However, even during the preparations for action, we laid our plans in such a manner that should there be progress through diplomatic negotiation, we would be well prepared to cancel operations at the latest moment that communication technology would have permitted.

Many historians criticize the work done by General Douglas MacArthur and his staff to exonerate Emperor Hirohito and all members of the imperial family from criminal prosecutions. Tōjō was promoted to Chief of Staff of the Kwangtung Army in 1937. Tōjō was tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East for war crimes and found guilty of the following:[citation needed]
Count 1 (waging wars of aggression and war or wars in violation of international law)
Count 27 (waging unprovoked war against the Republic of China)
Count 29 (waging aggressive war against the United States of America)
Count 31 (waging aggressive war against the British Commonwealth of Nations)
Count 32 (waging aggressive war against the Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Count 33 (waging aggressive war against the French Republic)
Count 54 (ordering authorizing and permitting inhumane treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) and others)

Hideki Tōjō accepted full responsibility in the end for his actions during the war and made this speech:

Tōjō was sentenced to death on 12 November 1948 and executed by hanging 41 days later on 23 December 1948.

As Prime Minister he was directly responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the war between Japan and the United States although planning for it had begun before he entered office. Hideki Tōjō (Kyūjitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機; [About this sound] Tōjō Hideki (help·info)) (30 December 1884 – 23 December 1948) was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) the leader of the Taisei Yokusankai and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during most of World War II from 17 October 1941 to 22 July 1944.