Above; The Heads of Nanking Dec 1937 – Jan 1938

Alfonso La Marmoa (18 November, 1804 – 5 January, 1878), son of Marquis Celestino Ferrero della Marmora (1754-1805) of Italy. He joined the military in accordance with his family history. While in the academy he wasn’t considered an outstanding student but, what he lacked in intellect he made up for in determination. During the Italian First War of Independence he distinguished himself during the Siege of Peschiera.

He won fame by rescuing Charles Albert of Sardinia from revolutionaries in Milan. He then held positions in government and soon became Premier of Italy. He allied himself with Prussia against Austria-Hungary and commanded an army during the Third Italian War of Independence. His hesitance is largely credited with the loss of the Battle of Custoza in 1866. His published books in defense of his actions greatly angered the Germans, as it included some of their state secrets.

Charles J Guiteau (September 8, 1841 – June 30, 1882) was an Iowa born American of French Huguenot (Calvinist) descent. As a young man he inherited enough money to attend the University of Michigan but failed the entrance exam. He joined New York’s Oneida Community, a religious commune of sorts, instead. He wasn’t very welcome there and some members considered him to be insane.

After a time he was able to pass the bar exam but was unsuccessful as a lawyer, becoming a bill collector instead. It was reported that he kept some of the money he collected. He later moved to New York and tried to get into politics. He became convinced that he would receive an appointment in the government as ambassador to Chile if Horace Greeley won the election against Ulysses S Grant.

During the next election cycle James Garfield won the Republican nomination over Grant. Guiteau passed out flyers and read a speech at the Republican National Convention in support of Garfield’s run against democrat Winfield Hancock. He considered himself largely responsible for Garfield’s victory and expected ambassadorship to either Vienna or Paris. When this didn’t happen he decided to assassinate Garfield and shot him in the back twice. Garfield died a few days later.

Guiteau was hung on June 30, 1882.

Hideki Tojo (30 December 1884 – 23 December 1948) was a Japanese general and Prime Minister of Japan during World War II. He was born to a lesser Samurai family and was brought up poor but respectable as the caste system had been outlawed. In school he was said to have had below average intelligence but worked diligently to succeed. The Meiji era school taught boys the Emperor of Japan was a living god and to die in his service was the greatest honor.

He fought in the Russian Civil War as part of the Japanese intervention force and became a military attache to Germany from 1919 to 1922. There he absorbed the idea of the “Defense State;” the German military was preparing for the next war by indoctrination of it’s young troops and the civilian populace through a belief in totalitarianism rather than democratic principles. They used imagery, slogans and an appeal to the feudal past to rally German ethnic pride.

Tojo, and other Japanese officers were deeply influenced by this and applied it in their own society. They used a new version of the Samurai code taught to children through the education system. They also elevated Emperor Hirohito to god status.

Tojo was assigned to the Kwantung Army and rose through the ranks to become it’s commander in 1937. That was the year they deployed to Manchuria to subjugate China. During the Rape of Nanking (see below) approximately 200,000 civilians were executed.

The political atmosphere in Japan became increasingly inclined to begin a preemptive war with the United States. In 1940 Emperor Hirohito refused to appoint a royal to the post of Prime Minister because they shouldn’t have to take the blame for such a war. General Tojo was given the appointment because of his ultra nationalistic stance.

After World War II Hideki Tojo was convicted of war crimes and hung on December 23, 1948.

The fascist giants were in Germany all the way back in La Mamora’s day.

Related; The Rape of Nanking Facts and Details