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Soemu Toyoda

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Military Personnel

The Resume

    (May 22, 1885-September 22, 1957)
    Born in Kitsuki, Japan
    Admiral in the Imperial Navy
    Member of the Imperial War Council (November 10, 1942-April 21, 1943)
    Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet (May 3, 1944-May 29, 1945)
    Final Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy (May 29, 1945-September 2, 1945)

Why he might be annoying:

    Unlike his American counterparts, he believed the inflated damage reports from his airmen and naval crews, leading him to erroneously believe that the American and Japanese fleets were about the same size.
    His strategy of forcing a 'decisive battle' led to major defeats at the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 19-20, 1944) and Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23-26, 1944).
    After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he became more of a hardliner, arguing that the Japanese people should fight to the last man.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He had opposed going to war with the United States, arguing it would be an unwinnable conflict.
    He knew his 'decisive battle' strategy was a gamble, but felt the potential gains were worth risking a fleet that might soon be stuck in port due to shortages of fuel and other critical supplies.
    American officers who interrogated him after World War II found him to be 'highly intelligent.'
    He was the only senior member of the Japanese military charged with war crimes to be acquitted (1949).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 15 Votes: 66.67% Annoying