was a career naval officer who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1941 and as admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.

Biography

Early life 
Toyoda was born in Wakayama Prefecture as the son of a former samurai retainer of the Wakayama Domain. He studied at Tennoji junior high school before entering the Tokyo Foreign Languages School where he studied English. He graduated as the top student out of 171 cadets in the 33rd term of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1905. The Russo-Japanese War ended in November 1905 during the time of Toyoda’s graduation and he was assigned as a midshipman to serve in Southeast Asia on the cruisers  and , destroyer , and cruiser . After completing naval artillery and torpedo warfare course, he was promoted to ensign and assigned to the battleship , followed by .

In 1910, Lieutenant Toyoda studied an advanced artillery course at the Navy Staff College a second grade student for a year, and then was assigned to studies in the United Kingdom, as part of an exchange program under the new Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Toyoda remained in England, studying at Oxford University for two and a half years, returning to Japan in 1914.

World War I 
After his return to Japan, Toyoda was appointed as squad leader of the 4th Squadron on the . During the later period of the First World War, the Empire of Germany declared unrestricted U-boat operations and attacked transport ships indiscriminately. This resulted in a request by the United Kingdom for Japan to send warships to escort transports under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Toyoda, who had been promoted to lieutenant commander in 1916, was sent to command the 4th Squadron based in Sydney from 1917. His assignment was to patrol the sea lanes between Australia and New Zealand.

In December 1917, after the safety of Australia was secured, Toyoda returned to Japan and re-entered the Naval Staff College where he studied for two years as a first-class student. Again, he graduated the top of his class. After graduating with the rank of commander in 1920, he was appointed as a central member of staff for Naval Affairs at the Naval Department. He served for three years between 1920 and 1923.

Interwar years 
After serving as executive officer for six months on , Toyoda returned to London in 1923 as a naval attaché. He lived in London for four years, during which time he was promoted to captain, and handled intelligence collected by paid-spy William Forbes-Sempill, Master of Sempill. He was then assigned as a member of the Japanese delegation to the League of Nations-sponsored Geneva Naval Conference. He returned to Japan at the end of 1927. Due to his extensive period abroad, Toyoda had become an expert on foreign affairs but knew little of the domestic situation within Japan and therefore often had conflicting views with the other members of his delegation at the disarmament talks.

After his return to Japan, Toyoda was assigned as captain of the cruiser , followed by the battleship .

Toyoda was called upon again for the London Naval Disarmament Talks and returned to England again as a member of the Japanese delegation. After the treaty was signed he returned to Japan and was promoted to rear admiral.

In 1931, Toyoda was appointed as commander of the Yokosuka Naval District. However, after only six months, he was relieved from the position. It is supposed that the dismissal was caused by something Toyoda said to Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, who had been newly appointed as head of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff.

Although his military specialty was in naval artillery, Toyoda was reassigned to flight navigation headquarters. In November 1932, at the time of periodic personnel transfer, he was placed in charge of a military aircraft factory at Hiroshima. Both assignments were considered demotions; however, Toyoda renewed his efforts and waited for an opportunity with a positive outlook. As Toyoda’s grasp of aircraft technology slowly increased, he became dissatisfied with factory operations, as it was difficult to obtain the necessary tools and parts. Toyoda took steps to improve productivity.

In November 1935, Toyoda was promoted to vice admiral, and by February 1936, he had become director of the Kure Naval Arsenal. In December 1937, he was reassigned as commander of the Sasebo Naval District.

In November 1938, Toyoda became commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, and during three months in the summer of 1939, he jointly managed the Naval Shipbuilding Command.

Political career 
In 1940, Navy Minister Zengo Yoshida resigned. Despite opposition by Naval Minister Koshirō Oikawa, the Tripartite Pact between Japan, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy was signed. Toyoda, who also personally opposed the treaty, became Vice Minister of the Navy on September 6, 1940.

In April 1941, the cabinet was reorganized and Toyoda was requested by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe to become Minister of Commerce and Industry. After careful consideration, Toyoda decided to leave the Imperial Japanese Navy; however, his letter of resignation was not accepted and he was promoted to full admiral and transferred to reserve duty instead. Admiral Mineichi Koga, who had switched to the world of politics as well, was critical of Toyoda's attempted resignation, accusing him of using the navy as a stepping stone to a political career.

