Ōshima Ken'ichi

Baron Ōshima Ken'ichi (大島 健一, 19 June 1858 – 24 March 1947) was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army and Army Minister during World War I. His son, Hiroshi Ōshima was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army, and served as Japanese ambassador to Nazi Germany.

Baron Ōshima Ken'ichi
大島 健一
Ōshima Ken'ichi in 1917
13th Army Minister
In office 30 March 1916 – 29 September 1918
Monarch	Taishō
Prime Minister	Ōkuma Shigenobu Terauchi Masatake
Preceded by	Oka Ichinosuke
Succeeded by	Tanaka Giichi
Personal details
Born	19 June 1858 Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Died	24 March 1947 (aged 88)
Military service
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Branch/service	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1881–1916
Rank	Lieutenant General
Battles/wars	First Sino-Japanese War Russo-Japanese War

Biography

Ōshima was born in Iwamura Domain, Mino Province (currently part of Ena City in Gifu Prefecture) as the son of a samurai household. He graduated from the 4th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1881, where he specialized in artillery and was sent overseas as a military attaché and for studies to France and Prussia from 1891 to 1893.

Ōshima served on the staff of General Yamagata Aritomo during the Japanese First Army in First Sino-Japanese War. During the Russo-Japanese War, he served on the Imperial General Headquarters, and after the war held various administrative and staff positions within the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff. He was promoted to major general in 1907 and to lieutenant general in 1913.

From 30 April 1916 to 29 September 1918, Ōshima was Minister of War under Prime Ministers Ōkuma Shigenobu and Terauchi Masatake.[1] He entered the reserves in 1919 and served as a member of the House of Peers in the Diet of Japan from 1920. From 1940-1946, he was a member of the Privy Council.

Ōshima (center) with Giichi Tanaka (left) and Uehara Yūsaku in 1918

Decorations

• 1895 – Order of the Sacred Treasure, 6th class [2]
• 1895 – Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class [3]
• 1895 – Order of the Golden Kite, 5th class [4]
• 1900 – Order of the Sacred Treasure, 5th class [5]
• 1905 – Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th class [6]
• 1906 – Order of the Rising Sun, 4th class
• 1908 – Order of the Golden Kite, 3rd class [7]
• 1908 – Order of the Rising Sun, 2nd class [8]
• 1916 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure [9]
• 1916 – Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun[10]
• 1920 – Order of the Rising Sun: Grand Cordon of the Paulownia Flowers[11]

References

• Harries, Meirion (1994). Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army. Random House. ISBN 0-679-75303-6.
• Fukagawa, Hideki (1981). (陸海軍将官人事総覧 (陸軍篇)) Army and Navy General Personnel Directory (Army). Tokyo: Fuyo Shobo. ISBN 4829500026.
• Dupuy, Trevor N. (1992). Encyclopedia of Military Biography. I B Tauris & Co Ltd. ISBN 1-85043-569-3.
• Hata, Ikuhiko (2005). (日本陸海軍総合事典) Japanese Army and Navy General Encyclopedia. Tokyo: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 4130301357.

External links

• Wendel, Marcus. "Army Ministers of State". Axis History Factbook.

Notes

1. Wendel, Axis History Factbook
2. 『官報』第3578号「叙任及辞令」June 5, 1895
3. 『官報』第3693号「叙任及辞令」October 19, 1895
4. 『官報』第3693号「叙任及辞令」October 19, 1895
5. 『官報』第5072号「叙任及辞令」June 1, 1900
6. 『官報』第6627号「叙任及辞令」August 2, 1905
7. 『官報』第7514号「叙任及辞令」July 14, 1908
8. 『官報』第5487号「叙任及辞令」October 15, 1901
9. 『官報』第1038号「叙任及辞令」January 20, 1916
10. 『官報』第1187号「叙任及辞令」January 15, 1916
11. 『官報』第1187号「叙任及辞令」May 21, 1921