His father commanded an army division. His teachers called him "Razor," not for intelligence, but for being cold, methodical, humorless even as a child. Hideki Tojo graduated from military academy near the bottom of his class in tactics but at the top in discipline and obedience. Born on December 30, 1884, in Tokyo, the son of a general, he followed the military path that was expected of him without deviation or imagination. He rose through the Japanese Army hierarchy not through brilliance but through relentless work, political loyalty, and a willingness to enforce orders without questioning their wisdom. He served in Manchuria during the 1930s, where he gained a reputation as an efficient administrator of Japan's colonial occupation. As War Minister in 1940 and Prime Minister from October 1941, he was the driving force behind Japan's decision to attack Pearl Harbor, expand into Southeast Asia, and fight a war against the United States, Britain, and their allies that Japan's own naval commanders warned could not be won. He remained prime minister until July 1944, when the loss of Saipan made Japan's defeat inevitable and the military establishment forced his resignation. After Japan's surrender in August 1945, American forces arrived at his house to arrest him. He shot himself in the chest with a pistol. American doctors saved his life so that he could stand trial. He was convicted of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and hanged on December 23, 1948. His execution was one of seven carried out that day. He accepted full responsibility for Japan's decision to go to war.