Kanji Ishiwara (1889–1949) was a Japanese military officer and military strategist. As an officer in the Imperial Japanese Army, he played a central role in the planning of the Mukden Incident and developed an influential body of strategic thought on war, national defense, and the future of international order. He is best known for his theory of the "Final War," which argued that world history was moving toward a decisive global conflict. His best-known work, "Saishū Sensō-ron" ("The Theory of the Final War"), examines the evolution of warfare and the future of international relations from a broad historical perspective.
