Conflict in the Pacific

Question 1

Economic Issues in the Pacific

Answer 1

• Japan wanted autarky to support expansion, population and modernisation
• Japan’s lack of raw materials meant they relied on imported materials (50% of iron core from Malaya, 90% of oil from US, 1/3 of cotton from India)
• European powers still suffered from post-war recession and Great Depression
• US was struggling against Depression but was global economic giant and had economic interests in Asia-Pacific

Question 2

Political Issues in the Pacific

Answer 2

• Japan had unstable limited liberal democracy in 1920s but militant government took over in 1930s which directed itself towards Pacific
• Japan had fear of Seiryoku-tozen so ultranationalism and militarism were widespread
• Washington Conference restricted Japan but ships were more concentrated whilst US and Britain’s were dispersed
• Japan left League of Nations in 1933 after 1931 Manchuria Incident and abrogated Washington Conference
• Japan and Germany signed 1936 Anti-Comintern Pact
• Britain and France were still weak from WWI and interwar issues
• US had isolationist foreign policy

Question 3

Japanese Foreign Policy from 1937-1941

Answer 3

• Motivated by economic needs, growing population and fervent nationalism
• Built on principles of kokutai, bushido and hakko ichiu
• Needed resources, ports in China and airfields in Pacific
• Expansion into China after 1937 Marco Polo Bridge Incident led to Rape of Nanking and Second Sino-Japanese War
• Japan signed 1936 Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany
• Germany and Soviets signed 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop nonaggression pact so Japan felt threatened as Russia was more mechanised and could influence Asia (aided China and was victorious in conflict on Mongolian-Manchurian border)
• Signed 1940 Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy
• Signed 1941 Neutrality Pact with Soviets
• Sought to take advantage of European preoccupation with war to seize colonies
• Needed Indochina for rubber/tin/oil/rice, airfields and strategic prevention of American supplies from reaching China
• Pressured Vichy France to allow Japan to occupy Tonkin (north Vietnam) in 1940, pressured to occupy Cochin-China (south Vietnam) in 1941 and took control

Question 4

J.M. Roberts quote on Japanese Foreign Policy from 1937-1941

Answer 4

“The crux of the matter was Japan’s need for oil”

Question 5

US Policies in the Pacific from 1937 – 1941

Answer 5

• 1935-39 Neutrality Acts prevented US involvement in wars
• Wanted to maintain Open Door Policy
• In 1941 after Indochina incident, US froze Japan’s assets, issued trade embargoes, reduced trade by 75%, stopped 90% oil exports and then eventually all oil

Question 6

British Policies in the Pacific from 1937 – 1941

Answer 6

• Supported US economic policy towards Japan by imposing economic sanctions, stopping oil shipments and freeze assets after Indochina incident
• Pressured by Japan to close Burma Road that connected India to Chinese border so China unable to get supplies whilst fighting Japan
• Racist belief that Japanese were bad pilots due to myopia and inner ear defects

Question 7

Course of the Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Answer 7

• 7 December 1941
• Attacked by 183 Japanese aircraft
• 8 battleships damaged/destroyed
• 11 warships damaged/sunk
• 50% of planes in Hawaii (over 300) destroyed or disabled
• Over 2000 US casualties
• US aircraft carrier fleet was avoided as it was not at Pearl Harbour
• Unable to destroy vast fuel supplies

Question 8

Reasons for the Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Answer 8

• 1941 Hull Agreement was presented by US demanding removal of Japanese forces from Indochina and China, and pressuring Japan to leave Axis and sign non-aggression pacts with west
• Japan was encircled by ABCD (America, Britain, China, Dutch) and could not access resources in Pacific
• US had imposed trade sanctions on Japan
• Possibility of destroying US fleet was advantageous to Japan’s interests because it was the only threat to their expansionism (isolationalist policy, other countries involved in war) and the fleet would take 12 months to be replaced so US would be unable to help Allies and Japan could seize Western colonies
• Japan would have Pacific defensive perimeter by the time US fleet was replaced
• Japan would have raw materials from colonies to fight war against US

