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Course of Our Times, The; Japan After World War II

Part of Stories of East and South East Asia.


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Series
Course of Our Times, The
Program
Japan After World War II
Program Number

36

Series Description

Historical survey hosted by Abram Sachar, Brandeis University. Series release date: 1973

Program Description

After the atomic bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally and its stoic people resigned themselves to the usual fate of the conquered. There seemed little hope that there could be recovery for many years, since the major cities had been reduced to a shambles by the incessant American bombing. The Untied States sent in General MacArthur as a virtual proconsul with the mandate to keep Japan perpetually disarmed so that it could never again menace the peace of its neighbors. But just as the Cold War drastically changed objectives for the future of Germany, the Allied plans were similarly changed for Japan. The dynamism of Soviet policy in Europe, the triumph of Mao and Communism in China, and the Korean War dictated that the defeated enemy now be built up as a strong ally. The next decades witnessed the reconstruction of the Japanese economy with massive American help, and , though Japan was not obligated to support free world diplomacy in its dealings with Asia, in fact it did become the anchor point to prevent all of the Pacific world from falling to the Communist power block.

Duration

00:32:00

Asset Type

Broadcast program

Media Type

Video

Subjects
Politics and Government
War and Global Conflict
Military Forces and Armaments
Global Affairs
Genres
Educational
Topics
History
Creators
Sachar, Abram (Host)
Publication Information
WGBH Educational Foundation
Citation
Chicago: “Course of Our Times, The; Japan After World War II,” GBH Archives, accessed November 23, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_33A48E317F47417AAD338CD70D461EBF.
MLA: “Course of Our Times, The; Japan After World War II.” GBH Archives. Web. November 23, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_33A48E317F47417AAD338CD70D461EBF>.
APA: Course of Our Times, The; Japan After World War II. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_33A48E317F47417AAD338CD70D461EBF
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