what problems did the people face immediately after the Japanese surrender Flashcards
what did the British do such that Japan surrendered? (not so impt???)
(in 1945, Germany surrendered to Allies)
they focused resources on defeating Japan
6 & 9 August, Allies dropped atomic bomb on Japanese cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki
estimated death toll 214 000
Emperor Hirohito announced Japanese’s surrender to the Allies (15 August 1945)
formal surrender of Japan (2 September 1945) on American battleship, the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay
Upon surrender, Japanese stripped of swords and ranks
Huge crowds jeered loudly as they approached City Hall
(returning British welcomed with cheers)
what MPAJA and BMA did
Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army took revenge on those who had actively collaborated with Japanese
-> Chinese who served as informants & assisted in Operation Sook Ching
-> Malays who served as police for Japanese
BMA British Military Administration established took over administration of SG & Malaya from 5 September 1945-31 March 1946
BMA made up of professional soldiers & former civil servants who joined the army during war
aimed to maintain law and order & help with reconstruction in immediate post-war years
however, it faced a host of problems as SG was in disarray
Food & water in short supply and railway system didn’t work properly
3 issues mentioned that the British faced
- food shortages
- economic difficulties
- schooling disruptions
food shortages
most urgent issue shortage of food
due to wartime and post-war disruptions of production and shipping
rice-producing countries e.g. Thailand unable to produce enough rice to sell overseas
difficult for rice that was produced to reach & be distributed in SG as war had destroyed a large number of merchant ships
Sunken ships also blocked the harbour & few warehouses available for storage
BMA dealt with the problem gradually by clearing the harbour so ships could enter the port
controlled prices of essential supplies such as sugar, salt, fresh fish & vegetables, and provided free meals for children under 6 years old
economic difficulties
7 September 1945 BMA declared banana notes no longer official currency of SG
(those who had not kept the Straits dollar had to borrow from others to survive)
To ease situation, BMA issued special grants to locals, however they were often not sufficient for large families to make ends meet
schooling disruptions
war disrupted schooling of many ppl in SG (despite Japanese promises of greater educational opportunities)
to ensure continuation of education, BMA reopened schools quickly in October 1945 for children of schooling age & overaged children who had received little education during JO
provided grants & waived school fees for children from needy families
by march 1946 62 000 students enrolled in schools
