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History of East Asia > The Great Reconfiguration 1945-1949 > Flashcards

The Great Reconfiguration 1945-1949 Flashcards

1
Q

East Asia: From Hot War to Cold War

A

Immediate Aftermath War
- Willingness to compromise:
– US pursues progressive policies in Japan (purge militarists, support basic rights, and democracy)
– USSR supports peaceful solution China/Korea: unification more important than support communism

From 1946/7
- Increasing confrontation:
– US works with conservatives in Japan to make country into Cold War ally
– USSR begins supporting CCP in Chinese Civil War
– Both sides build state in their part of Korea: entrench division North/South

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2
Q

Second World War?

A
  • Views of start and end differ greatly
  • Japan: 1941-1945 (15 August)
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3
Q

Japanese Imperialism

A
  • Taiwan: 1895-1945
  • Korea: 1910-1945
  • Northeastern China: 1931-1945
  • China: 1937-1945
  • Southeast Asia: 1942-1945
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4
Q

Yalta Conference: 4-11 February 1945

A
  • Mainly about postwar Europe
  • But about East Asia:
    – USSR to join war against Japan 3 months after German surrender (secret)
    – Stalin promises not to support CCP (Chiang Kai-shek knows this, Mao Zedong doesn’t)
  • What does Stalin want?
    – Northeastern China port access and railway control
    – Southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles
    – No demands, yet, regarding Japan
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5
Q

Potsdam Conference: 17 July-2 August 1945

A
  • Division of postwar Europe
  • Increasing distrust of Soviet intentions in Eastern Europe: Truman has very different attitude to communism than Roosevelt
  • Talk about the use of atomic bomb –> “A new weapon of unusual destructive force”

– Potsdam Agreement about Europe
– Potsdam Declaration about Japan

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6
Q

Potsdam Declaration: 26 July 1945

A
  • US, UK, ROC: “Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender”
  • Call for unconditional surrender of Japan
  • Very ambiguous about postwar rule of Japan
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7
Q

Soviet-Japanese War (8 August-2 September 1945)

A
  • 8 August 1945: USSR declares war and invades “Manchukuo”
  • Japanese surprised (intelligence failure): had wanted USSR to help negotiate peace with Allies
  • After 15 August: Northeastern China in Soviet hands –> suddenly Soviet troops based in area
  • Then they quickly move into Korea
  • 10 August: US suggests joint occupation of Korea at 38th parallel. USSR agrees.
  • Ambiguity of Soviet role in East Asia will have tremendous repercussions
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8
Q

15 August 1945: VJ Day in the West

A
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9
Q

15 August 1945: National Liberation Day in Korea

A
  • Independence activists and other political prisoners released
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10
Q

15 August 1945:
- Taiwan “returns” to ROC (actually 25 October)
- China: End of Sino-Japanese War

A
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11
Q

15 August 1945 –> Japan: Unconditional Surrender

A
  • “Jewel Voice Broadcast”
  • Emperor Hirohito announces acceptance of Potsdam Declaration (= unconditional surrender)
  • “the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s advantage”
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12
Q

2 September 1945: Official Surrender on USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay

A
  • Japanese Foreign Minister Shigemitsu Mamoru
  • General Douglas MacArthur
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13
Q

Echo from History: Same Flag 1853 & 1945

A
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14
Q

Japan in 1945: Will there be a radical break with the past, or a sense of continuity?

A
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15
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1952

A
  • President Truman’s objectives:
    – Eliminating Japan’s war potential
    – Turning Japan into a democratic-style nation with pro-UN orientation
  • Led by “Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers” (SCAP)
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16
Q

Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964)

A
  • Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers 1945-1951
  • SCAP superstructure imposed on existing Japanese government structures
  • Difficulty: little experience with Japanese political structures
  • Decision to rule “through” Japanese elites and Emperor
  • Purges 200k Japanese for war role
  • Oversees major reforms
17
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1952

A
  • Two phases:
    – 1945-1947: Progressive Reforms
    – 1947-1952: “Reverse Course”
18
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1947

A
  • Progressive Reforms:
    – Democratisation
    – Land reform
    – Reduce/restrict Zaibatsu
    – Large scale purge militarists
    – Tokyo War Crimes Trials
    – Encouragement labour unionism
19
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1947: Two progressive Prime Ministers

A
  • Shidehara Kijuro: PM Oct 1945-May 1946
    – Progressive Party Leader
    – Pacifist: had been anti-war
    – Author of “Article 9” of the Constitution
  • Katayama Tetsu: PM May 1947-March 1948
    – Socialist Party Leader
    – Sweeping progressive reform: Labour Standards Act (Maternity Leave, Equal Pay), Unemployment benefits, Healthcare reform, Child welfare, etc.
20
Q

Three Pillars of the Japanese Constitution (1947)

A
  • Democracy
  • Pacifism
  • Rights & duties
21
Q

1947 Constitution

A
  • Replaced quasi-absolute monarchy with liberal democracy
  • Drafted under supervision of SCAP
  • Significant input from Japanese liberal and pacifist politicians
  • Hard to amend: 2/3 majority in both houses + referendum
  • Never amended: oldest non-amended Constitution in the world
22
Q

“Article 9” of the Constitution

A
  • “Japanese people forever renounce war and the threat or use of force”
  • Non-maintenance of potential war forces
23
Q

10 April 1946: Women’s vote

A
24
Q

Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal (April 1946-November 1948)

A
  • 28 men tried as Class A criminals (Tojo Hideki), thousands as Class B&C
  • Emperor Hirohito excluded
  • Mostly focused on crimes against the West
  • No comprehensive reckoning with history of Japanese Empire in East Asia
25
Q