Question 9

David Kennedy’s quote on the Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Answer 9

“masterful, though incomplete, tactical achievement”

Question 10

US Response to the Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Answer 10

• US declared war on Japan on 8 December 1941
• America originally supported Allies in WWII indirectly through weapons/supplies but bombing changed made them directly involved in fighting
• 18 April 1942 Doolittle Raid after bombing and Philippines surrender boosted US morale and Japan became uneasy, felt undefended, questioned ‘victory disease’
• 120 000 Japanese-Americans incarcerated in internment camps for entire war
• Bombing utilised as propaganda tool for remainder of war through slogan “Remember Pearl Harbour”

Question 11

US President Franklin Roosevelt’s quote on US Response to the Bombing of Pearl Harbour

Answer 11

They were “suddenly and deliberately attacked” and “Japanese treachery must be wiped out”

Question 12

Japanese Advance on Philippines

Answer 12

• Attacked on December 8 1941, directly after Pearl Harbour bombing
• Philippines surrendered on 9 April 1942
• Needed as launchpad to Pacific islands
• US General Douglas MacArthur ordered 80 000 US and Filipino troops, and 25 000 civilians out of Manila to retreat to Bataan Peninsula but were undersupplied and diseased
• Bataan Death March after US surrender and 75 000 soldiers marched, 5000 - 10 000 prisoners died

Question 13

Japanese Advance on Singapore

Answer 13

• Attacked on 8 February 1942
• Singapore surrendered on 15 February 1942
• Malaya had tin and rubber
• Britain was ill-prepared as it lacked air defence and many troops were reinforcements (racism, undermined Japanese)
• Fall of Singapore resulted in Australia lacking British protection and then Darwin was bombed
• 130 000 POWs, 15 000 were Australian and 7000 Australian POWs died

Question 14

Japanese Advance on Burma

Answer 14

• Attacked on 22 December 1941
• British retreated until they reached India on 19 May 1942
• Gained oil, rice, rubber, cobalt and tungsten
• Japan built airfields in northern Burma to intercept allied planes
• Japan shut down Burma Road, prevented supplies from reaching China

Question 15

Japanese Advance on Dutch East Indies

Answer 15

• Attacked on 10 January 1942
• Dutch surrendered on 8 March 1942
• Needed for oil, tin, rubber
• Battle of the Java Sea 1942 involving ABDA fleet (American, British, Dutch, Australian) was a Japanese victory as Allies lost 2 light cruisers, 3 destroyers and 2300 people

Question 16

General MacArthur’s quote on Japanese Advance on Philippines

Answer 16

“I shall return”

Question 17

Winston Churchill’s quote on Japanese Advance on Singapore

Answer 17

The fall of Singapore was “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history”

Question 18

Purpose, Course and Impact of Battle of the Coral Sea

Answer 18

• 4 – 8 May 1942
• Japanese codenamed Operation MO
• Japan needed islands for airfields to stop supplies and troops between US and Australia
• Japan wanted to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea to cut communication from Australia and US west coast
• Americans knew of Operation MO as they deciphered Japanese naval code
• Only aircraft used to damage carriers
• US losses: Lexington aircraft carrier destroyed, Yorktown aircraft carrier damaged, tanker sunk, destroyer sunk, 66 aircraft lost, 543 casualties
• Japanese losses: carrier destroyed, carrier damaged, destroyer sunk, 3 small vessels sunk, 77 aircraft lost, 1071 casualties
• Allied strategic victory: Japanese southern advance halted, communications between Australia and Pacific were maintained, Japan failed to take Port Moresby so aircraft could not attack Australia, morale boost
• Japanese tactical victory: greater allied losses, sank more tonnage
• Results: Japan could not control Ports Moresby or use New Guinea as air base, Allies retained New Guinea as strategic base

