...Course: Date: Japan under Occupation An essential story of the Occupation concerns how the United States and Japan could change their unimaginable political and social rivalry to one important ally. Amid the Pacific War (1941–45), the propaganda machines of both countries decried and dehumanized the enemy to a great and dangerous level (Gordon and Andrew 14). Every side was characterized by different atrocities, yet engaged just on those conferred by the other, and the citizens on both sides of the Pacific were on alert to expect the worse from each other. The Japanese had seen sixty-six of their significant urban areas and major cities demolished by the fierce fire of bombs and reduced to ashes. The twin bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 cannot escape many people's mind. At their occurrences, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings brought an unexpected end to what has been known as a 'war without mercy', yet the choice to surrender was contradicted by military leaders until the Emperor interceded and broke a gridlock that existed among his senior advisors. Japan's almost 15 year frenzy through Asia (1931–45) was done, at last killing an expected 3 million Japanese and more than 15 million Asians, for the most part in China. Japanese mercilessness actions in war, including abuse of prisoners-of-war (POWs), created assumptions favoring retaliation and punishment. It was in this unfriendly atmosphere that US troops arrived in Japan and started the Occupation (Higley, John...
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...JAPAN UNDER MACARTHUR Japan was and still is a thriving country with deep cultural and traditional roots. Their day to day lives were ruled over by the Emperor of their country. Tradition was the center stone of their existence and remnants of it are still visible in this day and time. Men and women were set apart with men having the ruling authority in all matters. This was the norm before the occupation of Japan by the forces of General MacArthur. Japan surrendered control to General MacArthur on September 8th, 1945. General MacArthur was appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers with overall governing power of the nation of Japan. In that moment the people of Japan lost all control of their homeland. General MacArthur introduced drastic changes in the political, cultural, religious, and economical areas of Japanese life. General MacArthur knew that governing Japan could not be accomplished without the Japanese legislature (the Diet), which is the cabinet and bureaucracy that was already established. He knew that the transition would be easier with the backing of the political party that was already in place. The people of Japan were dealt a blow when Emperor Hirohito renounced his belief that he was a divine or godlike entity. General MacArthur tasked the Diet to rewrite their constitution, but he did not like what they came up with. He had individuals from his own headquarters along with civilians write the new constitution. He thought that what the people of...
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...Douglas MacArthur: The Big Chief in America and Japan General of the Army, Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964), is well-known in the history of army in the United States and one of the soldiers who served the United States for more than a half-century. He was born on January 26th, 1880, at the Little Rock Barracks in Arkansas and grew up on outposts of the western borderline in which his Army officer father, Arthur MacArthur (1845-1912), was positioned. He later mentioned about the experience in his early childhood, “It was here I learned to ride and shoot even before I could read or write–indeed, almost before I could walk or talk.” (History.com) MacArthur was talented and candid; besides is best known for his crucial parts in World War II and following reconstruction of Japan. In this paper, his educational and political background, political challenges and accomplishments, and also relationship with particularly the United States and Japan are going to be explicated. EDUCATIONAL AND POLITICAL BACKGROUND Douglas MacArthur spent his entire life in the military of the United States. He lived in a far-off region of New Mexico in his early childhood in which his father, Arthur MacArthur Jr., instructed an infantry company charged with guarding settlers and railroad employees from the Indian "menace." When he was a teenager, Arthur served with division in the Union Army, and he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after all for showing a courageous assault up Missionary Ridge...
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...country's flag unfurled, and in Tokyo's sun let it wave in its full glory as a symbol of hope for the oppressed and as a harbinger of victory for the right." This moment was not broadcast throughout the world as the surrender ceremony aboard the U.S.S. Missouri had been six days earlier. Yet in hindsight, it was just as symbolic of the occupation period to follow: optimistic, thoroughly American, and unmistakably MacArthur. Although the occupation was nominally an allied enterprise -- MacArthur's title was Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, or SCAP -- it was very much an American show, and there was no doubt who was in charge. As historian Michael Schaller has noted, "From its inception, the occupation became synonymous with its supreme commander. Although few Americans could name the man in charge of the German occupation (General Lucius Clay and, later, John J. McCloy) most could readily identify the top man in Tokyo." Reference: American Experience. 2009. MacArthur and the Japanese Occupation (1945-1951). [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/macarthur/peopleevents/pandeAMEX99.html. [Accessed 24 January 14]. Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 14, 1945, when the Japanese government notified the Allies that it had accepted the Potsdam Declaration. On the following day, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's unconditional surrender on the radio (the Gyokuon-hōsō). The announcement was the emperor's...
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...Brittany Lade Eastern Asian Politics Dr. Tan 30 April 2015 Economic Aftermath of World War II: China and Japan When it comes to the economic welfare of different countries around the world, it is dependent on events within the country or events that the country partake in. Such an example that led to changes within many countries who were part of the destructive events within it would be World War II. The end of World War II had left a trail of devastation in its path. There were many countries in turmoil and there were many countries that needed to recover and rebuild. Two countries that were influenced by the aftermath of the war greatly were China and Japan. Following the war each country had to rebuild and/or change their economic and...
