Spinrad/World History Europe and Japan in Ruins Chapter 16.5

Setting the Stage Visualize the fighting that took place in Europe and Asia in order to defeat the Axis powers. What do you think happened to the countryside where these battles were fought? After six years of fighting over 60 million people were killed, 50 million were uprooted from their homes, and damages would cost billions of dollars to repair.

Devastation in Europe Very few great European cities escaped destruction. Warsaw, Poland’s capital, for example, had a pre-war population of 1.3 million. By 1945, its population was 153,000 people. Berlin was 95% destroyed.

Devastation in Europe After the bombing and fighting has passed, some civilians attempted to stay in the ruins of their homes, while others took to the road as displaced persons. Displaced persons included survivors of concentration camps, returning prisoners of war, and refugees from cities that often found themselves stuck in the wrong country with no way home. Holocaust survivors, returning home and finding lost family members was an obsession that all too often proved fruitless.

Devastation in Europe Europe continued to be devastated well after the war as economies had been disrupted. Starvation! Factories were destroyed, food harvests had been ignored in favor of the war effort, and transportation systems were destroyed preventing distribution.

Postwar Governments and Politics Governmental change was common across Europe for a number of reasons. Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany had been opposed by Communist resistance fighters Other countries that the Nazis had taken over, such as France, had significant amounts of Communists in them that had helped to beat the Nazis. Communism still offered its followers equality, jobs, food, and a “classless society” and many in postwar Europe were attracted to this idea because they were desperate and fascism had been discredited. A series of violent strikes by the Communists trying to immediately take power turned many Europeans away from Communism in the next elections.

The Nuremberg Trials While Europe rebuilt itself, the surviving 22 members of the Nazi leadership was put on trial by an international military tribunal for waging aggressive war and “crimes against humanity.” Hitler, SS Chief Heinrich Himmler, Goering, and others had already committed suicide. Ten Nazis were hanged.

Postwar Japan Much like Europe, Japan was in shambles as well, having been firebombed and suffered the results of the two atomic bombs.

Occupied Japan Two million lives lost. Tokyo in ruins Hiroshima and Nagasaki turned into blackened wastelands Starvation and disease threatened

Occupied Japan Hoping to avoid planting the seeds of a future war, American General Douglas MacArthur tried to ensure peace by installing a democracy and demilitarization He presided over a total demilitarization of Japan, that still lasts to a great extent today, leaving them only a small police force. 25 War criminals were tried, and six total were hanged for war crimes. The Emperor was protected by American leadership in the Tokyo War Crimes Trials.

Occupied Japan MacArthur also focused on the democratization of Japan, and the traditional monarchy system was replaced with a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain. MacArthur also encouraged the sale of land held by nobles to the Japanese peasants to equalize the Japanese economy and promote individual growth.

Occupation Brings Deep Changes The greatest change to impact Japan was in regards to the Emperor himself. During WWII, he was G-d on earth, and over one million Japanese sacrificed their lives for his sake If a soldier died for the emperor he went directly to heaven. After WWII, Emperor Hirohito was no longer considered a divine ruler and his power was reduced sharply.

Occupation Brings Deep Changes The new Japanese government gave the people the true ruling power, including women (largely because of the input of a woman on MacArthur’s staff). A Bill of Rights protected Japan’s freedoms. Legislators were elected, and they in turn chose the Prime Minister that would serve as Japan’s version of a president. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution forbade Japan to ever make war unless attacked first.

Occupation Brings Deep Changes In 1951, Japan was given back its independence, ending the occupation of American forces, and beginning a long military, economic, and social partnership with the US. The Allies and the Soviet Union became enemies soon after WWII as the competing ideologies of democracy and communism began to square off over who would dominate the postwar world.