How and why did Japan become allied with the USA Flashcards
What’s the chronology?
1949
Aug- USSR tests first nuclear weapon.
Sep- Truman approves NSC-68 recommendations.
1950
Jan- idea of strategic perimeter is suggested
Feb-China forms a military alliance with the USSR.
April-NSC-68 is presented
Nov-China joins North Korea in its war against South Korea.
1951
Sept-the San Francisco peace Treaty between the USA and Japan is signed .
1953
Jan-Eisenhower becomes US president.
Why was Hiroshima significant?
started the arms race and made Stalin believe that use weren’t trust worthy
showed Americas technological advancement
revenge for Pearl harbour
punishment for barbarism in imperial expansionism
brung about the end of WW2 and Japanese surrender
Who was Gen. Douglas MacArthur?
The supreme commander of US forces from 1942
Accepted Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri 1945.
Then became supreme commander for the allied powers (SCAP) in Japan
Was ultimately given decision-making powers to help rebuild Japan: measures included re-education, democratisation, economic reform and demilitarisation.
Who was Hirohito?
the emperor of Japan during its phase of aggressive nationalism and imperial expansion in the far east and the Pacific during the 30’s and ww2.
When did the Pacific war end?
Aug 1945
How/why did MacArthur decide to treat Japan after their defeat and how did it affect Japan?
He began a program of demilitarisation and breaking up large business groupings, while purging those associated with Japan’s aggressive policies of expansion and war in WW2-they even hunted down Communists instead of looking for war criminals.
MacArthur thought that he was reforming Japan in a way that would make it conform to an American version of capitalism and so they could be undisturbed by Soviet forces. The US also saw Japan as an essential element of its power base in the East.
While it would have succeeded in the long term but in the short term it did nothing to solve the pressing problems of Japans economic collapse after the war-as with Germany, the war destroyed regional networks of trade, and by 1946 there were signs of acute hardship and food shortages.
In purging Japan’s business execs who were linked to the aggro nationalist groups after the war, MacArthur was arguably worsening the Japanese econ crisis
How did they politically stabilise Japan?
The powers of the emperor were significantly decreased-didn’t have even the constitutional monarchy powers and the idea that he was divine was denied.
Were given a government-house of representatives, provisions for regular elections and women could vote
May 1947 constitution-Trade unions were given legal status, human civil rights were given, slavery was outlawed and the rights of religious minorities were recognised.
Prohibited from granting privileges or political authority to a religion
What’s up with the Zaibatsu?
The heart of economic and industrial activity in imperial Japan.
They formed monopolistic business practices which had nationalised a significant portion of production capability during WW2.,
Many of the Econ advisors accompanying the SCAP had experienced the new deal program, under Roosevelt, and were highly suspicious of monopolies and restrictive business practises.
What did Kennan propose?
The ‘reverse course’ on Japan was taken from the summer of 1947.
Kennan argued that in terms of global balance of power, a strong, rebuilt Japan and Germany would counter Soviet power without threatening Western interests-rebuild would make both animals ‘immune to communism’
Decided that Japan wouldn’t pay any reparations and the de-industrialisation program would be abandoned-including breaking up the zaibatsu.
As with the Marshall plan the USA sent $500 mill to help with Economic recovery.
Who was Joseph Dodge?
an economic advisor for US in both Germany and Japan after the war-specialised in drafting plans for economic stabilisation + brought down Japan’s rising inflation.
How did Dodge help Japan’s economic situation?
Dodge and Hayato Ikeda produced a ‘super balanced budget’ which set a target for a surplus of 157 mill yen-$4 mill- initially led to business closures and unemployment.
Japan wanted to become an active, member of world institutions. The USA demanded that Japan join GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) which strengthened Japan’s access to western trade and prevented trade with the PRC in the late 1950’s.
From 1947 onwards, Truman’s overriding Asian policy goal was to create a stable, prosperous, pro-western Japan.
What was Japan’s value for the USA?
Early in 1948 American generals warned Truman that if Japan fell under communist influence, the USSR would gain an additional war-making potential equal to 25% of her existing capacity.
In Dec 1949, Secretary of State Dean Acheson similarly outlined the importance of Japan in terms of the overall power balance between the 2 superpowers. “were Japan added to he communist bloc, the Soviets would acquire skilled manpower and industrial potential capable of significantly altering the balance of work power”
How did the context change by October 1949 and how does this change Japan’s importance ?
1 Oct 1949-victory of the PRC
14 Feb 1950-Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship
25 June 1950-Outbreak of the Korean War
Japan therefore became a crucial component in the USA’s quest to contain communism in Asia.
Yoshida (PM) saw an opportunity to renegotiate WW2 treaties, and restore Japan’s sovereignty.
What happened on the 8th of sep 1951?
The San Francisco Treaty
signed by 49 nations, and served to recognise the full sovereignty of the Japanese people
Japan renounced claims to surrounding territories including Korea and Formosa (Taiwan)
What is the US-Japan Security Treaty?
it gave the US unrestricted use of military bases in Japan, administrative control of Okinawa, the right to use military bases in Japan and the right to veto offering military bases to other states
Japans importance to the US thinking had been increased by the victory of Mao in the Chinese Civil War (Oct 1949) and by the outbreak of the Korean War (June 1950)
