Shunroku Hata
| Gensui Hata Shunroku | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 26, 1879 Fukushima Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | May 10, 1962 (aged 82) Tokyo, Japan |
| Allegiance |
 Empire of Japan
|
| Service/branch |
 Imperial Japanese Army
|
| Years of service | 1901–1945 |
| Rank | Field Marshal |
| Commands held |
14th Division Taiwan Army of Japan China Expeditionary Army |
| Battles/wars |
Russo-Japanese War World War II |
| Awards | Order of the Rising Sun, Order of the Golden Kite |
Shunroku Hata (畑 俊六 Hata Shunroku?, July 26, 1879 – May 10, 1962) was a Gensui (Marshal-General) in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. He was the last surviving Japanese military officer with a marshal's rank. Hata was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Hata was a native of Fukushima prefecture, where his father was a samurai of the Aizu domain. At the age of 12, the family relocated to Hakodate, Hokkaidō, but at the age of 14, he was accepted into the prestigious First Tokyo Middle School. However, his father died the same year. Unable to afford the tuition, Hata enrolled in the Army Cadet School instead, going on to graduate in the 12th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1901 as a second lieutenant in the artillery. Hata served in the Russo-Japanese War. He graduated from the 22nd class of the Army Staff College with top rankings in November 1910.
Sent as a military attaché to Germany in March 1912, Hata stayed in Europe throughout World War I as a military observer. He was promoted to major in September 1914 and to lieutenant colonel in July 1918, while still in Europe, and he stayed on as a member of the Japanese delegation to the Versailles Peace Treaty negotiations in February 1919.
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