Shigeyasu Suzuki

Shigeyasu Suzuki (鈴木 重康) was a lieutenant general in the Imperial Japanese Army during the early part of the Second Sino-Japanese War. His brother, Suzuki Minoru was a major general in the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps.

Biography
A native of Ishikawa prefecture, Suzuki graduated from the 17th class of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy in 1905 and was assigned to the IJA 35th Infantry Regiment. After leaving 24th class of the Army War College in 1912, he as served as a resident officer in Russia from 1916–1918, and was thus witness to many of the events of the Russian Revolution and the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty. After his return to Japan, he became Chief of Staff of the IJA 12th Division.

Suzuki was attached to the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff in 1924. In 1927 he was attached to 34th Regiment of the IJA 3rd Division. From there he was posted to Poland as military attaché in 1928 and followed by Latvia in 1929. Returning to the General Staff in 1930, he was made the Chief of 2nd Section (Maneuvers), in the 1st Bureau until 1931.

Suzuki was made commander of the 1st Imperial Guards Regiment from 1931–1932, and after his promotion to major general, he taught at the Army War College from 1932-1934. From 1934 to 1935 he was head of the 4th Bureau in the General Staff, and head of the 1st Bureau from 1935-1936.

With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, Suzuki was promoted to lieutenant general and was given command of the IJA 11th Independent Mixed Brigade. In August 1937 it saw action in the Battle of Beiping-Tianjin, Operation Chahar, and in the Battle of Taiyuan. Recalled to Japan in late 1937, Suzuki became Commandant of the Chemical Warfare School until he retired in 1938.

After his retirement from military service, Suzuki was active in the development of the Japanese automobile industry to his death in 1957.