Question 19

Purpose, Course and Impact of Battle of Midway

Answer 19

• 4 – 7 June 1942
• Japanese codenamed Operation MI
• Japan needed Midway Island to intercept US activity in Pacific
• Midway was strategic position as it is halfway between Asia and America
• Americans knew of Operation MI as they deciphered Japanese naval code
• Enormous losses for Japan: 4 aircraft carriers lost, heavy cruiser lost, 12 destroyers lost, almost 300 aircraft lost, over 200 experienced pilots killed, over 3000 casualties,
• US losses: Yorktown aircraft carrier destroyed, USS Hammann destroyer lost, 145 aircraft lost, over 350 casualties
• Results: Japan was only able to fight defensive campaign from then on, Allies retained Midway as strategic base

Question 20

Purpose, Course and Impact of Battle of Guadalcanal

Answer 20

• 7 August 1942 – 9 February 1943
• US codenamed Operation Watchtower
• Japan needed to control Solomon Islands to stop American offensive
• Strategically important for US and Australian trade links, Japan could use Australia as staging ground for offensive action
• Allies used amphibious warfare and island hopping
• US intelligence reports discovered Japan building airstrip at Lunga Point, took control and renamed it Henderson Field
• Enormous loss for Japan: 30 000 casualties out of 36 000 troops, 75% died from disease and starvation, Japan could not provide support for army (Sino-Japanese War was still raging), lost 38 naval vessels and hundreds of aircraft
• US losses: 1600 died, 4200 wounded, lost 29 naval vessels and over 600 aircraft
• Both sides lost 24 warships in Iron Bottom Sound
  Results: Allies maintained US and Australian trade links, Japan faced enormous set back

Question 21

Purpose, Course and Impact of New Guinea Campaign

Answer 21

• January 1942 – January 1943
• Japan wanted to capture Port Moresby in New Guinea to cut communication from Australia and US west coast
• Allied airbase established at Milne Bay to deter Japanese advances on Port Moresby
• Japan retreated to Buna and Gona after Kokoda Trail but did not capture Milne Bay
• Allies forced Japan to northern strongholds, built new airfields in north
  Results: Allies held control of New Guinea and its airbases, US and Australian communication remained intact

Question 22

Japanese Major General Kawaguchi’s quote on Guadalcanal as a Turning Point

Answer 22

Guadalcanal was the “graveyard of the Japanese army”

Question 23

Strategies used by Allied Forces against Japan

Answer 23

• Island hopping: small Japanese bases were blockaded to isolate from resources/supplies/reinforcements, and Allies bypassed the bases (reduced frontal assaults, lowered casualties, more efficient than capturing every island), also allowed Allies to get close enough to Japanese mainland to begin bombing
• Amphibious warfare: using ships to project ground and air attacks
• Twin-pronged plan of Admiral Chester Nimitz in central Pacific and General Douglas MacArthur in southwest Pacific: fought Japan on two fronts and stretched Japanese resources
• Intelligence War: Allies used ‘Magic’ intelligence decoding system to decrypt Japanese codes, intercepted Japanese codes before they reached intended recipient, 400 indigenous radio operators used native language to confuse Japanese and the Allies used radar
• Submarine War and Naval Blockade: starved Japan and disrupted production and trade of supplies
• Bombing war: 1500-2000 air raids on Japanese cities daily, firebombing Japanese cities as they were typically wooden, in one 1945 attack 100 000 people were killed and at least 100 000 were injured
• Planes dropped anti-shipping mines, sunk 150 Japanese ships and damaged 350

Question 24

Political Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 24

• Ho Chi Min declared Vietnamese independence in 1945
• Philippines gained independence in 1946
• Sukarno declared Indonesia’s independence in 1949
• Emphasis on Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and Pan-Asianism
• Rejection of western ideas and reinforced “Asia for the Asians”

