Cold War in Asia Chapter 1

Western policies in post -war Asia, 1945-79

When was the Yalta conference?

February 1945

What happened at Yalta?

This was attended by Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt.

Stalin was reluctant to commit to the war against Japan, however he was promised jurisdiction (the official power to make legal decisions) over Sakhalin Island, the Kuri islands and Port Arthur. This would allow the USSR to gain a foothold in Northeast Asia.

The allies agreed that once Korea had been liberated from Japan it would be placed under a four-power trusteeship of Britain, the USA, the USSR, and China.

When does Roosevelt die?

12 April 1945

What happens after Roosevelt dies?

Truman replaces him.

Truman is more suspicious of Stalin’s post war intentions and disagreed with the agreements made at Yalta as it gave the USSR too much important territory in Asia. He saw this as a strategic way for Stalin to expand communism.

When was the Potsdam conference?

July - August 1945

What happened at Potsdam?

This was attended by Churchill, Stalin, and Truman.

Stalin solidified his decision to enter the war against Japan.

Truman informed Stalin he had developed a ‘new weapon of special destructive force’, however he did not reveal that this was the atomic bomb.

The USA and China gave Japan a 13 - Point Declaration, which stated that the USA calls for ‘unconditional surrender’ of Japan and that the alternative is ‘utter destruction’.

When did the USA use atomic bombs against Japan?

Hiroshima - 6 August 1945

• Called ‘Little Boy’ 

• 90,000 - 146,000 people killed

Nagasaki - 9 August 1945

• Called ‘Fat Man’

• 39,000 - 80,000 people killed

Why did the USA’s use of the atomic bomb cause tensions to rise?

Truman went against agreements at Yalta and Potsdam that the USSR would join the USA in an attack against Japan to end the war. Instead he used the atomic bomb to ensure the USA was solely responsible for defeating Japan.

Why did the USA use the bomb against Japan?

• Japan used Pearl Harbour to bring the USA into the war, so they had the right to end it however they chose.

• to stop Japanese mistreatment of US prisoners of war.

• to save the lives of many people as Japan wouldn’t surrender.

• USA geopolitical concerns (communism).

Why did the USA fear communism would spread through Asia at the end of WW2?

The difference between political and economic ideologies

• The USA was a democratic country where free elections took place and there was a free market capitalist economy.

• The USSR was a communist dictatorship where the single party controlled the economy

• The USA wanted geopolitical dominance for capitalism, so wanted to prevent communism.

The removal of Japan as an imperialist power in Asia

• Many countries had been liberated from Japan as Japan controlled them.

• But the USA feared that communism would spread to these countries who no longer had stable leaders.

The poverty and destruction in Asia after removing Japan

• Japan treated the people in Asia with. brutality and also took many natural resources which destroyed economies.

• The USA feared that communism would appeal to these countries and make them vulnerable to communist influence.

The USSR had already spread communism into Eastern Europe

• After Nazi Germany had been defeated, the USSR spread its influence into Europe. For example, a communist government in Albania took power in 1945.

• The USA feared the USSR would also spread communism into Southeast Asia once Japan was defeated.

What was the 1st successive policy the USA followed in Asia to limit the spread of communism?

Policy 1 - Exclude the USSR by using the atomic bomb to defeat Japan.

The agreed plan at Yalta and Potsdam was for the USA and USSR to invade Japan together, but this would give the communist USSR a chance to spread its influence in the future. Therefore Truman used the bomb to gain control of what was to happen in Southeast Asia and Japan, limiting the USSR’s ability to spread influence.

What was 2nd successive policy the USA followed in Asia to limit the spread of communism?

Policy 2 - Kennan’s Long Telegram, 1946 which introduced the Policy of Containment.

What was the Policy of Containment?

A policy that Kennan introduced that expressed the idea that the USA should take action to prevent the spread of communism further than it already had spread by the late 1940s. However, the USA will not attempt to overturn communism in countries which are already communist (that was later referred to as a Policy of Rollback). This was first introduced during the Truman Doctrine speech in 12 March 1947. The policy of Containment was the basis of most of the USA’s actions in Southeast Asia between the late 1940s and the 1970s.  Its main principle was to prevent Communism from spreading any further than it had by the late 1940s.

Who was Kennan?

George Kennan was a US diplomat who helped establish the first American embassy in the USSR in 1933. Throughout WW2, he was convinced that the USA were wrong to seek a wartime alliance with Stalin as he couldn't be trusted. This was for two reasons:

1. He claimed Stalin justified his ideological stance as “justification for the Soviet Union’s fear of the outside world”, therefore Stalin was creating capitalist Western enemies so he could implement communism as counter to this.

2. He argued Stalin planned to create a Soviet sphere of influence in Eastern Europe and Asia.    

What was Kennan’s Long Telegram?

On 22 February 1946 sent his “Long Telegram” from Moscow to the US Department of State. This 8000-word (very long so it was expensive) telegram set out Kennan’s views on the USSR, and US policy toward the USSR.  In this telegram Kennan argued that:

1. The USSR was unable to co-exist with the West’s capitalist democracy – Kennan claimed that the Soviets (the USSR) were deeply suspicious of all other nations and believed the security of the USSR relied on the destruction of capitalist democracy.    

2. The USSR would spread Communism - Kennan was convinced that the USSR would try to expand their sphere of Communist influence. Kennan thought that Iran and Turkey would be immediate areas of focus for the USSR.  In addition, Kennan believed the Soviets would do all they could to weaken the Western powers’ influence “… on colonial, backward, or dependent peoples.”    

