Hagen's removal as Consigliere was a move made by both Michael and Vito. On the surface, the premise of the move was that Tom was not a wartime consigliere, which was true. A deeper reason for this move was implied (in the novel) but never actually completely brought to the surface. Michael and Vito felt that Tom needed to have no part or role whatsoever in Michael's move to take out the Family heads. The implication is that Tom needed to be removed because Tom sat behind Vito (figuratively and literally) when he swore on the souls of his grandchildren that, as long as he was not provoked, he would not be the one to break the peace, and thus a party to "Vito's promise".
A subtle and insightful point, PP.
I think the practical reason was that the objective of the move to Nevada was to "legitimize" the Corleone family. And so Tom, as the family's front-man in Nevada, needed to be physically removed from the Great Massacre of 1955. If memory serves, the novel said he spent some months by himself in Nevada prior to the massacre setting things up. But Vito's death put him back (temporarily) in the consigliere role.
My questions: 1. Did Don Vito break his promise and code of honor? Though Michael accepted full responsibility for the planning and carrying out of the hits, it was Vito that first conceptualized the move-long before Michael's return. Was Tom's removal and Michael's insistence that it was he that was responsible the technicality that Vito hung his hat on? Can we attribute Mary's death to Vito's actions?
Vito didn't break his promise because he died before The Great Massacre. But you could argue with conviction that Vito was complicit in what was to come because he brought Michael back and groomed him to be his successor. Vito
had to know that Michael would be regarded by the other Dons as a weak successor, and that unless he moved decisevly against the other Dons, he'd be killed, and the family subordinated to others. How could he
not have had something very much like The Great Massacre in mind for Michael--upon whom Vito's promise wasn't binding? Again, if memory serves, Michael flat-out tells Vito that he his to have no part in what is going to happen, otherwise Michael will quit the family and go his own way. Vito didn't utter a peep--meaning he was complicit.
