--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On October 18, 1941, I suddenly received…" description: "\"On October 18, 1941, I suddenly received a mandate from His Majesty to form a new cabinet. This was completely unexpected, and when I was summoned to t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/hideki-tojo-22716_army_on-october-18-1941-i-suddenly-received-a_2172985.png" --- # On October 18, 1941, I suddenly received a mandate from… ![“On October 18, 1941, I suddenly received a mandate from His Majesty to form a new cabinet. This was completely unexpected, and when I was summoned to the Imperial Palace I thought I would be questioned on the army's point of view” quote by Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/hideki-tojo-22716_army_on-october-18-1941-i-suddenly-received-a_2172985.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/hideki-tojo-22716_army_on-october-18-1941-i-suddenly-received-a_2172985.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/490/hideki-tojo-22716_army_on-october-18-1941-i-suddenly-received-a_2172985.png) > “On October 18, 1941, I suddenly received a mandate from His Majesty to form a new cabinet. This was completely unexpected, and when I was summoned to the Imperial Palace I thought I would be questioned on the army's point of view” [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes receiving an unexpected royal order to create a new cabinet, highlighting surprise and duty. **In simple terms:** He was suddenly told to form a new cabinet. Key Takeaway Accept unexpected duties with resolve. Themes politics leadership war duty surprise Mood tense determined reflective Type historical political When to use this quote - government restructuring - wartime leadership - crisis management Key Concepts constitutional authority military hierarchy decision making Questions to Reflect On - How do sudden orders affect leadership choices? - What responsibilities arise when duty conflicts with personal plans? A Different Perspective The mandate may have limited his personal agency and forced rapid decisions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [October](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/october/) [Point of view](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point-of-view/) ## Related quotes > [“You have received a mandate not given by man, but given and empowered by God, to bring justice to the people and godliness on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/you-have-received-a-mandate-not-given-by-man-but-given-and-empowered/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [The one thing that you can say about the new Cabinet Donald Trump is putting together. 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But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) ## More by Hideki Tojo > [When reflecting upon it today, that the Pearl Harbor attack should have succeeded in achieving surprise seems a blessing from Heaven. It was clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/when-reflecting-upon-it-today-that-the-pearl-harbor-attack-should/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Even military ministers have no more than a certain amount of control. It is customary that they have the right and the power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/even-military-ministers-have-no-more-than-a-certain-amount-of-control/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [However, even during the preparations for action, we laid our plans in such a manner that should there be progress through diplomatic negotiation, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/however-even-during-the-preparations-for-action-we-laid-our-plans-in/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [To advocate a New Order was to seek freedom and respect for peoples without prejudice, and to seek a stable basis for the existence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/to-advocate-a-new-order-was-to-seek-freedom-and-respect-for-peoples/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Thus, it was to seek true civilization and true justice for all the peoples of the world, and to view this as the destruction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/thus-it-was-to-seek-true-civilization-and-true-justice-for-all-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [I would point out that Japan's proposal at the Versailles Peace Conference on the principle of racial equality was rejected by delegates such as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/i-would-point-out-that-japan-s-proposal-at-the-versailles-peace/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Throughout that period, Japan had made honest efforts to keep the destruction of war from spreading and, based on the belief that all nations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/throughout-that-period-japan-had-made-honest-efforts-to-keep-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [The moment the first American soldier sets foot on the Japanese mainland, all prisoners of war will be shot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/the-moment-the-first-american-soldier-sets-foot-on-the-japanese/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Australia and New Zealand are now threatened by the might of the Imperial Japanese forces, and both of them should know that any resistance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/australia-and-new-zealand-are-now-threatened-by-the-might-of-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Justice has nothing to do with victor nations and vanquished nations, but must be a moral standard that all the world's peoples can agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/justice-has-nothing-to-do-with-victor-nations-and-vanquished-nations/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [At the Imperial Conference on December 1, it was decided to make war against England and the United States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/at-the-imperial-conference-on-december-1-it-was-decided-to-make-war/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [In dealing with the China problem, the British and American side, which had particularly strong interests in China, should have based its judgments about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/in-dealing-with-the-china-problem-the-british-and-american-side-which/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [With options thus foreclosed, in order to protect and defend the nation and clear the obstacles that stood in its path, a decisive appeal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/with-options-thus-foreclosed-in-order-to-protect-and-defend-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [Despite Japan's desires and efforts, unfortunate differences in the ways that Japan, England, the United States, and China understood circumstances, together with misunderstandings of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/despite-japan-s-desires-and-efforts-unfortunate-differences-in-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) > [The Japanese government has accepted the notion that Japan is the loser, and it appears to be going to accept unconditional surrender. Such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hideki-tojo/the-japanese-government-has-accepted-the-notion-that-japan-is-the/) [Hideki Tojo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) [Explore all 27 Hideki Tojo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hideki-tojo/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. 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