Prince Asaka had joined the army only about ten days before its entry into Nanking and in view of the short time he was connected with this army I do not think he can be held responsible. I would say that the Division Commanders are the responsible parties.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker absolves Prince Asaka of responsibility for events in Nanking due to his short time with the army, pointing instead to Division Commanders.
- In plain terms
- Prince Asaka is not responsible because he was there too short a time.
- What can you take from it?
- Responsibility is often shifted based on duration of involvement.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does short tenure absolve command responsibility?
- Who is truly accountable in war?
Another view
It simplifies complex command structures by focusing only on time served.
More from Iwane Matsui
The China Incident [of 1937 onwards] has resulted in massive loss of life through the mutual killing of neighboring friends. This is the greatest tragedy of th…
Permalink to quote #2 Orderly discipline and morale within an army was the responsibility of the Division Commander.
Permalink to quote #4 There's no solution except to break the power of Chiang Kai-shek by capturing Nanking. That is what I must do.
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