Issued on 8 January 1941 by the Imperial Japanese Army Headquarters, the Senjinkun outlined strict moral and behavioural guidelines for Japanese soldiers: discipline, loyalty and sacrifice. One of its most important directives was the prohibition of surrender. It stated that it was far better to die than to be captured, as surrender was considered dishonourable and a betrayal of the Emperor and the nation.
This code shaped the mindset of Japanese troops during the Second World War and contributed to their fierce resistance and the use of suicide tactics like banzai attacks and kamikaze missions.
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