Konoe sought a path to a negotiation by withdrawing from China, but Minister of the Army Hideki TOJO, who opposed this, demanded either the resignation of all cabinet members or the start of war based on the national policy outline, so the two of them agreed on recommending Prince Higashikuninomiya Naruhiko as the next prime minister, and on October 16, the cabinet was dismantled, with the cabinet members resigning en masse on October 18.
そこで近衛は対中撤兵による交渉に道を求めたが、これに反対する東条英機陸相は総辞職か国策要綱に基づく開戦を要求し、両者は東久邇宮稔彦王を次期首相に推すことで一致し、10月16日に内閣は投げ出され、10月18日に総辞職した。