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The Widening of the Cold War: 1949-1955 - Coggle Diagram

- - - - What factors contributed to the economic stablisation of Japan?
        
        Increased trade regulation
        
        Increased foreign exchange regulation
        
        Balanced budget
        
        Price controls
        
        Stricter lending criteria
        
        More efficient tax system
        
        Wage controls
        
        Washington encouraged SCAP to enact this in 1949.
  - - - STAGE ONE: Punish and refrorm
        
        Tension between the US and Japan following the end of WW2, due to stories of torture/mistreatment of POW. MacArthur still cautious to enact punishment due to UN. War Crime trials May 1946-Nov 1848.
        
        Hirohito did not undergo trial; godlike status in Japan. Many defendants found not guilty (meant to keep Japanese onside).
        
        Japan was disarmed and demilitarised - its weapons were destroyed, former military officers were excluded from politics, 200,000 militarists were purged from public life. Rich landlords lost their power to tenant farmers.
        
        Nov 1945: tax on Japanese wartime profits and termination of compensation payment.
        
        Repatriation of POW was successful, though Japanese vets were treated as outcasts. Of 400,000 Japanese prisoners thought to be held by USSR, only 94,000 had been located at end of 1949. 300,000 were unaccounted for. 40 years later, USSR published list of 46,000 prisoners buried in Siberia.
        
        Both sides bitter towards other.
        
        Japan given democracy by new constitution, drafted 1946, came into effect 1947. Included pacifist clause (Article 93), which disabled Japan from being able to go to war. Japan able to agree to this, they were under protection of the US nuclear shield.
        
        Major changes made to rigid authoritarian system that existed in Japan before end of WW2. More liberal reforms enacted: Women gain more rights, noble status is abolished and freedom of religion tolerated, Hirohito removed from politics to become patriotic figure.
        
        MacArthur became new 'god-like' figure in Japan, leading US to realise that Japanese would tend to worship whosoever had most power and influence. Juxtaposed foundations of democracy.
      - STAGE TWO: 'Soft' Cold War policy
        
        US wanted to make Japan an anti-communist Far Eastern satellite state. Japan to be used as an example of democracy and free market.
        
        US getting Japan to dust off 'co-prosperity sphere'.
        
        After WW2, Japan struggling economically. Trade dried up in 1945 and had depended upon many imports for food and raw materials. Until 47, industry remained low, exports weak and food expensive.
        
        PM Yoshida wanted to keep Japan's national identity.
        
        Zaibatsu (large powerful companies before war) still dominated economy.
        
        Recommended that economy produce high grade tools and high wave communication as a priority for the economy and trade.
        
        Economic changes made Japan fortress of capitalism: 1947 Chrysler chairman and US businessmen ended Zaibatsu privileges and helped to est a Japanese car industry. 1949 Congress gave $500 million per annum in aid to Japan to allow purchase of food and raw materials. 38% of Japan's land was purchased from landlord's by the gov and resold to farmers at a cheap price. By 1950 there were 3 million peasants who owned their land. Kennan suggests restoring influence of former politicians. USA and Japan built up foreign trade, except for with communists. Americans fixed exchange rates to boost exports.
        
        Japanese welcomed change.
        
        Many young people became extreme in their political, social and sexual behaviour.
        
        Japanese became superficially Westernised.
        
        Democracy had been successfully imposed upon Japan but they had simply swapped one God for another.
      - STAGE THREE: 'Hard' Cold War policy
        
        Americans viewed Japan as crucial to CW policy, essential in battle for power in Far-East (precedents Indochina, China and Korea). If USSR gained control of Japan, would be able to:
        Protect Communist controlled lands in Western Pacific.
        Strengthen Soviet control of Pacific shipping and sea power.
        Launch an aggressive policy in South and South East Asia.
        Free up communist forces for use elsewhere.
        
        Similarly, should the US become allies with a rearmed Japan, then they would gain their own benefits:
        Industrial and military resources
        A potential military base in North-East Asia.
        Protection for US defensive outposts in Western Pacific.
        Japan would serve as a shining example, encouraging other non-communist states to oppose communism.
        
        March 1948: Kennan visited Japan to discuss potential peace treaty with MacArthur. This would give Japan independence. Truman had been re-elected in 1948, unexpectedly, and feared that tight occupational control over Japan might lead them into the waiting arms of communism. The Soviet mission in Tokyo had encouraged the Japanese Communist Party, which was now gaining more support.
        
        1949: 'Red scare' in the USA (+McCarthyism). American control tightened in Japan when Communist Party rallied 3 mill votes in polls, and a series of industrial strikes took place. Us combat this by forbidding gov strikes and arresting Communist sympathisers in the Japanese trade union movement.
        
        Red purge began, eroding democracy that MacArthur had set in place. Containment of communism had to be enacted before the US would loosen its grip on Japan; there would be no peace treaty until this happened.
        
