- Toshizō Nishio
Infobox Military Person
name= General Nishio Toshizō
lived=31 October 1881 –26 October 1960
placeofbirth=Tottori ,Japan
placeofdeath=Tokyo ,Japan
caption= General Nishio Toshizō
nickname=
allegiance=Empire of Japan
branch=
serviceyears=1902-1943
rank=General
commands=Imperial Japanese Army
unit=
battles=Russo-Japanese War ,Second Sino-Japanese War
awards=
family=
laterwork=
portrayedby=
enteredservice=
currentlyresides=nihongo|Toshizō Nishio|西尾 寿造|Nishio Toshizō|extra=31 October 1881 –26 October 1960 was a Japanese general, considered to be one of theImperial Japanese Army 's most successful and ablest strategists during theSecond Sino-Japanese War , who commanded theJapanese Second Army during the first years after theMarco Polo Bridge Incident .Early life and career
Nishio was born in
Tottori Prefecture , and was a graduate of the 14th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1902, and the 22nd class of theArmy War College (Japan) . He was in theRusso-Japanese War , and saw combat at theBattle of Sandepu Nishio was first attached to the 10th Regiment/10th Division from 1921 to 1923. Afterward he was an instructor at the Army War College until 1925 when he became commanding officer of the 40th Regiment/10th Division. From 1926 to 1929 he was Chief of the 1st Section,
Inspectorate General of Military Training . In 1929 he was assigned to command the 39th Brigade of theIJA 20th Division , stationed inKorea . From 1930 to 1932 he was Chairman of Military Investigation in theMinistry of War , and then Head of the 4th Bureau of the General Staff in 1934.China
On
5 March 1934 , Nishio was appointed Chief of Staff of theKwantung Army inManchukuo , where he oversaw the establishment of the reorganization of theManchukuo Imperial Army and thepacification of Manchukuo . In March 1936 he became Vice Chief of the General Staff and Acting Head of the General Affairs Bureau, of the General Staff. In early 1937 he briefly commanded theImperial Guards Division , before being transferred to China at the beginning of theSecond Sino-Japanese War .After the
Marco Polo Bridge Incident he was sent to North China, and took command of the IJA Second Army on26 August 1937 . He oversaw theTianjin–Pukou Railway Operation that took the Japanese to theYellow River . He commanded theBattle of Hsuchow , crossing the Yellow river and overruningShandong until 30 April 1938, shortly after the defeat his army suffered in theBattle of Taierzhuang , when he was replaced and returned to Tokyo to be Inspector-General of Military Training.He returned to China again to take command of the 13th Army on
12 September 1939 for a month and then took Command of all the forces in China asCommander in Chief of theChina Expeditionary Army on22 September 1939 . He oversaw theBattle of Zaoyang-Yichang , and the First Battle of Changsha. His force withstood the Chinese1939-40 Winter Offensive , and rolled back their gains in the spring with many operations including theBattle of Zaoyang-Yichang . His forces were again struck in North China by theHundred Regiments Offensive , while he continued attacks in the Yangtze valley in theCentral Hopei Operation andWestern Hopei Operation . On1 March 1941 he was replaced, and returned to Japan to become a member of theSupreme War Council until he retired in1943.Return to Japan
However he took up the governorship of the
Tokyo Metropolis from 1944 to the end of theWorld War II . Although arrested after World War II by the American occupation authorities as a suspectedwar criminal , formal charges were never brought to trial and he was later released.References
Books
*cite book
last = Dorn
first = Frank
coauthors =
year = 1974
title = The Sino-Japanese War, 1937-41; From Marco Polo Bridge to Pearl Harbor
publisher = MacMillan.
location =
id = ISBN: 0025322001
*cite book
last = Fuller
first = Richard
coauthors =
year = 1992
title = Shokan: Hirohito's Samurai
publisher = Arms and Armor
location = London
id = ISBN: 1-85409-151-4External links
*cite web
last = Ammenthorp
first = Steen
url = http://www.generals.dk/general/Nishio/Toshizou/Japan.html
title = Nishio, Toshizou
work = The Generals of World War II
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