Question 25

Economic Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 25

• Territories were pillaged for materials and resources
• Exploitation of resources led to inflation
• Trade was only permitted with Japan
• Issued ‘invasion money’
• Rations prioritised for Japanese military
• Major rice shortages in Borneo, famine in Indochina and Philippines
• Destruction to property and infrastructure
• Mass labour

Question 26

Social Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 26

• Rations prioritised for Japanese military
• Major rice shortages in Borneo, famine in Indochina (supplied 200k tonnes of rice in 1944 which led to famine and death of 700k) and Philippines
• Nipponisation (Japanisation) of children by learning Nihongo (Japanese language) and Japanese history/values
• Emphasis on oriental morality and the Imperial Way
• 200 000 comfort women used as sex slaves for Japanese military, 80% were Korean
• Mass murder of Chinese with “Kill All, Burn All, Destroy All” policy to reduce China’s population from 44 million to 25 million, and Operation Sook Ching to eliminate Singaporean and Malayan Chinese
• Rejection of western ideas, reinforced “Asia for the Asians”
• Estimated 6 million died

Question 27

Lee Kuan Yew’s (future leader of Singapore) quote on Social Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 27

“food became scarcer and scarcer … reduced to eating old, mouldy, worm-eaten stocks”

Question 28

Fredrik Logevall’s quote on Social Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 28

In Indochina some people “resorted to cannibalism … Some parents sold their children for a few cups of rice”

Question 29

Collaboration between Occupied Territories and Japan during Occupation

Answer 29

• Thailand’s PM Phibun and his government cooperated as they considered Japan their ally against western imperialism, and they wanted to regain territories that France took (eventually regained Burma and Malaya), they declared war on US and Britain and kept control of armed forces and internal affairs
• Burma supported Japan as it wanted independence from Britain and it gained sovereignty with puppet government under Ba Maw
• Malaya collaborated as Japan said they would free Malayans from British colonial rule and promoted limited Malay nationalism
• Philippine elite supported Japan and it was declared independent under Japanese puppet regime of Jose Laurel
• East Indies welcomed Japanese to end Dutch colonial rule so Indonesians were part of politics and administration below Japanese, eventually gained independence under Sukarno
• Indochina was under control of Vichy France so they did not resist Japan and were declared independent under puppet Emperor Bao Dai

Question 30

Resistance between Occupied Territories and Japan during Occupation

Answer 30

• China’s President Chiang Kai-shek and his Kuomintang regime were fighting Japan with support of the west in the Second Sino-Japanese War
• Thailand had anti-Japanese Free Thai Movement numbering almost 100 000 that helped Allies with intelligence work and sabotage, was trained by US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and brought down Phibun in 1944
• Burma’s War Minister Aung San joined Anti-Fascist Organisation that worked with British to remove Japan and Ba Maw
• Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army were helped by British and became an extremely effective resistance force
• Philippines had many rebel groups assisted by US and 260 000 people were involved in guerrilla warfare, there were many rebel groups including communist guerrilla group Hukbalahap
• Vietnam’s nationalist anti-Japanese guerrilla organisation Vietminh under Ho Chi Min assisted US and worked with US Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

Question 31

Slave Labour in Occupied Territories during Occupation

Answer 31

• 61 000 POWs and 270 000 Asian labourers (90 000 died) forced to suffer barbaric conditions on Thai-Burma Railway with incredibly long hours in searing heat or torrential rain, limited and poor quality food, no medical assistance, sick were forced to work and were abused
• POW death rate was 30% compared to 4% in Europe war
• 10 million Indonesians worked on forced labour projects, 1 million died
• 650 000 Koreans worked in Japanese mines and heavy industry, 60 000 died
• 200 000 comfort women used as sex slaves for Japanese military, 80% were Korean
• Unit 731 in Manchuria carried out medical experiments and biological/chemical warfare on POWs, typically Korean and Chinese prisoners

Question 32

Fred Smith’s (Australian POW at Singapore) quote on Social Effects on Civilians in Occupied Territories