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...Yoshida 1. What was the Civil Censorship Detachment? Within 2 weeks of emperor hirohitos message of surrender was announced, American troops landed in japan. Because of occupation initiatives, Japanese gained a freedom that stood in stark contrast to their wartime experience. This freedom nonetheless remained a limited and supervised one. 2. What did the CCD do to the Asahi in mid-September of 1945? In mid September of 1945, the Civil Censorship Detatchment issued a press code , ostensibly intended to educate the Japanese media in the responsibilities and meaning of free press. 3. How did The Course of the Nation describe the Nanjing Massacre? According to the textbook, it was the military that had dragged japan into an unwanted war. “although the government made every effort to end the incident and to maintain friendly relations with china,the military rapidly enlarged the fighting, like a stone gaining momentum rolling down a hill. Japanese troops had ravaged Nanjing (middle page 47) 4. During the occupation, how did the textbook describe the US occupation? Under general Douglas MacArthur, the allied powers occupied japan, this occupation was aimed at establishing public order in japan, destroying the military, completely overthrowing militarist ideologies, giving freedom to the people and rebuilding japan into a democracy. 5. Describe how the press portrayed/described the the Nanjing Massacre. They told the story from a US perspective . horihoto or government...
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...in 1931 the Japanese viewed the divided nation as a weakness, invading and beginning what would become known as the Sino-Japanese war. Initially, the Japanese had little to fight against, as resistance was both poor and ineffective and China wasn’t even a united nation. The nature of war was considered incredibly brutal, as Japan would bomb and occupy civilian areas, leaving numerous innocent casualties. During this period of time, China was still fighting as a divided nation, in which had the Nationalists attempting to retreat and spread the Japanese thin, in comparison to the Communists which tried to take on...
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...Republic of Korea). Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. It is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC and the introduction of Buddhism in the 4th century AD had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which was first united during the Silla (57 BC – AD 935) under the King Munmu. The united Silla fell to Goryeo in 935 at the end of the Later Three Kingdoms. Goryeo was a highly cultured state and created the Jikji in the 14th century. The invasions by the Mongolians in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation, which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed. The Ming-allied Choseon emerged supreme in 1388. The first 200 years of Choseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of the Korean Hangul alphabet by King Sejong the Great in the 14th century and the increasing influence of Confucianism. During the later part of the dynasty, however, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname of the "Hermit kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs by Japan. In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and remained a colony until the end of World War II in August 1945. In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender...
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...This is a qualitative history interview report about the cause and consequences of immigration to America about my grandfather, Herman Lau, when he left Hong Kong in the year of 1945 and immigrated to America in the year of 1950. Under the constant shift of the political sovereignty of Hong Kong in the 90s, Herman experienced ruling and warfare involved with British Government and the Army of Japan. The future of Herman wasn’t in a clear prospect. Herman no longer sees Hong Kong as a place for him to develop his career or a safe place to live anymore. He left his parents and his homeland in 1945 and took the job as the engineering crew member of a merchandise ship that went back and forward between different places of China and San Francisco, with the goal of moving to a safer place to live and regaining the socio-economic status he owned before the occupation of Japan Interview Born in Hong Kong in the year of 1926, Herman Lau experienced the many social chaos and hardships while growing up, including the British colony period (1841-1997), the Japanese occupation period (1941-1945), and also the process of the establishment of People’s...
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...Fathers were forced to rape their daughters and son their mothers, as other family member watched…” The Rape of Nanking, Iris Chang One of the most horrific events in human history, the Rape of Nanking is an example of one of the worst crime against humanity the world has ever seen. This event was so horrific that it is sometime referred to as the “forgotten Holocaust”. Beginning on December 13, 1937, Japan invaded China and the mass execution of soldiers and the slaughtering and raping of tens of thousands of civilians, whom peacefully surrendered, took place in contravention of all rules of warfare. This horrific event occurred due to the fact that for millenniums, the Japanese soldiers and civilians had a contempt feeling toward the Chinese and thought of them to be an inferior race of Asian people, much like the German policies against Jewish people in Europe. The Japanese soldiers...
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...UNDERLYING INTERESTS ARISING FROM THE SUBSTANCES OF THE NEGOTIATION / POSSIBLE ROOTS CAUSES THE PROBLEMS AND NEGOTIATION SOLUTIONS * China and Japan use a lingering conflict for their own domestic political interests. * Presenting Problem: a longstanding territorial dispute over who has sovereignty over the Senkaku islands. * Chinese believe the islands were unlawfully seized by Japan in the war 1895. * Japan argues that possession is nine-tenths of the law and that there can be no dispute since they have occupied the Senkakus for the past over 100 years. For the past 40 years Japan has managed to avoid the conflict over the islands by not raising questions of sovereignty and not engaging in any economic development. * China fully expected that the islands would be returned to them in 1972 when the United States gave up its occupation of the Okinawan chain. * As Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda purchased the islands by buying them for Japan , the Japanese illusion that “ no territorial dispute exists” was undermined. * This offended China and immediately made violent protests for the purchase of the islands. * The Noda-decision and the Chinese protesting response mean that Japan can no longer adhere to the view that the islands are not dispute. * The challenge facing both countries is what to do about this, so they requested negotiated solutions to the dispute. * The questions now are whether or not both countries are hostage to extreme...
