The American Occupation of Japan: The Origins of the Cold War in Asia [Paperback]

Michael Schaller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 1987

In this novel and intriguing book, Michael Schaller traces the origins of the Cold War in Asia to the postwar occupation of Japan by U.S. troops. Determined to secure Japan as a bulwark against both Soviet expansion and Asian revolution, the U.S. instituted ambitious social and economic reforms under the direction of the flamboyant Occupation Commander, General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was later denounced by the Truman Administration as a "bunko artist" who had wrecked Japan's economy and opened it to Communist influence, and power was shifted to Japan's old elite. Cut off from its former trading partners, which were now all Communist-controlled, Japan, with U.S. backing, turned its attention to the rich but unstable Southeast Asian states. The stage was thus set for U.S. intervention in China, Korea, and Vietnam.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a significant contribution to the literature of the Occupation, a clear presentation of its worldwide dimensions. Japan was effectively disarmed by Article IX of its constitution, but the communist victory in China and fears of the spread of communism in the region resulted in policy debates within the U.S. government over the Japanese peace treaty, the intended role of Japan in East Asia (including the renewed question of rearmament and a proposed Japanese economic sphere of influence), and even the length of the Occupation. Ultimately, it was the Korean War which forced the resolution of these and related issues. The author makes good use of government documents and manuscript materials in this highly recommended account. For both informed laypersons and specialists. Kenneth W. Berger, Duke Univ. Lib., Durham, N.C.
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This volume will be indispensable to all who seek to understand the more recent chapters in the historic struggle between the two superpowers."*

"The first step toward significantly rewriting the history of an era...Schaller recounts in fine detail the five years during which the autocratic MacArthur vied with Washington for dominance in Japan and a role in world affairs."--Philadelphia Inquirer

"[A] brilliant, provocative study."--Journal of American History

"A valuable contribution to the understanding of the origins of the cold war in Asia....It is the first comprehensive and detailed study on the aspect of U.S. occupation policies."--International History Review

"A careful historian's account of the origins of the cold war in Asia with a particular focus on the U.S. occupation of Japan."--Foreign Affairs

"Schaller has written the best kind of history, the kind that has great scope, supported by solid scholarship."--Kirkus Reviews

"A very good book....Schaller points out...that American military and political advisers did not fashion their plans for the future of East Asia in a vacuum, but hammered them out in the context of their own ideological and strategical concerns."--The New Republic

"The research is exhaustive on the American side and the author is to be commended for his effective use of the Freedom of Information Act."--Pacific Affairs

"A lively and informative book on the American occupation of 1Japan....invigorating, scholarly, and engaging."--Science and Society

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 22, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195051904
• ISBN-13: 978-0195051902
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #893,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Been there, learned about that, October 11, 2009

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This review is from: The American Occupation of Japan: The Origins of the Cold War in Asia (Paperback)

As one who lived in Occupied Japan for several months, I've always wanted to know what was happening overall to influence our day-to-day lives. This book, by a respected historian, provides the flow of geopolitical events that helped explain that time of our family's life. Prof. Schaller also provides the documentation that shreds whatever naive respect I once had for Douglas MacArthur. More detail is available in a separate biography by the same author who has also written an account of the relations between Japan and the US beginning with the Korean War and the Peacy Treaty of 1952 and for the years afterward.