Answer 32

“restricted food and water, and medical services, open cess pits, no cover from the sun”

Question 33

Political Effects of War on Japan’s Home Front

Answer 33

• Doolittle Raid in April 1942 was symbolic hit to morale after Pearl Harbour
• 40% of urban areas destroyed by March 1945 because of bombings, hundreds of thousands dead
• Kempeitai (secret police) maintained obedience and support
• Tokko (thought police) arrested people for ideological reasons
• Tonarigumi (neighbourhood associations) controlled lowest levels of society
• 1937 National Spiritual Mobilisation Campaign launched to unite patriotic groups for easier military control
• Cabinet Information Bureau formed in 1940 to control information and conduct mass rallies such as 1941 ‘Crush America and Britain rally’ and 1941 ‘Strengthening Air Defence Spirit rally’

Question 34

Economic Effects of War on Japan’s Home Front

Answer 34

• Lack of raw materials and reliance on imports made Japan unsuitable for war
• Domestic rice production fell by 35% and imports fell by 85% from 1937-1945
• 69% of citizens relied on black market
• Economic Mobilisation Law 1938 created command economy under military
• Japan had no textiles for domestic consumption from 1941 onwards

Question 35

Social Effects of War on Japan’s Home Front

Answer 35

• 2% thought Japan would lose in 1944 and 68% thought so in 1945
• 4 million women worked in munitions and pharmaceuticals by 1944 but 600 000 still worked as domestic servants
• School children were taught to revere Emperor and were indoctrinated with patriotism and the purpose to restore and promote Japanese spirit
• Schools renamed to ‘National Schools’ in 1941 and vacations were training periods
• Students did voluntary labour and were pulled out of school to do factory labour
• 90% of school children evacuated to countryside by 1945 due to bombings
• 6% of population had radios
• Rationing plummeted standard of living by controlling and reducing availability of food and other supplies
• Nationalist propaganda of sacrifice to tenno and civilians were unaware of defeats
• Cabinet Information Bureau formed in 1940 to control information and conduct mass rallies such as 1941 ‘Crush America and Britain rally’ and 1941 ‘Strengthening Air Defence Spirit rally’
• Mass civilian suicides after atomic bombings

Question 36

Political Effects of War on Australia’s Home Front

Answer 36

• Darwin was bombed 4 days after Singapore fell in February 1942, over 60 air attacks, 243 people killed, 8 ships sank, 23 planes destroyed, main RAAF airfield damaged
• Three Japanese submarines entered Sydney Harbour in May 1942, hit Kuttabul ship and killed 21 soldiers
• Japanese submarine attacked hospital ship Centaur in May 1943 and killed 268
• 15 000 Australians became POWs after fall of Singapore
• Censorship and propaganda, and racial bias against Japanese to encourage war effort
• Government played up threat of invasion to promote support for war effort
• 1939 National Security Act introduced internment, arrested potential threats, widespread censorship to prevent information reaching enemy and to shield public from bad war news that lessened morale (including Darwin)

Question 37

Economic Effects of War on Australia’s Home Front

Answer 37

• Restrictions on personal freedoms and nationwide rationing
• PM Curtin called for “season of austerity” and encouraged people to forgo luxuries
• Government took control of income tax, sold war bonds and savings certificates to finance war, directed labour into war effort
• Supplied own military needs, provided food to US forces and sent food to Britain
• Economic growth and significant expansion in manufacture, unemployment before war was 10% but afterwards there was employment shortage

Question 38

Social Effects of War on Australia’s Home Front

Answer 38

• 200 000 women in war effort with Land Army, 25 000 in army and navy but were paid half of men’s wage
• Indigenous Australians not allowed to do army service unless they were ‘substantially European’ but 3000 served as labourers and in armed service
• Internment of people with German/Italian/Japanese descent
• Major presence of around 250 000 US servicemen caused tensions between them and Australian troops, they were better paid and dressed, and American culture began to spread, “overpaid, oversexed and over here”
• Censorship and propaganda, racial bias against Japanese to encourage war effort
• 1939 National Security Act introduced internment, arrested potential threats, widespread censorship to prevent information reaching enemy and to shield public from bad war news that lessened morale