        The removal of Japan's military proved to be unhelpful in preparing Japan for independence. MacArthur recommended long-term control of Okinawa, extending naval bade as Yokosuka, and creation of a 'National Peace Reserve' (75,000 men - lightly-equipped army). Us began to backtrack in terms of initial disarmament policy for Japan.
      - STAGE FOUR: Integrated Cold War policy
        
        June 1950 - KOREAN WAR begins making Japanese rearmament essential.
        
        US look hypocritical for disarming J.
        
        Korean war gives boost to J economy.
        
        US gov brought war supplies worth $500,000,000 from Japan
        
        1952: Japanese forces had tanks and artillery and by 1954 a 130,000 strong army.
        
        MacArthur establishes National Peace Reserve of 75,000 men.
        
        Aug 1952, US Joint Chiefs of Staff announce plans for Japanese air force.
        
        Eisenhower takes office 1953, Dulles, the new SoS, keen to enlarge Japanese ground force.
        
        July 1954 - 140,000 Self-Defence force would be created supported by US funding of 240 mill and the sale of US agricultural surplus to Japan.
        
        China's involvement in Korean War led to Japanese embargo with Chinese preventing trade.
        The war also brought forward the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty, marking an end to the Allied occupation and the start of Japanese independence.
- - - - Significance of the Asian Defence Perimeter Speech:
        
        Dean Acheson was George Marshall's successor as Secretary of state. USA committed to secretly supporting KMT in Taiwan. Did not want to be 'imperialist menace' to china.
        
        Acheson reviewed US policy towards Far East in early 1950. Thinking focused on military security of the Pacific and the policy the USA should develop to ensure this. Argued that military defence of Japan was responsibility of USA. Defined by Acheson as 'defensive perimeter' in Jan 1950.
        
        Criticised for omitting Korea. Despite this, the USA found itself committed to protecting SK from communist expansion, evident in June 1950.
        
        Acheson suggested USA would shrink from extending defensive perimeter to mainland and turn to 'collective security' through UN rather than risk a war of 'superpower proxies'
        
        Since Dec 23 1949, NSC had warned Se Asia was a target of the Kremlin. Truman authorised development of H-bomb to jeep ahead of arms race.
        
        Truman commissioned NSC review 68.
  - - - Phase 1: June-Sept 1950 (OFFENSIVE):
        
        DROK forces advance into SK, reach perimeter close to Pusan. - Chinese troops massed in Manchuria, preparing for entry into Korea.
        
        Via UN, 29 nations commit military, economic or medical aid.
      - Phase 2: Sept-Nov 1950 (COUNTER-OFFENSIVE/OFFENSIVE):
        
        MacArthur lands as Inchon, forces NK troops back across 38th parallel
        
        Oct: Mao sends 300,000 Chinese troops across Yalu river into NK
        
        Led to counter-attack of UN forces
      - Phase 3: Dec 1950-June 1951 (STABILISATION AND NEGOTIATION):
        
        By Jan, Chinese forces push across 38th parallel, capture Seoul.
        
        Feb, UN condemn China
        
        MacArthur dismissed by Truman in April; M demanded US forces push into NK and confront Chinese using weapons/air strikes, MacArthur wanted to commit US to struggle for reunification of Korea. Truman feared extension of War and USSR involvement.
        
        June, USA show willingness to negotiate peacefire to China and USSR
      - Phase 4: June 1951 - July 1953 (STALEMATE AND PEACE): - No significant military offensives. Lack of UN action convinced Mao and Stalin that peace was genuinely on the table.
        
        USA consolidated relationship with Japan, felt more secure in involvement with Far East.
        
        Natural disinclination to cooperate and very protracted negotiations on post-war prisoner release arrangements meant long delays in reaching settlement.
  - - - USSR:
        
        Mao consulted with Stalin on major decisions of Korean War, and was dependent of USSR for much of PRC's military supplies.
        
        Korean war bought USSR and China together, but weakened Sino-Soviet Treaty. MAo resented Stalin's opportunism ex. demanded cheap raw materials in return for signing Sino-Soviet Pact. China also to pay excessive military supply sums.
      - PRC:
        
        Mao used the Korean War to generate enthusiasm for revolutionary change within PRC and turn public opinion against 'American arrogance'.
        
        National campaign supporting 'reactionaries and reactionary activities' was unleashed across PRC to deter opponents to the gov.
        
        By end of KW, society and politics had been radically changed in PRC. Agricultural land had been distributed, landlord class eliminated.
        
        PRC victories in Korea 1950 were promoted as having removed over a century of defeats at the hands of the Japanese and European armies, strengthening Mao's gov.
      - US:
        
        Strengthened arguments of US NSC that communism represented coordinated global threat.
        
        After Korean War, Truman accepted NSC's proposal for rearmament programme and tripled military budget.
        
        Became basis of US FP for rest of Truman's presidency, and was continued by successors for next 20 years.
      - Western Europe:
        
        Long term - Korean War damaged interests of USSR in Europe.
        
        Strengthened NATO and led to rearmament of West Germany in first steps towards integration of Europe.