Terauchi, Masatake

Terauchi, Masatake, 1852–1919, Japanese army officer and political. He joined the army in 1871, became military attaché to France (1882), inspector general of military education (1898), and army minister (1902–11). After the Russo-Japanese War he was made a baron, and later a count. Appointed resident-general of Korea (1910), he completed the Japan-Korea annexation treaty. As governor-general of Korea (1910–16), he initiated educational and land policies designed to subsume the Korean population into Japanese society. He also sought to increase Japanese influence in China through monetary and military tactics. Terauchi was promoted to field marshal (1916) and served as prime minister (1916–18). His resignation was precipitated by the inflation and rice riots that followed World War I.

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