Although he commanded the prosecution of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars, his leadership was often misguided, and during the Sino-Japanese War he was once withdrawn from the front line under the pretense of 'the obligation to have the military status report to the Emperor.'
日清戦争や日露戦争では戦争遂行の指揮をとったが的外れのものが多く、日清戦争時は「天皇に軍情報告せよ」という名目で第一線から呼び返されたこともある。