Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1884. He was the third son of his father, but the tragic deaths of his two older brothers placed new pressures on young Tojo to succeed in life. He graduated from the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1905 with a rather low ranking. His military career had a very rocky start.
Tojo was the second worst cadet graduating from his military school, 42nd out of 50 students. In his college career he graduated with much higher marks and was placed in Germany until 1921 where he returned to Japan and met his future friends who would aid in the Tōseiha, militarists who attempted to balance out the Kōdōha.