I’m trying to wrap my head around how the USA and Japan shifted from being fierce enemies during World War II to becoming close allies in just a few decades. It seems like a huge turnaround in international relations from an American perspective. What happened and why this dramatic change?
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People are gonna say a bunch of hand wavy political and economic stuff. But the reality is its because the Americans started going zoom zoom in that Nippon pum pum.
The subsequent wave of yellow fever and white pedestaling that occurred had a ripple effect up the political ladder and resulted in a cultural butterfly effect that eventually led the two nations to cozy up.
When talking about humans its also just contrived bs until you boil it down to the monkey brain
Easily explained: America threw 2 atomic bombs on their head and said “if you don’t comply there’s gonna be more of those”.
It’s hard to do a proper ELI5 on subject matters like this, since there’s alot to unpack, not just what they did during and right after the war, but also what what was before the war. Japan and the US have history.
But basically it boils down to this:
“Hey, we will let you off pretty much scott free if you take some democracy and capitalism and let us use your country as a base of operations against the commies (Who the Japanese didn’t like, so free protection). We will even give you alot of money for it!”
The japanese who didn’t really hate the Americans, but took on the US because they were on the other side of Emperialistic Japans goals saw it as a good deal and flourished because of that deal. And eventually they went from an occupied territory to an allied country, and a US base of incluence in the region.
Japan – like Germany – was high jacked by nationalist extremists who threw the people into war they didn’t want. Unlike Germany, however, the people were disenfranchised well before hand. Japan and the West quickly became allies because the US helped the people of Japan effectively institute a real liberal democracy with universal suffrage, something people had been trying to do well before the war.
It’s also important to note that Japan had been an ally BEFORE the war, during and after WWI.
It’s better to ask why Japan turned against the west between the wars (hint: white supremacy was mainstream in the west)
Nations do not have friends, only interests.
It’s also why the Republicans are becoming so supportive of Russia lately.
Country with biggest punch ever; smacks you twice, hard. Then offers to be your friend. Most people would accept even if they are pissed
Cultures that have a similar understanding of property rights and rule of law are capable of cooperating once hostilities end.
I would also like to mention… If it wasn’t for General MacArthur’s occupation and reconstruction of Japan between their surrender in 1945 until 1951 when Truman “forcibly” retired him, I don’t think it would be the same. His actions in Japan had far reaching influence and impact on social, economic, and political changes. Some even called him the “Gaijin Shogun” to describe the amount of influence and success he achieved. Over the decades, the foundations of which he built there flourished alongside other factors
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If you can’t beat them join them.
I’m not a history buff but I’d imagine being the world’s stage for an atomic weapons demonstration makes you 1) agree to any and all terms of surrender and 2) question why you guys even had beef in the first place.
The prisoners dilemma demonstrates cooperation as being the most effective and beneficial strategy to both parties. Eventually, people figure that out.
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