3. The USSR would not be able to spread communism if force was used - Kennan believed the USSR would back down if the United States and its allies, offered forceful resistance ( such as military threats like threatening war, building forces or giving money to poorer countries after the war so that communism doesn’t look attractive) to the USSR. 

Why was Kennan’s Long Telegram successful?

Kennan’s Long Telegram was well-received by the Truman administration. Stalin’s aggressive speeches and threatening gestures toward Iran and Turkey in 1945-1946 also led the Truman administration to decide to use the USA’s military and economic force, rather than diplomacy, in dealing with the USSR, therefor it provided the basis of the Policy of Containment.

The policy was supported by American people due to Truman’s speech (Truman Doctrine) in March 1947. '“I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures …”.   - Truman (evidence).

What was 3rd successive policy the USA followed in Asia to limit the spread of communism?

Policy 3 - Model states in Japan and the Philippines (part of the Policy of Containment).

What was a model state and what was their purpose?

• A model state were countries that supported US economic, social and political ideologies. It was expected that these states would adopt capitalism and democracy.

• The purpose of these were to prevent communism spreading by showing Asian states the benefits of US style systems.

What three things do we have to evaluate to determine whether a model state was successful or a failure?

1. Democracy

2. Capitalism

3. Peaceful, pro-West, anti-communist.

Why would a model state need to be peaceful and pro-West?

If the state wasn’t peaceful, they could not be a useful ally to the USA in times of need.

Why did the USA help reconstruct Japan after WW2?

General MacArthur oversaw the reconstruction of Japan at the end of the Second World War. 

• Before the war, Japan had become an industrial power plant which threatened the prosperity of the West, therefore the USA used this as a chance to control the future of Japan’s economy.

• Some US officials like General McArthur viewed the Japanese as uncivilised. These racist views explains why there was eagerness to control Japan to be like the USA.

• The Japanese economy was majorly disrupted by WW2 (e.g at the start of 1946, industrial production was only 30.7 per cent of what it was at 1934). There were many shortages, therefore there was an increase in homelessness and poverty. This meant communism looked attractive to these people.

What successes did the USA have in establishing Japan as a democracy?

1. Emperor Hirohito: he remained as Japan’s figurehead leader (was monarch but had his power stripped away). This was because the USA wanted the Japanese to welcome democracy and so they were willing to maintain the emperor in a non-governmental role because of his importance to the Japanese people. (evidence - the Bushido code). This kept the Japanese pro-West.

2. The Constitution: In November 1946, MacArthur’s officials drafted a new constitution for Japan which came into effect in May 1947.  This constitution established a democratic parliamentary system of government where the people of Japan elected their government officials. From 1946, democratic election was held in Japan.  In 1946, the Liberal Party won the most seats and Yoshida Shigeru became the Prime Minister; he collaborated quite effectively with the US occupation force. This was evidence of a successful democracy as Japan became a multi-party state.

3. Democratic freedoms and cvil liberties:  the constitution ensured women’s rights, noble status was abolished and the right to strike was recognised and trade unions formed. 

What were limitations the USA had in establishing Japan as a democracy?

1. Reverse Course Policy: In 1949, the USA began reversing some elements of Japanese democracy. This was because by early 1949, the Japanese Communist Party was becoming more popular. For example, in early 1949, there were a series of industrial strikes in Japan, and the Japanese Communist Party won three million votes in the elections.  Therefore, the USA was concerned the Japanese would use their constitutional, democratic votes to elect a communist government in Japan.  Therefore much of Japan’s constitutional democracy was scrapped (e.g. workers were forbidden to strike).

• The USA did this to stick their Policy of Containment, therefore they had to turn Japan into an imperfect democracy. The USA justified this by saying they had no other choice in order to protect democracy in the long term.  

 

How successful was the USA in establishing Japan as a democracy?

The USA was mostly successful in establishing Japan as a model state which followed US-style democracy.  Even when the USA followed a reverse course in 1949, the Americans justified these actions by arguing the containment of communism in Japan in 1949 was necessary for the long-term establishment of democracy in Japan. In other words, the US prioritised the policy of containment in Japan over the creation of true democracy, using the argument that democracy would never be achieved in Japan if a Communist dictatorship was voted into power in Japan. 

 

What successes did the USA have in establishing Japan as a capitalist economy?

1. Competition based economy: In 1947, zaibatsu (monopoly) privileges were ended in Japan, which opened the economy to competition (brings prices down which benefits the consumer and economy).  Although, from 1949, some of the zaibatsu businessmen were able to regain some influence in the development of the Japanese economy, nonetheless a competition-based economy was being established in Japan.  

2. Land reform: Between 1947 and 1950, Japanese landlords lost their control over land ownership. Three million Japanese peasants gained ownership of their own land, allowing them to generate their own profit from their land.   

3. Booming foreign trade: From 1949, the USA and Japan worked together to build up foreign trade.  For example, the USA fixed the exchange rate to boost exports. As a result, the Japanese economy began to prosper.  For example, in 1947 Japanese exports valued $174 million.  By 1950, this had increased to $827 million; this was partly as a result of the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, which led the USA to buy war supplies worth $500 000 000 from Japan.  

How successful was the USA in establishing Japan as a capitalist economy?

The USA was completely successful in establishing Japan as a model state which followed a capitalist economy and slightly more successful than establishing Japan as a democratic state. For example, Japan now had a booming foreign trade which helped boost their economy. Additionally, three million peasants gained ownership of their own land between 1947 and 1950, which was important as peasants made up around 80 per cent of Japan. Finally, Japan was turned into a competition-based economy which benefited the economy.

What successes did the USA have in establishing Japan as peaceful, pro-West and anti-communist?

Not alienating the Japanese through war crime trials: