Mitsumasa Yonai's cautious assessment of Japan's readiness contrasts with officers who expected war to solve its strategic problems. As navy minister, Yonai understood how overextension could leave Japan unable to rebuild its strength. His standing with the emperor gave him unusual room to resist the more aggressive Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu. The emperor's stated satisfaction with Yonai's conduct could stop Fushimi's efforts to discredit him and keep a genuine strategic debate alive. Yonai's attentiveness and personal authority mattered alongside formal rank. The difference between these personalities would shape whether Japan sought a wider offensive or a more limited defensive strategy.
Chapter · 5:19-20:32
Yonai, Nagano, and the struggle over Japanese strategy
The likely course of a 1939 crisis depends heavily on whether cautious leaders such as Mitsumasa Yonai can restrain the naval war party.