The Big Tent (Politics 1955-1972, Part 1)
Conservatives and Leftists both experienced party mergers after the 1955 general election. However, it was the Liberal Democratic Party who would emerge as the big winner for the foreseeable future.
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Monsters Real and Imagined (Social Matters, 1945-1954)
The Allied occupation changed Japan’s social norms in a variety of ways. When the occupation ended, some of those changes would remain while others would fall by the wayside. In the midst of rebuilding, economic chaos, and privation, the Japanese film industry entered its golden age.
A New Deal for Japan (Economics 1945-1954)
Japan’s economy expanded rapidly during the postwar rebuild – too rapidly. Hyperinflation created unrest and frustration which the labor movement hoped to harness. Meanwhile, the diet passed a sweeping land reform which radically transformed Japan’s agrarian sector.
The Reverse Course (Politics, 1945-1954, Part 2)
While the Allied occupation forces had initially supported the restoration of far-left parties to Japan’s political arena, the advent of the Cold War led to a reversal of sorts which included de-purging those who had supported imperial-era war crimes and purging some on the left whose loyalty to the US was in doubt.
Reckoning (Politics 1945-1954, Part 1)
The aftermath of the Pacific War led to an Allied occupation of Japan, during which time Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) Douglas MacArthur and his subordinates attempted to reorganize the Japanese state away from militaristic authoritarianism and transform it into a contemporary liberal democracy.
The Pacific War, Part 6: Surrender
Although the Axis Powers were clearly losing ground throughout late 1944 and early 1945, Japan continued fighting for months after Germany surrendered, often exacting horrific casualties upon both Allied forces and their own civilian populations. The Allies turned to extreme measures in hopes of forcing the unconditional surrender which they sought, culminating in the first use of nuclear weapons in history.
The Pacific War, Part 5: Hail Mary
Prime Minister Tojo Hideki planned two major offensives for 1944 which he hoped would reverse the Empire of Japan’s fortunes in the Pacific War while Allied forces continued to make costly but successful incursions onto Japanese territory.
The Pacific War, Part 4: The Tables Turn
Resistance grows in the Philippines as Allied forces in the Pacific continue making incursions onto Japanese territory. Meanwhile, a new offensive effort in China as well as a fresh German offensive against Russia threatens to tilt the war back in favor of the Axis Powers.
The Pacific War, Part 3: Incursion
After their victory at the Battle of Midway, Allied forces in the Pacific took the initiative in the South Pacific. However, the ensuing Guadalcanal campaign would prove to be challenging both on land and in nearby waters.
The Pacific War, Part 2: Counter-Punch
While the first half of 1942 was characterized by small-scale raids and minor skirmishes between Allied forces and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific, the summer of 1942 witnessed one of the largest and most significant naval battles in world history as the Imperial Japanese Navy tried to lure US aircraft carriers into a trap only to find themselves trapped as a result.