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...Essay on Female Mill Workers in England and Japan: How Similar Were Their Experiences? AP World History The industrial revolution was a major period in history; especially for the manual laborer. One segment of the worker population were the women in the textile industry, specifically in England and Japan. Female workers in England and Japan shared similar experiences in the work place. The informational visuals and documents that detail age/gender statistics, economic concerns, and working conditions all contain occupational comparisons yet regional differences. Document 1 is a map of both countries and their physical locations on earth. Both are island nations and are surrounded by water. Because of their geography both were very independent. Document 2 illustrates a lithograph and a photograph from English and Japanese factories. The manufacture of textiles was critical in both civilizations. The lithograph of workers in England displays power loom mills while Japan’s photograph presents women who are working in a silk-reeling factory. An additional document that would help expand the understanding of Japan and England’s background would be a more advanced point of view on regional advantages and disadvantages to inform the differences in both countries work ethic. In both countries the manufacture of textiles was critical in their rise to power. Documents 3 and 4 portray the age/gender comparisons between not only Japan and England, but as well as the percentages...
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...came to be known as the "Cold War". Although full-scale war between the U.S. and Soviet Union did not occur, two major wars, (Korea and Vietnam), and many smaller conflicts occurred between 1946 and 1991 over the battle between democracy and communism. The Cold war was a product of many social and political reasons, a few but not limited to: The portioning of North Korea and Germany, the Marshal Plan, the Berlin Blockage and NATO. I’ll begin my explanation with the Yalta Conference, held in Yalta in February 1945 where Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill planned the final stages of World War II and agreed to the territorial division of Europe. “At Yalta, Roosevelt and Churchill discussed with Stalin the conditions under which the Soviet Union would enter the war against Japan and all three agreed that, in exchange for potentially crucial Soviet participation in the Pacific theater, the Soviets would be granted a sphere of influence in Manchuria following Japan’s surrender” (Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State). Stalin's "sphere of influence" consisted of territories that his armies had already overrun....
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...Truman Foreign Policy “Let’s Keep Score” The First Couple of Things He Did • 1. UN Established June 26, 1945 (Tie) ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ April 1945, 50 Nations met in San Francisco HQ in New York Permanent Members-US, UK, China, USSR, France Trygve Lie-1st UN Secretary General • 2. US Drops Atomic Bombs (Win) ▫ Hiroshima August 6th ▫ Nagasaki August 9th 3. German Occupation (Tie) • Potsdam Conference-splits Germany into 4 Occupation Zones ▫ US, UK, France (West Germany) ▫ USSR (East Germany • Also Split Berlin (4 Zones) • Promised to crush NAZI party ▫ Nuremberg Trials-sentenced 11 to death 4. Japanese Occupation (Win) • Only US controlled the rebuilding of Japan ▫ Did not want to split Japan like Germany • Create a Democratic government • Supreme Commander Douglas MacArthur ▫ He wrote the constitution ▫ Not militaristic! ▫ No more weapons/army 5. Eastern Europe (Loss) • Right after the war, Stalin takes the Baltic States ▫ Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia • Stalin’s Promise of Free Elections in Eastern Europe ▫ Went back on promises at Yalta • Iron Curtain Speech-Winston Churchill, Missouri • “An iron curtain has descended across Europe…” 6. Containment Policy • Authored by George Kennan • Fundamentally changes US Foreign Policy forever • Learned our lesson from WWII ▫ Appeasement @ Munich ▫ Soviets want to expand, we need to push them back! Truman Doctrine • Announced March 12, 1947 • “It must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples from conquest...
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...In the following paper I will be examining the process of economic development in Japan. I begin with their history in the Meiji period and how that effected their great success in the postwar development. Then I will go through the different economic stages of economic development in postwar Japan. I will examine the high periods and low period in Japan economics, and the factors behind these shifts in development. Last I will give a conclusion and where I believe Japan economy will be in the future. To understand Japan economic boom after the war you must also look at there history. Without the creation of the industrial economy during the Meiji Japan this economic growth after postwar could have not happened. To look even closer lets examine the period before called the Tokugawa period, from 1630's until the 1860's. Smith explains that "during this period Japanese economy experienced unparalleled growth and structural change" (Smith, Page 4). The system was set up on rules and obligations on all sections of society. These systems of control helped rapid urbanization. Education is also a factor in the economic development in Tokugawa period. Tokugawa Japan abapted Confucianism belief system from there neighbors China. This became important because "one of the distinctive traits of Confucianism was reverence for education and learning" (Smith, Page 5). This spread of education was dramatic. Not Macdonnell, 2 Only did the knowledge seep...
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