After only three months, a cabinet reshuffle became necessary due to the forced resignation of the increasingly strident pro-Axis Foreign Minister Yōsuke Matsuoka. Toyoda, who had earlier opposed the Tripartite Pact and was vocal in this opposition to prospects for war with the Soviet Union, replaced Matsuoka as Minister of Foreign Affairs on July 18, 1941. One of his first priorities was to attempt to smooth over the rapidly deteriorating diplomatic relations with the United States, and he dispatched Admiral Kichisaburō Nomura as ambassador to Washington DC. Toyoda also advanced plans for a face to face meeting between Prime Minister Konoe and American President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, the negotiations failed to occur. In July, Toyoda also predicted that the further Japanese aggression southwards per the Nanshin-ron policy, and specifically plans for the Japanese occupation of French Indochina, would lead to a total trade embargo by the United States, if not war. In October 1941, the entire Konoe Cabinet resigned.

Later career 
After his resignation from the cabinet, Toyoda accepted the post of director of the nationalized Japan Iron and Steel Works. He was finally able to pursue his interest in improving steel production, a topic in which he had shown much interest since his days as director of the Kure Naval Arsenal. Between the last half of 1941 and the first half of 1942, Japanese steel production decreased for lack of workers. Toyoda improved work methods and initiated welfare programs for children who had graduated from junior high school and for Korean workers as well as for those who had lost their jobs. By ensuring that there was always a steady work force, work conditions improved, which allowed steel production to keep up with war-created worsening conditions that created problems in maintaining the necessary amount of resources.

Toyoda remained distant from politics but in March 1943 he was called to be a special adviser to the Cabinet. There was intense confrontation between the army and navy over how war materials should be allocated between them. While Toyoda provided a formula to resolve this problem, it did not go according to plan.

Toyoda once again became a cabinet minister during the Suzuki administration and was appointed Minister for Transportation and Communications as well as Minister of Munitions. With an increasing portion of Japan's industrial base and infrastructure damaged by Allied air raids, Toyoda struggled to improve efficiency and to increase production levels, particularly that of combat aircraft.

After the surrender of Japan, most members of the wartime Japanese cabinets were accused of war crimes by the Allied occupation authorities and arrested. However, Toyoda was not prosecuted due to his efforts for peace prior to the start of the war.

In 1958, Toyoda was appointed Chairman of the Japan–Usiminas joint venture steel development in Brazil. On November 21, 1961, he died of kidney cancer at the age of 76.

Notes

Bibliography

External links 
 
 

1885 births
1961 deaths
Foreign ministers of Japan
Government ministers of Japan
Imperial Japanese Navy admirals
People from Wakayama Prefecture
20th-century Japanese businesspeople
Japanese people of World War I
Japanese admirals of World War II
Deaths from kidney cancer
Deaths from cancer in Japan
도요다 데이지로(, 1885년 8월 7일 - 1961년 11월 21일)는 일본의 해군 군인, 외교관이자, 기업인이다. 그는 태평양 전쟁 발발 직전에 외무대신을 지냈고, 일본의 제2차 세계 대전 참전을 막으려 한 것으로 유명하다. 종2위 훈1등.

초기 이력 
데이지로는 와카야마현에서 기이 다나베번사 출신의 도요다 신타로의 차남으로 태어났다. 그는 도쿄 외국어 학교에서 영어를 공부했고, 이어 일본 해군병학교에 입학하여 1905년에 동기생 171명중에서 수석으로 졸업했다. 이후 여러 함선에서 근무하고, 포술과 어뢰전술 교육 과정을 마쳤다. 이후 일본 해군대학교의 을종과정을 수료하고, 영국으로 유학을 떠나 옥스퍼드 대학교에서 2년 반동안을 공부하고 1914년에 귀국하였다.

제1차 세계대전 

일본에 돌아온 이후, 제4전대의 전함인 히에이의 참모가 되었다. 제1차 세계대전이 발발하자, 독일은 무제한 잠수함 작전을 개시하여 연합국의 항구에 들어온 모든 배를 격침시키기 시작했다. 영국은 영일동맹에 의거하여 일본에게 호위를 담당할 해군함선을 요청했고, 1917년에 일본 제국 해군의 제4전대가 파견되었다. 도요다도 이 작전에 참가하였고, 오스트레일리아와 뉴질랜드의 해상방위를 담당하였다.

이후 해군대학교의 갑종과정에 들어가서 2년후 다시 수석으로 졸업했다. 졸업과 함께 1920년에 중좌가 되었고, 해군성의 요직에서 3년간 일하게 되었다.

대전 사이의 기간 
다시 해상직으로 발령이 나서 전함 공고에서 6개월간 근무한 후, 1923년에 도요다는 런던 주재 일본 대사관에 주재무관으로 파견되었다. 이때 그는 대좌로 승진하였으며, 4년간 영국에서 근무하였다. 그때 그는 제네바 군축협상의 일본 제국 대표단의 일원으로 참가하였다. 그는 다년간의 해외 생활때문에 국내 정세에 둔감하였기 때문에, 협상에 참가한 일본 대표들과 잦은 다툼을 하였다.

