Prince Kunika would become the legitimate heir to his father, but, due to his illness, Fushimi-no-miya was eventually succeeded by his elder half-brother, Prince Hiroyasu.

Career

A career army officer, Prince Sadanaru entered the military academy in 1873 and fought as a lieutenant in the Satsuma Rebellion. Promoted to captain in 1878, he studied

military tactics Military tactics encompasses the art of organizing and employing fighting forces on or near the battlefield. They involve the application of four battlefield functions which are closely related – kinetic or firepower, Mobility (military), mobil ...

at the

École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr The École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr (ESM, literally the "Special Military School of Saint-Cyr") is a French military academy, and is often referred to as Saint-Cyr (). It is located in Coëtquidan in Guer, Morbihan, Brittany. Its motto is ...

in France and later in Germany in the 1870s. Upon his return to Japan, he was promoted to major in 1881 and advocated the establishment of a Japanese version of an army

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

based on the Prussian model. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1884, colonel in 1887 and to major general in 1889. He was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum in 1886. Major General Prince Fushimi Sadanaru served as a field commander in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), commanding the

IJA 4th Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was (from the Yodo River). History The 4th Division was formed in Osaka City in January 1871 as the , one of six regional commands created in the fledgling Imperial J ...

, and landing with his forces in the Liaodong Peninsula,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

in 1894. He subsequently participated in the 1895 Japanese invasion of Taiwan. He represented

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

at the coronation of

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

Nicholas II of Russia on May 26, 1896. In 1898, he was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned command of the Himeji-based

IJA 10th Division The was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its tsūshōgō code name was the . The ''10th Divisio''n was one of six new infantry divisions raised by the Imperial Japanese Army in the aftermath of the First Sino-Japanese War, 1 ...

. In 1901, he became commander of the IJA 1st Division. In 1904, with the start of the Russo-Japanese War he again landed with his forces in the Liaodong Peninsula. In June, he was promoted to full general, and recalled to Japan to serve on the

Supreme War Council The Supreme War Council was a central command based in Versailles that coordinated the military strategy of the principal Allies of World War I: Britain, France, Italy, the US and Japan. It was founded in 1917 after the Russian revolution and w ...

, before being sent by Emperor Meiji on a diplomatic mission to the United States. After the conclusion of the

Treaty of Portsmouth A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between actors in international law. It is usually made by and between sovereign states, but can include international organizations, individuals, business entities, and other legal perso ...

, he was sent to England again on a mission of thanks from the Japanese government for British advice and assistance during the war. During this mission, he also stopped in Honolulu for a visit with the Japanese community there. In 1909, he was again sent on a diplomatic mission, this time to China. Prince Fushimi also represented Japan at the

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

of Great Britain's King Edward VII May 20, 1910. He met with the new King George V at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. Prince Fushimi was a close advisor to then- Crown Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taishō). After the death of Emperor Meiji in 1912, he served as Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan from 1912 to 1915, thus becoming the only imperial prince to have served in that office. He was promoted to the largely ceremonial rank of

in 1915, and awarded the Grand Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum in 1916.

Death

The Prince died of

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

on February 5, 1923 at his vacation home in Cape Inubō and was accorded a

. Dowager Princess Fushimi Toshiko died on January 3, 1930. He was succeeded by his son, Fleet Admiral Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu.

Honors

His Japanese decorations include the Collar and Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

with Paulownia Flowers, Grand Cordon of the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...

, Order of the Golden Kite (2nd Class). In addition, other honors and decorations included: * : Grand Cross of the Order of Kamehameha I, ''27 April 1883'' * : Grand Cross of the Red Eagle, ''18 September 1886'' * : ** Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, ''18 September 1886'' ** Knight of the Annunciation, ''3 May 1910'' * : Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of Leopold, ''18 September 1886'' * Sweden-Norway: Grand Cross of St. Olav, ''1 July 1886'' * : Grand Cordon of the Royal Order of Leopold, ''5 October 1886'' * : Grand Cross of the Dannebrog, ''7 October 1886'' * : ** Knight of St. Alexander Nevsky, ''25 May 1896'' ** Knight of St. Andrew, ''4 June 1910'' * : Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, ''16 April 1897'' * : Order of the Double Dragon, Class I Grade II, ''27 November 1904''; Class I Grade I, ''27 April 1909'' * : Honorary Grand Cross of the Bath (military), ''1907''

Gallery

File:HIH Fushimi Sadanaru.jpg, HIH Fushimi Sadanaru in 1918 File:HIH Fushimi Toshiko.jpg, HIH Fushimi Toshiko

Ancestry

Notes

References

* * Jansen, Marius B. and

Gilbert Rozman Gilbert Friedell Rozman (born 18 February 1943) is an American sociologist specializing in Asian studies. Rozman completed an undergraduate degree in Chinese and Russian studies at Carleton College, and earned a doctorate in sociology at Princeton ...

, eds. (1986). ''Japan in Transition: from Tokugawa to Meiji.'' Princeton: Princeton University Press.
OCLC 12311985
* ____________. (2000). ''The Making of Modern Japan.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 44090600
* * Takenobu, Yoshitaro. (1906). ''The Japan Year Book.'' Tokyo: Japan Year Book Office
OCLC 1771764

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fushimi Sadanaru, Prince Japanese princes Fushimi-no-miya 1858 births 1923 deaths Marshals of Japan Japanese military personnel of the First Sino-Japanese War Japanese military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War Japanese generals People of Meiji-period Japan People from Chōshi People from Kyoto Deaths from influenza Infectious disease deaths in Japan École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr alumni Recipients of the Order of the Golden Kite, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Flowers Recipients of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath