15 Facts About Tetsuzan Nagata

Tetsuzan Nagata was a Japanese military officer and general of the Imperial Japanese Army best known as the victim of the Aizawa Incident in August 1935.

Tetsuzan Nagata was born on 14 January 1884 in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, the third son of Shigeru Nagata, director of the local Takashima Hospital.

Tetsuzan Nagata's family were wealthy and he descended from a long line of physicians in service of the Suwa Domain.

Tetsuzan Nagata was childhood friends with Shigeo Iwanami, the founder of Iwanami Shoten, and the two had a lifelong friendship.

Tetsuzan Nagata attended Suwa Higher Elementary School in Suwa where he was classmates with Sakuhei Fujiwhara, the namesake of the Fujiwhara effect.

In 1895, Tetsuzan Nagata transferred to an elementary school in Tokyo until 1898 when he began attending the military school of the Imperial Japanese Army in the city.

Tetsuzan Nagata graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy at the top of the list in October 1904 and from the Army Staff College in November 1911.

Tetsuzan Nagata served as military attache to several Japanese embassies in Europe before and during World War I, including Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany.

Tetsuzan Nagata was promoted to colonel in March 1927 and received command of the IJA 3rd Infantry Regiment.

Tetsuzan Nagata was promoted to major general in 1932, and became the commander of the IJA 1st Infantry Brigade in 1933.

Tetsuzan Nagata was responsible for planning Japan's national mobilization strategy as Chief of Mobilization Section, Economic Mobilization Bureau, Ministry of War, to put both the military and the civilian economy on a total war footing in times of national emergency.

On 12 August 1935, Tetsuzan Nagata was assassinated by Lieutenant Colonel Saburo Aizawa for reputedly putting the Army "in the paws of high finance" and in retaliation for Masaki's forced retirement, which became known as the Aizawa Incident.

Tetsuzan Nagata entered Nagata's office in Tokyo and cut him down with his sword, making no attempt to resist arrest by military police and reportedly said that he "was in an absolute sphere, so there was neither affirmation nor negation, neither good nor evil".

Tetsuzan Nagata was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general and the Army Minister Senjuro Hayashi was forced to resign over the affair.

Tetsuzan Nagata's assassination increased the political polarization within the Imperial Japanese Army, prompting further retaliation between factions that resulted in the February 26 Incident in February 1936, effectively eradicating the Kodoha and granting the Toseiha total influence within the army.