1927년에 다시 일본으로 돌아와서 순양함 아부쿠마의 함장을 거쳐 이후 전함 야마시로의 함장이 되었다. 도요다는 다시 런던 해군 군축협상에 일본 제국 대표로 파견되었다. 협상이 타결된 직후, 도요다는 일본으로 돌아와 소장으로 승진하였다.

1931년에 도요다는 요코스카 진수부(해군기지)의 사령관이 되었고, 이후 해군성내 요직인 군무국장에 임명되었으나, 불분명한 이유로 6개월만에 해임되었다. 아마도 당시 해군참모총장인 후시미노미야 히로야스에 대해 실언을 했기 때문이라고 추측되고 있다.

도요다는 해상 포술 병과의 장교였으나, 이후 항공병과로 전속되었다. 또한 1932년 11월 히로카이 군공창 (항공기 제작공장)으로 발령이 났다. 이것은 포술을 중시하는 일본 해군의 사정상 일종의 좌천이었다. 그러나 도요다는 다시 재기를 노리며 항공기 제작 공정을 개선하는 등의 노력을 하였다.

1935년 11월에 도요다는 해군중장으로 승진되었고, 항공본부로 발령났다. 1936년에는 구레 해군공창(조선소)의 공창장이 되었고, 1937년 12월에는 사세보 진수부의 사령관이 되었다.

1938년 11월에 도요다는 해군 항공본부장이 되었다. 이 자리는 해군의 항공병과에서 가장 높은 자리였다.

정치 경력 
1940년에 해군장관인 요시다 젠고가 사임하고, 오이카와 고시로(及川古志郞)가 뒤를 이었다. 해군의 반대에도 불구하고 일본 제국과 나치 독일, 이탈리아 왕국의 삼국 동맹이 맺어졌다. 도요다도 여기에 반대했지만, 1940년 12월에 그는 해군 부상(副相)으로 임명되었다.

1941년에 고노에 후미마로(近衛文麿) 내각이 성립되자 도요다는 군을 떠나 상공대신에 임명되었다. 그러나 해군은 그의 사퇴신청을 받아들이지 않고 해군대장으로 승진시켜 예비역이 되었다. 해군의 고가 미네이치(古賀峯一) 대장은 그런 도요다를 "해군의 경력을 정치적 출세의 발판으로 이용했다"고 비난하였다.

3개월 후, 고노에는 지나치게 호전적인 마쓰오카 요스케(松岡洋右) 외상을 경질하기 위한 내각 해산을 위해 일시적으로 사임하였고, 다시 내각을 조직하여 1941년 6월에 후임으로 도요다를 외상으로 임명하였다. 도요다는 미국과의 관계를 호전시키기 위해 노력했고, 역시 해군제독 출신인 노무라 기치사부로(野村吉三郞)를 미국 대사로 파견하였다. 또한 나치 독일의 공격을 받고 있던 소련과 우발적 전쟁을 피하기 위해, 관동군의 훈련상황을 소련에 통고하기도 하였다. 그러나 미국과의 관계는 계속 악화되었고, 1941년 10월, 미국과의 전쟁이 불가피함을 깨달은 고노에 후미마로는 수상직을 사퇴하고 그가 중심이 된 내각은 해산하였다. 도요다도 함께 사퇴하였다.

전쟁 이후 
도요다는 이후 산업계로 진출하여, 일본제철의 사장이 되었다. 전쟁기간 동안 정치와는 거리를 두고 제철사업에 전념하여 공정개선에 기여를 하였다. 전쟁 말기에 스즈키 간타로(鈴木貫太郎) 내각이 성립되자, 그는 군수겸 운수통신 대신으로 임명되었다.

일본의 항복이 있은 이후에도 외상 재직시절 나름대로 전쟁을 피하기 위해 노력한 점이 감안되어, 그는 다른 외상들과는 달리 전범재판에 기소되지 않았다. 그는 산업계로 돌아가서 제철사업에 전념하다가 1961년에 암으로 사망하였다.

1885년 출생
1961년 사망
일본 해군 대장
일본의 외무대신
일본의 상공대신
일본의 척무대신
일본의 기업인
일본의 제1차 세계 대전 참전 군인
제2차 세계 대전의 정치인
태평양 전쟁 관련자
A급 전범 용의자
와카야마현 출신
도쿄 외국어대학 동문
해군병학교 (일본) 동문
해군 대학교 동문
옥스퍼드 대학교 동문
훈1등 욱일동화대수장 수훈자
훈1등 욱일대수장 수훈자
훈1등 서보장 수훈자
백상훈장 수훈자