Kuroki Tamemoto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kuroki Tamemoto | |
|---|---|
| 3 May 1844 – 3 February 1923 | |
 General Kuroki Tamemoto |
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| Place of birth | Satsuma, Japan |
| Place of death | Tokyo, Japan |
| Allegiance | Empire of Japan |
| Years of service | 1871–1909 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Imperial Japanese Army |
| Battles/wars | First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War |
Tamemoto Kuroki (黒木為楨 Kuroki Tamemoto?) (3 May 1844 – 3 February 1923) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army, who served as commander of the Japanese First Army during the Russo-Japanese War and enjoyed a series of successes in the Battle of Yalu River (1904), the Battle of Liaoyang, and the Battle of Shaho, as well as at the Battle of Mukden.
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[edit] Early life
Born as the son of a samurai in the Satsuma domain in southern Kyūshū in what is now Kagoshima prefecture, Kuroki fought for the Shimazu clan against the Shogunal forces in the Boshin War during the Meiji Restoration. In 1871, he enlisted with the rank of captain in the newly established Imperial Japanese Army and, within four years, was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel.
During the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, he commanded a regiment against his own clan, and 17 years later, as lieutenant general, he commanded the 6th Division in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), during which time he took part in the Battle of Weihaiwei.
[edit] Russo-Japanese War
Promoted to the rank of general in November 1903, Kuroki was appointed commander of the Japanese 1st Army upon the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War the following year. After landing his forces at Chemulpo near Seoul in mid-February, Kuroki advanced north routing a smaller Russian force at the Battle of the Yalu River on April 30-May 1, 1904. Commanding the Japanese left flank at the Battle of Liaoyang, he repulsed a disorganized Russian attack from August 25-September 3.
During the Battle of Shaho, Kuroki's forces again successfully defended against the Russian offensive under General Aleksei Nikolaevich Kuropatkin from October 5-17 and later commanded the Japanese right flank at the Battle of Mukden from February 21-March 10, 1905.
[edit] Later years
Despite his success and previous military record, Kuroki was one of two senior field commanders denied promotion to Field Marshal, thought to be largely because of his Satsuma origins at a time when the government was dominated by Chōshū rivals although this may have been due to the internal politics within the Japanese Imperial Army of the time.
Retiring from military service in 1909, he received the title of danshaku (baron) and later hakushaku (count) in recognition of his distinguished war service and from 1917 onwards served as a privy councillor until his death in 1923.
[edit] References
- Connaughton, Richard. Rising Sun and Tumbling Bear.” Cassell (2003). ISBN 0-304-36657-9
- F.R. Sedwick, (R.F.A.), The Russo-Japanese War, 1909, The Macmillan Company, N.Y.
- Fujitani,T. Splendid Monarchy: Power and Pageantry in Modern Japan. University of California Press; Reprint edition (1998). ISBN 0-520-21371-8
- Harries, Meirion. Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Random House; Reprint edition (1994). ISBN 0-679-75303-6
- Kowner, Rotem. Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. Scarecrow (2006). ISBN 0-8108-4927-5
- Nish, IanThe Origins of the Russo-Japanese War. Longman (1985). ISBN 0-582-49114-2
- Warner, Dennis and Peggy. The Tide at Sunrise: A History of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905. New York, 1974.
