[muawiyah]

Actually, Tojo didn't have that much command over the military as you might imagine. So if he did or didn't like lighting up civilians, it really didn't matter in the end ~ the Militarists did like to do that, and it was their voices that counted.

I've always thought it interesting that the Japanese managed to keep so many of the "forms" found in democratic government intact clear to the beidereind. Not a bit of it mattered though.

[rcocean]

Well, Tojo was the Minister of War, Head of the Army, and Prime Minister from 1941-1944. He was also a General and head of the militaristic clique that ruled Japan.

But I agree he was no absolute dictator, Imperial Japan was run more on a group or consensus basis, among the Military Leaders, the Emperor, and the ruling families of Japan. A small group but not one man.

The Diet was still having elections during the war, but it was all for show. The average Japanese had no more say over what the government did then a German under Hitler, or a Russian under Stalin.