Question 39

Alvin Coox’s quote on Japan’s Home Front

Answer 39

Suffered “declining civil morale, black-marketeering, corruption, growing distrust in the leadership”

Question 40

Impact of the Atomic Bombs

Answer 40

• Hiroshima was bombed by ‘Little Boy’ on 6 August 1945 (codenamed Operation Centreboard I)
• Hiroshima was major manufacturing centre with population of 350 000
• ‘Little Boy’ destroyed 90% of city and killed 80 000 immediately
• Nagasaki was bombed by ‘Fat Man’ on 9 August 1945 (codenamed Operation Centreboard II)
• ‘Fat Man’ killed 70 000 immediately
• Tens of thousands of people died from exposure in years to come (cancer, sickness, burns, radiation)

Question 41

Reasons For and Against the use of the Atomic Bombs

Answer 41

For:

• Japanese fought to the death so attack on mainland would have caused significant loss of American lives through prolonged attrition warfare (Operation Downfall)
• Japan’s extremist militant government refused to surrender due to dishonour
• Japan could inflict serious damage on Allies as it still occupied Indochina, Malaya and parts of East Indies, had kamikaze pilots, could utilise submarines, and controlled thousands of POWs
• America sought revenge for Pearl Harbour and Bataan Death March
• America’s rivalry with USSR was mounting so they wanted to warn Soviets of their power and abilities to prevent power grabs

Against:

• Japan was inevitably going to lose as they were weakened by blockades, defeats and lack of industrial capabilities
• Atomic bombing had many unknown and unprecedented dangers

Question 42

Economic Reasons for the Japanese Defeat

Answer 42

• America’s industrial capabilities and overwhelming economic superiority compared to Japan whose industrial capability was 10% of America’s in 1941
• Japan’s lack of oil was detrimental
• Second Sino-Japanese War meant 65% of resources went to China
• By 1942, US could replace losses daily but Japan’s industrial output was falling behind and by 1945 losses from 1942 hadn’t been replaced
• Naval craft production of US to Japan was 16:1
• Aircraft carrier production of US to Japan was 10:1
• One Ford plant could produce bomber aircraft every 63 minutes
• Japanese produced 6 aircraft carriers in 1944 but US produced 40

Question 43

Strategic Reasons for the Japanese Defeat

Answer 43

• America interrupted oil to Japan through air and naval superiority and by 1945 less than 10% of oil to Japan reached its destination
• US bombed Japanese homeland, significant loss of life and paralysed economy and by 1945, 67 cities were destroyed or over 50% uninhabitable
• American submarines sunk 80% of Japanese merchant ships which was over 5 million tons
• US developed multi-role air force capable of supporting infantry, strategic bombing, transport and tactical air support
• US had technologically advanced radar and could crack Japanese codes
• Twin-pronged plan of Nimitz in central Pacific and MacArthur in southwest Pacific
• Island hopping left Japanese troops stranded and allowed bombing of mainland
• Japan overstretched itself by late 1942 so it was hard to hold territory and supply troops
• Battle of the Coral Sea kept communication open between US and Australia so Australia continued to be a base for MacArthur and US troops
• Battle of Midway caused significant and unrecoverable losses to Japan
• Resistance to Japan in occupied territories

Question 44

Richard Overy’s quote on Reasons for the Japanese Defeat

Answer 44

Japan had a struggling economy with little resources and “Japan made no attempt to embrace new developments”

Question 45

War Crimes Tribunals

Answer 45

• General MacArthur established the International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE) to carry out War Crimes Tribunals
• A Class Trials for “conspiracy to wage and start war”
• B Class Trials for “violations of the laws and customs of war”
• C Class Trials for “crimes against humanity”

