Occupation of japan. With amanda williams, the manager at the mcarthur memorial in norfolk, virginia. This lecture was rescheduled due to hurricane idas impact on Southeast Louisiana and was designed to commemorate the end of the war in the pacific. So, now, without further ado, ill now turn this over to a mandate to share about general mcarthurs unique approach to the occupation of japan. Thank you, maggie. Thank you to the World War Ii Museum for having me. Today, im going to give you an overview of the occupation of japan and tried to explain why it could be considered one of the most effective occupations and history. I think, as history demonstrates, great battlefield victories can often unravel in the occupations that follow them. Occupations are less formal fields of battle where you can lose the luster of a great battlefield victory. And although dismissed as the end of a conflict, and occupation has basically just a reconfiguration of the battlefield. And is there for a very vital arena where peace can be won or lost. I think, when you think about the bitter fighting that took place in the pacific during world war ii, in september of 1945, the occupation of japan was a very daunting prospect. And i think it had the potential to really end in a very negative way. In may of 1945, when the word breaks of not see germanys decision to surrender, the war in the pacific was still raging. And news of the surrender was really something that meant a lot to the men fighting in the pacific. The pacific was a very, very difficult place to be terms of environment, in terms of the enemy that youre facing and just in terms of the vastness of the theater. Americans i think understood europe, they could comprehend. Asia, i thank not so much. If you compare the oral histories of veterans and you have put those in the pacific, i think you would see this. It was a very difficult war and a very different war, perhaps, than the one that was fought in europe. Now, for our purposes today, the story of the occupation of japan begins in mid august 1945, when japan announces its intention to cease fighting. Thats in may of 1945, this news was met with a elation all around the world because it means that world war ii is over and allies have wanted both of these major theaters. I think for some people, victory would have seen very complete at this point. Few people were probably thinking about what happens next, in terms of japan. Looking at japan, same time, august, 1945. Japan has been at war at this point since the 1930s. Its economy is pretty much shattered at this point. And they use the term yucky knowhow, burned plane, to describe the country. 68 japanese cities have been wiped off the plant, 66 of those two to conventional bombing, to do to the atomic bombs. Schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, communications, a lot of farms. Theyve largely been destroyed or terribly damaged in this war. You have 2 million dead and this is almost an entire generation of young japanese man. We also have about 15 Million People in the country that are homeless. And, as People Struggle to supply survive, order is going to break down. There will be gangsterism, lawlessness, the japanese are also going to be confronted by disease, by famine. At most understandably, a sense of fear. It is basically a country on its knees, looking for some sign of hope. And into this drama steps general of the army, douglas mcarthur. On august 14th, he is informed that he will be the Supreme Commander of the allied powers and run the occupation of japan. Its a job that i think he had been laying the groundwork for since probably late 1942. Its a job that he sees as his destiny. He believes that he was a and who believes this to be as great destiny and sees japan as part of. That say we will of his flaws, we can do the tire session on those, but there is a day serious caller today who thinks that he was the wrong choice for the job. But why was he such an inspired choice . He had a lot of experience in asia. He served four tours of duty there from the time he gets his commission in 1903 to the 1930s. His Second Period of service and asia starts at about 1905. When he serves as an aide to his father, an army officer, a general, who was sent to asia to do some fact finding. His father believed that asia was the future and that it was going to be intertwined with the United States in the years forward. He travels with his father from japan to the caper pass, across india, china and back again through what is basically most of Southeast Asia today. The troop leads him to gain an appreciation of the huge economic potential of asia, will also forming a very nuanced understanding of the billions of people there. As nuanced human beings. He sees that People Living in asia as not dissimilar from himself and his fellow american citizens. He sees them as people with aspirations, as people who have families and who want, in some cases, to be free of colonial oppressors. By the end of the trip, he has developed a very deep distrust of the colonial system. And he develops the belief that such system succeeds for future conflicts. He leaves the region with a strong belief that race has no bearing on anybodys capabilities. This is going to be really important because he is deciding this in about 1906, hes going to carry with him for the rest of his life. As a young officer, hes going to start meeting and befriending a lot of the future political and intellectual and military leaders of Southeast Asia. So, hes forming these connections as a very young man. And a lot of the people he is meeting are going to see him as somebody who is not racist, someone who is anti colonial. Theyre going to have to deal with an american, they want to deal with him. Also, Flash Forward a little bit in his life, world war i. We have mcarthur, a young officer fighting in that war. Hes one of the most popular battlefield leaders of the atf. And he, when the war ends, its absolutely devastated by the versailles treaty. Hes deeply troubled by what he experienced on the battlefields of world war i and he feels that the treaty, in 1919, basically the traces sacrifices of the troops that fought in that war. Of the versailles