Why did the US help rebuild Japan when the Japanese had ruthlessly attacked so many times, and was so stubborn about surrendering?
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A big reason for the rise of the Nazi’s in Germany was the huge war reparations that Germany had to pay to the Entente after WWI. And unlike after WWI there were a huge powerful communist block of countries that could support any revolutions. The communists were already winning the Chinese Civil War and the USSR would eventually help a communist revolution in Korea which is still ongoing. The post-war depression after WWII would also cause Vietnam to form its communist revolution, which would spill over into Cambodia.
This was all things that were predicted at the end of WWII based on the experience after WWI. We did not exactly how it would unfold but there was a big chance of it happening at some point. And if things were not handled correctly there was a chance that a communist revolution could spawn in Japan as well. The biggest challengers to the communists had been the imperialists, who had just been defeated. And if the Japanese people would fall into a depression they would likely have turned to communism to change their situation.
So the policy of the US administration of Japan was to build up the industry, give everyone meaningful jobs, improve living conditions, and make the Japanese control over themselves through democratic elections. This would give the communists a harder time to get to power. Meanwhile the US would maintain control with their military and a number of restrictions.
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