Dai-gensui

TheSupreme Commander-in-chief of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy(Japanese:Đại nguyên soái lục hải quân đại tương,romanized:Dai-gensui-riku-kai-gun-taishō) was thehighest rankof theImperial Japanese Armyand theImperial Japanese Navyfrom 1872 to 1945, when theEmpire of Japanwasdissolved.The rank was only ever held by theEmperor of Japanascommander-in-chiefof theImperial Japanese Armed Forcesand, separately, the highest-rankingofficerin each of themilitary branches.It formally became obsolete in 1947 when the Imperial Japanese military was abolished.

History

The term originated in the Chinese military titleda yuan shuai( đại nguyên soái ), a title higher thanyuan shuai( nguyên soái, pronouncedgensuiin Japanese).

Decree No. 252 by theDajokan,dated 7 September 1872 first made formal mention of the rank ofdai-gensui;however, no appointments to the rank were made before the rank was abolished along with that ofgensuion 8 May 1873. By "Draft Ordinance No. 142" of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Chapter 1 Part 1) of 30 September 1889, the Emperor was officially given the rank ofdai-gensuiand installed as supreme commander of the Army and Navy.

Thekanjicharacters also refer to a Buddhist deity,Daigensui Myō'ō( đại nguyên soái minh vương ), aWisdom Kingworshipped by the Imperial Court sinceEmperor Ninmyōand by theShingonsect, for its legendary miraculous power to quell foreign enemies and rebellions, just like a military leader.

Insignia

The insignia of adai-gensuiwere identical to those of a full general, with the addition of the gold imperial chrysanthemum.

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  Army collar insignia
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  Army shoulder insignia
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  Naval shoulder insignia
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  Naval collar insignia
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  Naval sleeve insignia
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  Naval sleeve insignia

List of holders

Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Ref.
		Took office	Left office	Time in office
	Meiji Emperor (1852–1912)	1872 1889	1873 30 July 1912 †	23–24 years
	Taishō Emperor (1879–1926)	30 July 1912	25 December 1926 †	13–14 years
	Shōwa Emperor (1901–1989)	25 December 1926	2 September 1945	18–19 years

See also

• Other pronunciations of the characters đại nguyên soái
  • Dayuanshuaiin Chinese
  • Taewonsu,the Korean equivalent
• The higher rank ofgensui( nguyên soái )
  • Yuanshuai,the original Chinese title
  • Wonsu,the Korean equivalent

References

• This article incorporates information from thecorresponding articlein theJapanese Wikipedia.
• Donald Keene,Emperor of Japan, Meiji and his World 1852–1912