treaty, he writes that its more like a treaty of perpetual war from a war of perpetual piece he believes that world war i failed off the battlefield. From 1941 to 1945, hes determined that world war ii will not fail in a similar way. From the very start of world war ii, i think as soon as maybe not the start but by the time he gets to australia 1942, he has an endgame in mind. He knows that this war must win the peace. And he knows what a successful peace should look like. And victory on the battlefield is step one. But theres other steps that must be followed, and hes going to try to put those into practice in the occupation that he will run. Im not really sure that any of the other generals or admirals out in the pacific in 1945 had this farreaching vision that he did, or had this experience in asia. To kind of make them a very good fit for this job. Lastly, another reason why he is a very inspired choice, theater. He is the greatest actor of the 20th century, i dont think there is many arguments against that. Hes very ridiculed for this, particularly in the United States and particularly by a lot of westerners. But hes basically a master of information operations, a master of propaganda and self promotion. This pays huge dividends in the occupation of japan. There is many moments in history when optics add to your arsenal, and i think the pacific had a number of talented, excellent officers out there. But none of them have the ability or the desire to turn in an oscar where the performance. And mcarthurs talent as a showman is going to be a major part of the occupation, it is going to pay huge dividends for the United States and its policy there. So, say what you will about him being very theatrical, very dramatic. Its all true. There are circumstances, especially in the occupation, where that is a personality that is the level of drama thats needed. And, again it will pay huge dividends for his country. One final point, mcarthur was a great student of history. As he prepares to set up the operation, he lets staff know that the odds are against them. He knows that history proves that create battlefield victories unravel in occupations, and he knows that the great captains of history, alexander, napoleon, wellington, kitchener, he knows all of these men have seen great battlefield victories just kind of dry up in occupations. And unravel. Being mcarthur, he naturally sees these men as his pure group. That could be weird to a lot of people, but it masks the fact that he has studied the problem of occupations for decades. He has discovered what he sees as kind of a pattern, had to have a successful one versus an unsuccessful one. He has formulated a plan to achieve that, and he is determined to break the mold and be successful. He goes under the occupation with a very short list of musthaves to be successful. The japanese have to think that he is invincible. The japanese have to think that he is all powerful, and the japanese have to believe that his leadership of the occupation is absolutely legitimate. So, invincible, all powerful and legitimate. Now, he believes that this will ensure the cooperation and the agency of the japanese people, if he has these three advantages in his pocket. Once all this is achieved, he hopes to proceed with the occupation in a very pragmatic and culturally sensitive way. Now, lets talk about invincible. How does he pull off invincible . It is before the war officially ends on august 30th, 1945, mcarthur lands at two to the air base in japan, a center for kamikaze training. The war is not over at this point, he does this at purpose because he lands with minimal bodyguards. He then is driven 20 miles to yokohama, and i care that breaks down every so often along the road. Hes traveling a road that is lined with japanese soldiers, still armed. No one takes a shot at him. His arrival is quite publicized, hes a massive target. But he assures his staff at the japanese are very disciplined. The emperor has told them the war is over, they have been ordered not to shoot mcarthur during this trip. And he tells the staff japan is absolutely safe for me to visit and walk about in. This is basically the First Impression and image that the japanese have of him, as the conqueror. The impression, i think, as a very powerful one. On one hand, his fearlessness seem to make an idea of respect. Theres a sense that he understands and respects the concept of discipline that is so important and Japanese Culture. I think this is something that perhaps gives a lot of the japanese a little bit of hope, that this might be somebody who understands us just a little bit. I think at this point, had he been killed on this trip, i think the war would not have and it the way it did on september 2nd, 1945. When Winston Churchill hears about mcarthurs visit and his century to japan this early, he says its one of the bravest acts of the war. This is the way mcarthur presents himself as invincible, one of these pillars that will support his occupation. All powerful. Well, days later, on september 2nd, hes in charge of the surrendere marshall or president truman for the other allied leaders this gives the japanese the impression he has all power in a blip in a sense of. Is he on his own in japan . Does he have control or oversight . Of course hes under the authority of truman, the jcs in the far Eastern Commission produce also supposed to be under the control of something called the allied counsel for japan. He will wiggle free from that last commission i just mentioned. But, for all intensive purposes he is under the control of allies leaders president truman. He is not on his own in japan. But he does in terms of the japanese people try to position himself as the fonts of Sole Authority in japan. His personality and leadership style are pretty suited to reinforcing this concept and perception in japan. And legitimacy. How, when he started occupation with the occupy people know you are now in the ruler . Early in the occupation sent a message telling him he does not need to confirm himself of the status of the emperor. He is basically to understand he is the authority in japan. The emperor is irrelevant according to the state department and even the white house. They