was a

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

in the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

. He commanded the First Imperial Guards Division at the very end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and was killed by Major Kenji Hatanaka during the

Kyūjō Incident The was an attempted military coup d'état in the Empire of Japan at the end of the Second World War. It happened on the night of 14–15 August 1945, just before the announcement of Japan's surrender to the Allies. The coup was attempted by th ...

Biography

A native of

Kōchi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kōchi Prefecture has a population of 669,516 (1 April 2023) and has a geographic area of 7,103 km2 (2,742 sq mi). Kōchi Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the northwest and Tok ...

, Mori graduated from the 28th class of the

Imperial Japanese Army Academy The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The programme consisted of a junior course for graduates of local army cadet schools and for those who had completed four years of middle school, and a senior course f ...

in 1916, specializing in

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

. After serving in a number of administrative roles within the

Imperial Japanese Army General Staff The , also called the Army General Staff, was one of the two principal agencies charged with overseeing the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). Role The was created in April 1872, along with the Navy Ministry, to replace the Ministry of Military Af ...

he returned to the Army Staff College, graduating from the 39th class in 1927. He subsequently served as commander of the 13th Cavalry Regiment before returning to desk duty within the General Staff. Mori taught at the Army Staff College from 1935 to 1937 and from 1938 to 1941. He was promoted to major general in 1941. With the start of the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War was fought between the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the Empire of Japan between 1937 and 1945, following a period of war localized to Manchuria that started in 1931. It is considered part ...

in July 1937, Mori was assigned as a staff officer to the

Japanese First Army The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on three occasions. History The Japanese 1st Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from 1 September 1894 – 28 May 1895 under the command of ...

in China from 1937 to 1938. He returned to the Asian mainland in 1941 as Vice

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the 6th Army in

Manchukuo Manchukuo, officially known as the State of Manchuria prior to 1934 and the Empire of Great Manchuria thereafter, was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan in Northeast China that existed from 1932 until its dissolution in 1945. It was ostens ...

, and was promoted to Chief of Staff in 1942. From 1943 to 1944 he served as Deputy Commander of the

Kempeitai The , , was the military police of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The organization also shared civilian secret police that specialized in clandestine and covert operation, counterinsurgency, counterintelligence, HUMINT, interrogated suspects ...

, and from 1944 to 1945 as Chief of Staff of the 19th Army. Mori was promoted to the rank of

in 1945, and on 7 April, Mori became commander of the 1st Imperial Guards Division, the prestigious division assigned direct responsibility for protection of the

Imperial Family of Japan The is the reigning dynasty of Japan, consisting of those members of the extended family of the reigning emperor of Japan who undertake official and public duties. Under the present constitution of Japan, the emperor is "the symbol of the State ...

. After Japan's decision to surrender, during a meeting with his brother-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel Michinori Shiraishi, Mori received a visit just after midnight on 15 August 1945 from Major Kenji Hatanaka, Lieutenant Colonels Masataka Ida and Jiro Shiizaki, and Captain Shigetaro Uehara, who attempted to secure his aid in their plot to isolate the Imperial Palace and to prevent the announcement of Japan's surrender. At around 1:30, Ida and Shiizaki left the room, and after repeated refusals on Mori's part, Hatanaka shot and killed Mori while Uehara killed Shiraishi with a sword. His seal was then placed on a false set of orders.Brooks, Behind Japan’s Surrender

References

Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mori, Takeshi 1894 births 1945 deaths Assassinated Japanese military personnel Deaths by firearm in Japan Kyūjō incident Imperial Japanese Army generals of World War II Imperial Japanese Army personnel killed in World War II People murdered in Tokyo People from Kōchi Prefecture

Biography

See also

References

Bibliography

External links