Maslow

            Hirohito, the former emperor of Japan, will be the subject of my historiographic essay. My research consists of two books; Hirohito: Behind the Myth by Edward Behr and Hirohito: Emperor of Japan by Leonard Mosley, and an article from the PBS web page titled Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989 (see bibliography for complete information). I will begin the essay by writing a summary on Hirohito from information that I found consistent with all three of my sources. Then, I will explain how the authors" views contrasted with each other. Finally, in the conclusion, I will give my opinion on Hirohito. .
             Hirohito was born on April 29, 1901 in Tokyo. He was the eldest son of Yoshihito. In 1912, Yoshihito became emperor of Japan making Hirohito the new crown prince.
             Hirohito was educated at a palace school established to prepare the crown prince for his future responsibilities. After graduating in 1921, he took a six-month tour of Europe, becoming the first member of the Japanese imperial family to travel outside Japan.
             Shortly after returning to Japan, Hirohito became regent for his father, who became mentally ill. As regent, he performed imperial duties on his father's behalf. After his father's death in 1926, Hirohito became emperor. He adopted the name Showa (Enlightened Peace) as the official designation of his reign.
             The Japanese constitution invested Hirohito with supreme authority, however, in the early years of his reign, he merely ratified the policies that were formulated by his ministers and advisors. As a constitutional monarch, he was trained by his advisors to refrain from interfering in political decisions. He remained detached from politics and avoided public controversy. .
             During the early 1930's, the Japanese military gained considerable political influence. However, Hirohito could do little to stop Japan's slow drift into full-scale war with China, which occurred in 1937.