Isamu Cho
Isamu Cho (長 勇 Chō Isamu) was an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army and an active and ardent supporter in the first attempts at military and right-wing coup d'etats in Japan.
As a recent officer graduate of military academy, he was assigned his first duties outside Japan. He was an active or indirect participant in the March Incident and the Imperial Colors Incident (with other leaders: Kingoro Hashimoto, Jiro Minami, Sadao Araki for the military, and nationalists Ikki Kita, Shumei Okawa, Kanichiro Kamei, Kozaburo Tachibana and Mitsuru Toyama). In 1937-39 he was a member of the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, attached to Central China Area Army, and Commanding Officer 74th Regiment, Manchuria.
The "Sakura Kai" (Cherry Society) was formed secretly under Hashimoto and Cho, with the patronage of Sadao Araki; its purpose has been traced to the plans of 1931 attempt to bring down the corrupt democratic government. The replacement would be a new establishment with state socialist politics. Their plans were supported by patriotic thinkers (Kita, Okawa, Kamei, Tachibana and Toyama).
Cho served under the orders of Prince Asaka during the Nanking massacre and wrote the order to "kill all the prisonners" given to Kesago Nakajima. It is however disputed whether he obeyed an order from the prince, or whether he acted on his own.
Cho had maintained his political interests along with his military tasks when the Kodoha faction had taken the civil government in 1941 under party leadership of Hideki Tojo. Cho was an active member in political movements in that period. During this time he served in the Ministry of the Army, in 1941-1942 and 1944.
He entered service with the Kwantung Army, serving in various posts, including the Vice Chief of Staff "Unit 82" (Army counterpart to the Strike South Group for planning), as an expert in theme alongside Yoshihide Hayashi, the Chief of Staff in the same unit. Some strategic conferences in Hsinking were about the importance of striking at the southern area against the Strike North Group, the mainstream group in the Army. After the losses in the Russian-Japanese War of 1938-39, the importance of Southern rose. Cho worked in the Formosa Army, Indochina Expeditionary Army HQ (1942) and Southern Army Liaison Officer to 14th Army, Philippines, in connection with his southern planning.
Later Cho was given active assignments and rose to the rank of Lieutenant General. His last duty was as Chief of Staff of Japanese forces (32nd Army) during the Okinawa Campaign against the American invasion in 1944.
Isamu Cho maintained his diehard personality, from his days as an active supporter of 1931s right-wing coups. He was known for his quick temper and for slapping junior officers when angry or frustrated at them. Cho committed suicide at the end of the Battle of Okinawa.
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