Peter Wetzler
Peter Wetzler (* 1943 ) is an American historian . Until 2009 he taught Japanese regional studies and history at the East Asia Institute of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences .
Publications on Shōwa-Tennō
His publications on the Shōwa - Tennō Hirohito and his political responsibility for the war in the Pacific caused a lively discussion in Japan about the position of the Tennō in modern history.
In his book Hirohito and War. Imperial Tradition and Military Decision Making in Prewar Japan , whose Japanese translation (昭和 天皇 と 戦 争Shōwa Tennō to Sensō ) has been available since 2002, Wetzler proves on the basis of previously unpublished Japanese original sources that Hirohito was very good at the planning and decision-making of the Japanese military leadership was informed about and knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor in advance during World War II . His upbringing as crown prince mainly through members of the military and Hirohito's relationship with General Tōjō Hideki, among other things, lets the image of the “ peace emperor” (昭和 Shōwa = brilliant peace) appear in a different light. That is, he participated in military decisions, but did not make these decisions alone.
Publications
- "War and Subsistence: The Sambre and Meuse Army in 1794", in: American University Studies Series IX, Vol.19 ; Peter Lang Pub Inc., 1985. ISBN 0820401552
- Hirohito and War: Imperial Tradition and Military Decision Making in Pre-War Japan . University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, 1998. ISBN 082481925X
- with Moriyama Naomi (森 山 尚 美): ゆ が め ら れ た 昭和 天皇 像 - 欧米 と 日本 の 誤解 と 誤 訳 (Yugamerareta Shōwa Tennō-zō - Ōbei to Nihon no gokai to goyaku - The distorted image of the Showa emperor - wrong interpretation Japan in Europe and America)
- 昭和 天皇 と 戦 争 - 皇室 の 伝 統 と 戦 時下 の 政治 ・ 軍事 戦 略 (Shōwa Tennō to sensō - Kōshitsu no dentō to senjishita no seiji, kunji senryaku - The Showa emperor and the war - The tradition of the imperial house, politics and military Wartime strategy). ISBN 4-562-03573-0
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wetzler, Peter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German Japanologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1943 |