The USSR in 1945

A
  • Huge task of postwar reconstruction awaited
  • But: new sense of optimism and pride
    – Increased legitimacy of regime
    – Greater international influence
    – Military predominance over Eurasian landmass
  • Promising international situation:
    – Growth of communism and leftist parties in Europe
    – National liberation movements in Asia
26
Q

The USSR in 1945

A
  • “Sphere of influence” thinking
    – Move ahead with buffer states in Eastern Europe
    – Discourage communists in Western Europe and Asia: at least until buffer zone is secured
    – Limited interest in China and Korea
    – Division war spoils took priority over confrontation with the West
    – Wait for US/UK rivalry to surface (“interimperialist contradictions”)
27
Q

The USSR and China

A

1945: Strategic interests of USSR override their loyalty to CCP
- USSR strategic priority: territorial security in the west
- Yalta: Stalin promises to cooperate with KMT and not to support CCP

  • 14 August 1945: Sino-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance
    – Chiang Kai-shek accepts Soviet demands
    – USSR recognizes KMT right to its lost territory
    – Stalin pressures CCP to negotiate with Chiang
28
Q

The USSR in East Asia

A
  • Stalin’s East Asia goals met by September 1945
  • Korea settlement 38th parallel of little interest to him
  • Little faith CCP could win Civil War
  • Did not want to risk conflict with US over China (thought US would interfere in Civil War)
  • Got what he wanted in treaty with Chiang Kai-shek
  • But, Stalin wants a role in postwar Japan
29
Q

The USSR in East Asia

A
  • From Oct 1945 Stalin realises:
    – USSR excluded from role in postwar Japan
    – Future US-Japan alliance likely
    – US wants role in Europe similar to USSR
  • This made Stalin very angry.
30
Q

From late 1945: slow start of Cold War in East Asia

A
  • USSR
    – Start to obstruct KMT forces from Northeastern China
    – Advise CCP to move 300k troops into Northeastern China
    – Supply (Japanese) arms to CCP
    – Northern Korea: start reforms in the countryside and establishing communist control
  • US
    – Starts opposing USSR-KMT cooperation
    – Increases military support KMT
    – Diplomatic effort to avoid deep involvement in Chinese Civil War
    – Southern Korea: increasingly willing to work with whichever conservative suits their short-term goals
31
Q

China in 1945

A
  • Nationalist KMT Government recognized internationally as sole authority over China:
    – Participated in wartime international talks
    – Received aid from Allies forces during and after war
  • Chinese Communist Party based in Yanan:
    – Did not receive aid during war;
    – Territorial rule limited to poor rural regions
    – Fate would change with Soviet help in Northeastern China
32
Q

When Chiang met Mao: Chongqing talks (28 Aug-10 Oct 1945)

A
  • Double Tenth Agreement: KMT legitimate government, CCP legitimate opposition
33
Q

26 June 1946: Civil War Resumes

A
  • Actually preceded by struggle for control in territories formerly under Japanese control, especially Northeastern China (Manchuria)
  • Already clashes since April
  • CCP increasingly popular in countryside
  • Image of KMT suffers from corruption
  • US gives support to KMT: $4.43 Billion in next two years
  • USSR?
34
Q

USSR and the CCP

A
  • From 1948: USSR more committed to open support of CCP
  • Increase in aid
  • Stalin starts to take personal charge of relations with Chinese communists
  • But his advise (talks with KMT) largely ignored
  • CCP in many ways fundamentally different from the CPSU
  • But, fundaments for deep and formal alliance USSR-PRC are established before CCP takeover
35
Q

Meanwhile in Korea: “Joint Trusteeship”

A
  • December 1945: US and USSR agree on “joint trusteeship” for 5 years
  • US-USSR Joint Commission to work towards a unified administration of Korea
  • Massive opposition among Koreans: want immediate independence
  • Crucial question for US and USSR: which Koreans to work with
36
Q

Europe: Start of the Cold War

A
  • West
    – March 1947: Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech
    – 1947: Truman Doctrine
    – Marshall Plan from 1948
    – Clear US is there to stay in Western Europe
  • USSR
    – Massive rearmament
    – Moderate, pacifist politicians ousted
    – Anti-Western propaganda
    – From early 1947: forcible Sovietisation of Eastern Europe
37
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1947-1952: “Reverse Course”

A
  • Global origin:
    – Escalation of Cold War
    – Chinese Civil War
  • Local origin:
    – Rise of inflation and poverty
    – Instability
    – Growth of leftism
38
Q

Allied Occupation of Japan 1947-1952

A
  • “Reverse Course”
    – Priority: Economic and Industrial Recovery
    – Rehabilitation of Zaibatsu
    – Democratisation/demilitarisation less important
    – “Red purge” (Anti-communist movement)
    – Restrictions on labour organisation
    – Class A war criminals released
  • Result: Re-entrenchment Conservative forces
    – US goal: Japan as industrial engine in East Asia
    – Japan as US ally in Cold War
39
Q

East Asia: From Hot War to Cold War

A

Immediate Aftermath War: Willingness to compromise:
- US pursues progressive policies in Japan (purge militarists, support basic rights, and democracy)
- USSR supports peaceful solution in China and Korea: unification > communism

From 1946/7: Increasing confrontation:
- US works with conservatives in Japan to make country into Cold War ally
- USSR begins supporting CCP in Chinese Civil War
- Both sides build state in their part of Korea: entrench division North/South

History of East Asia (6 decks)

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