will figure out what to do with the emperor perhaps at a later date. Macarthur always believe the emperor would be a key part of legitimizing any occupation. And he said you have the religious, political and military leader of the nation and one person. He knows the japanese people are waiting anxiously for signs up at the occupation is going to be like in the future. Because hes a master of theater he knows a popular stage meeting with the emperor would begin the occupation of legitimacy he wants so bad it could help assure the cooperation of the japanese people. But he also knows he cannot appear desperate for the meeting. When they cannot yield the high ground in terms of the optics of the relationship. Zoe plays a waiting game. He does nothing about the emperor. He does not ask to meet him, he does not try to go see him, and eventually sent macarthur a message requesting a meeting and offering to come seat macarthur. Macarthur has the message leaked so that everyone knows the emperor is making the first overture and is thinking about taking that unprecedented step of visiting someone else. The emperor does not go see people people to see the emperor. This is an unprecedented offer. Penny has his own response to back and basically tells the emperor do not come to my military headquarters. Theres tons of press around there. He basically says come to my private residence away from the press, away from the idea of a photo ops with you having to march through my 6foot honor guard. I do not want to humiliate you in that way come to my private residence and we will talk. This is going to be just incredible. Macarthur will have the emperor come to his residence though, take the famous photograph they will talk you will have this photograph sent throughout japan. If a photograph can do anything credible this does that. And basically shanks sanctions and legitimizes the occupation of japan. It is a brilliant piece of theater establishing the emperor is an essential part of the operation and secures what we would call today soft occupation. The occupation of japan is not going to be Hard Military occupation. But this meeting, this photograph this really sets up a way for that to happen. Again, macarthur believes the emperor is very important. The emperor has helped him secure legitimacy in terms of occupation. Also going to protect the emperor from war crime trials he received a lot of criticism because of this. He doesnt because he basically believes that is the best way to run this occupation. I thinking of very easily argue today is the architect of the myth was not involved in the military decisions made during the war. He was pushed into rubberstamping what really bad militants were doing. He was just a harmless biologist looking at stuff under his microscope for the majority of the war. As scholar and a gentleman but not a war maker, not a war criminal. Obviously theres a lot of pushback against that today. Macarthur just believes the emperor is essential to this occupation success. He is willing to make those concessions in terms of protecting the emperor from war crime trials by doing this. Throughout the occupation macarthurs going to be very remote. Being in japan is very remote as well but respected and obeyed. Try to play a very, very similar role. Overall the time is in japan he will work very hard to not overexpose himself to the japanese people. Lived in tokyo may be able see him drive by every now and then. He would kind of come and go from his office, his house several times a day. But is not going to go to baseball games he saw, throw out first pitches hes not going to go to social events. As one of the most beautiful countries in the world and he never goes anywhere. He is very remote, he works seven days a week but he is an ever present unseen power throughout the country. I think being very removed by not humiliate in the japanese by fitting into a mode of power thats very recognizable by the japanese people gives spiritual and psychological space to accept the occupation and comes to terms with an defeat in this war. There is no quest for vengeance and daily life. Japanese people do not feel that from the occupying forces. That is going to be saved for war criminals will talk about that in a little while. So how does this go from the start . Well, the japanese journalist writes an autobiography of macarthur at the start of the occupation. He describes macarthur as a reincarnation of the first japanese emperors comeback to restore japan to the community of nations. Seven months into the occupation the book has sold about 800,000 copies. You have some during the occupation macarthurs headquarters is running the censorship. Now there hardly any accurate passages in this biography of macarthur. But the occupation people dont censor it. It is allowed to go to press. Its allowed to be distributed throughout the country. We can laugh and think this is foolish but something very important, the japanese are very hungry for information. They are willing to see him in a heroic positive light. I dont think he was a big fan of this book itself. I dont think he actually believed it was written in it. But i think he felt that this is what people need to buy into this occupation, he was willing to try to play that character so again the role of theater. This is also kind of a level very popular home grown propaganda you cannot buy his Occupation Forces could not generate this level of positive information about him. You have japanese journalist doing the work for the occupation, so again good to start to the occupation for him. Theres also a famine in japan. Especially in the first year of the occupation. The japanese are facing terrible medical shortages that are very difficult. The u. S. And the allies at the start are determined no money will go to japan to rebuild. Theres not going to be a Marshall Plan for japan. And mick arthurs in japan receive this huge humanitarian crisis developing and he acts even though technically this is not something u. S. And the other countries want to see happening. Theres food stores and medical supplies into the country this saves millions of lives. He understands some things pretty understands the idea that whe