32:5 Europe and Japan in Ruins

1945: WWII over, Allies victorious Unprecedented destruction: – 60 million people dead – 1/3 of all deaths occur in Soviet Union – 50 million people uprooted; search for new homes – Billions of dollars in property damage

Devastation in Europe A Harvest of Destruction: – Paris, Rome, Brussels largely undamaged – Battle of Britain leaves London in ruins – Warsaw almost completely destroyed – Berlin reduced to rubble – People lose homes; live with no water, no electricity, very little food

– Many people become displaced; search for new home elsewhere – Survivors of concentration camps, prisoners of war, refugees end up in foreign countries following postwar treaties

Misery Continues After the War: – Fighting ravages Europe’s countryside; disrupts agriculture/food supply – Farmers fight, die in war; fields destroyed – Transportation system destroyed; harvests don’t reach cities – Thousands die from famine, disease, elements

Postwar Governments & Politics Many Europeans blame their governments for the war – Prewar governments return in Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Norway return to power – Germany, Italy, France push for new leadership – Hitler brings Germany to ruins, Mussolini leads Italy to defeat, Vichy government in France collaborates with Nazis

– Many resistance fighters in Italy and France were communists – Communist Party promises change; membership skyrockets in Italy, France – Communists stage violent strikes – Anticommunist parties grow; communism eventually declines in popularity as economies recover

The Nuremberg Trials: – Series of court proceedings held in Nuremberg, Germany after WWII in which Nazi leaders were tried for aggression, violations of the rules of war, and crimes against humanity – Adolf Hitler, SS Chief Joseph Goebbels commit suicide long before trials – Hermann Goring (Luftwaffe commander), Rudolf Hess (Hitler’s former deputy), other high ranking leaders stand trial

– Hess found guilty; sentenced to life in prison – Goring receives death penalty; commits suicide before execution – October 16 th, 1946: 10 other Nazi leaders hanged – “The Slayer of Poles” Hans Frank only convicted Nazi to express remorse – Bodies of executed Nazis cremated at Dachau in same ovens used to burn Holocaust victims

Postwar Japan 2 million lives lost in Japan during WWII Major cities (including Tokyo) destroyed in bombing raids Atomic bomb obliterates Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan stripped of colonial empire

Occupied Japan: – General MacArthur takes control of occupation of Japan – Demilitarization: reduction in a country’s ability to wage war, achieved by disbanding its armed forces and prohibiting it from acquiring weapons – Japan left with small police force – MacArthur brings war criminals to trial – Premier Hideki Tojo, 6 others hanged

– Democratization: process of creating a government elected by the people – February 1946: MacArthur, advisors draw up new constitution; Japan becomes constitutional monarchy – May 3 rd, 1947: constitution goes into effect – MacArthur implements progressive plans to improve economy

– Plan requires absentee landlords with huge estates to sell land to government – Government sells land to tenant farmers at reasonable prices – Workers gain right to create independent labor unions

Occupation Brings Deep Changes – Japanese emperor declares that he is not divine; power dramatically reduced – Real political power in hands of the people – People elect 2-house Parliament (the Diet) – All citizens over age 20 (men & women) gain right to vote – Government led by prime minister chosen by the Diet

– Constitution includes bill of rights – Article 9: Japanese can no longer make war; can fight only if attacked – 1951: U.S., 47 other nations make formal peace with Japan – Japanese agree to continued U.S. military presence to protect nation