Gozenkaigi

All you want to know about Gozenkaigi

Gozen-kaigi January 1 1945
Gozen-kaigi January 1 1945

Imperial Conference (御前会議 Gozen Kaigi?) (literally the conference before the noble face) was an extraconstitutional conference of matters of grave national importance in foreign affairs that were convened by the government of Japan in the presence of the Emperor.

History and background

After the implementation of the Meiji Constitution, day-to-day affairs in the Meiji government were managed by a cabinet system headed by a Prime Minister with the emperor evolving gradually to more of a ceremonial head of state.

However, on critical matters, extraconstitutional conferences were called to obtain final imperial approval for specific courses of action, which had already been previously decided upon by the civilian government, elder statesmen (genro) and/or the military authorities at Liaison Conferences (Reraku kaigi). As a rule, the emperor listened to discussions, but remained silent through the proceedings. That the emperor would ever disagree, let alone veto, the prearranged decisions presented at the Gozen Kaigi was unthinkable. [1]

Typically attending the Gozen Kaigi were (in addition to the Emperor himself) [2]:

Press announcement were typically issued immediately after each Gozen Kaigi, listing attendees, what each person wore, and stressing the unanimity of any decision. [3]

The first Gozen Kaigi was convened just before the First Sino-Japanese War. Others were held just before the Russo-Japanese War, entry into World War I, the signing of the Tripartite Pact, various times during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and probably just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. [4]

It was only at the final conference, in August 1945 for the acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, that the emperor broke his traditional silence to end a deadlock in discussions by personally advocating unconditional surrender.

References

  • Bix, Herbert B (2001). Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan. Harper Perennial. ISBN 0060931302. 
  • Dear, I.B.C.; Foot, MRD (2002). The Oxford Companion to World War II. ISBN 0198604467: Oxford University Press. 
  • Lee, Bruce (2001). Marching Orders: The UNtold Story Of World War II. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0306810360. 

Notes

  1. ^ Dear, The Oxford Companion to World War II, pp.416
  2. ^ Bix, Hirohito: The Making of Modern Japan pp.328
  3. ^ Bix, Hirohito: The Making of Modern Japan, pp.328
  4. ^ Lee, Marching Orders, The Untold Story of World War II. Pp.506
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gozen_Kaigi"

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