Question 46

Status of the Emperor

Answer 46

• Controversy regarding whether or not Hirohito should have been tried at tribunals
• Argument that he was involved in decision-making before and during war, and did not oppose or prevent Japan’s imperialist aggression
• Counterargument that he was a mere figurehead with no control over military and leaders
• Hirohito was spared by MacArthur as he was a symbol of unity (Japan surrendered because of his intervention) and he was needed to democratise Japan as head of a constitutional monarchy

Question 47

Background and Purpose of Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 47

• General MacArthur led SCAP
• Goals of promoting stable society, removing militarism, establishing foundations of liberal democracy and promoting capitalism whilst resisting liberal democracy
• Based on policy of protecting west from Soviets and Communist China
• Aimed to reform and then restore
• Japanese ministries and bureaucrats were used to overcome language barrier and assist complex nature of situation in Japan post-WWII
• Purging removed 200 000 leading Japanese military/political/business figures from civil service and public life, purged anti-SCAP groups such as communists

Question 48

Reforms of Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 48

• Introduced new democratic constitution and established constitutional monarchy where Hirohito’s position as divine was converted to figurehead
• Political authority resided in Diet and members elected by civilians
• Weakened ability to pursue war by purging militarists, especially through war tribunals, destroying military arsenal, sinking navy and shutting down War Departments
• Japanese occupied territories like Korea and Manchuria were returned
• Censorship of military elements such as shows with
  violence or extreme nationalism and confiscation of Samurai swords
• Women given equal rights including suffrage
• Freedom of speech established
• Land Reform program meant 90% of farmers owned the land they worked on (previously 30%), rather than renting it and paying 50% of crops to landlords
• Labour Union Act introduced trade union laws and the right to strike
• Stock market established to widen ownership of companies and dissolve zaibatsu but efforts to break up conglomerates halted to help economy recover and oppose communism
• Propagandist ideas in schools were replaced with democratic thinking
• Control and censorship of education and textbooks was removed from central government and passed to local authorities but did not last (contemporary textbooks do not discuss extent of Japanese atrocities during WWII)
• Compulsory schooling increased from 6 to 9 years
• Increased number of universities and focus on general education

Question 49

Positives of Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 49

• Democracy was successful and structures are still maintained
• Japan has not invaded another country
• Japan has remained close ally of the US
• Strong and flourishing economy
• Land reform and union rights continued
• Women had greater freedom than the past

Question 50

Negatives of Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 50

• Food shortages were common and many suffered malnourishment
• Black market flourished
• Criminal gangs had power
• Many women forced into prostitution
• 3.7 million Japanese did not have housing in 1947 as government provided supplies, services and housing to occupiers
• Slow recovery as Germany was prioritised
• Deep-seated prejudice against Koreans and Burakumin (untouchables) remained
• Contemporary textbooks do not discuss extent of Japanese atrocities during WWII

Question 51

Impact of Cold War on Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 51

• USSR had taken control of Eastern Europe
• China was communist under Mao Zedong
• Indochina had war between communist Vietminh under Ho Chi Min and France
• Communist North Korea invaded South Korea
• Japan became potential ally, future economic partner and strategic base for US during Korean War
• Communists were undemocratically removed from government, business and trade unions
• US and Japan signed Peace Treaty in 1951
• 1951 Mutual Defence Act gave Japan protection and it became a reliable ally, was returned some island territory

Question 52

Richard Storry’s quote on Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 52

Japan had a “bloodless social and cultural revolution”

Question 53

Hirohito’s quote on Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 53

Peace would be achieved by “enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable”

Question 54

Kawai Kazuo’s quote on Reforms of Allied Occupation of Japan

Answer 54

The zaibatusu were necessary for reforming Japan because “You cannot teach democracy to a starving people”

Question 55

David Kennedy’s quote on Impact of Battle of Midway

Answer 55

“never again would the Japanese go where they liked and do what they liked”