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Potsdam Declaration
United States, Britain, and China warned Japan to surrender and announced their terms. These terms mainly requested that Japan must disarm their entire military, charge all war criminals involved, and give up parts of their territories. Although Japan never followed with an official response, it was clear that they had completely ignored the declaration. This caused tension to rise significantly which the United States then used as their motive to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki. -
United States Drops Bomb on Hiroshima
Following the Quebec Agreement (granted permission from United Kingdom), the United States was prepared to defeat Japan at all costs. On August 6, 1945, they dropped the little boy bomb (uranium) on Hiroshima which killed about 140,000 people within the first couple of months. Most people died from injuries, burns, radiation sickness, and starvation. Hiroshima was targeted because the bombs were able to easily destroy Japan's military units. -
United States Drops Bomb on Nagasaki
After the bombing of Hiroshima, Nagasaki was quickly attacked on August 9, 1945. Approximately 80,000 people were killed by the fat man bomb (plutonium) and the majority were civilians. This also had a devastating impact on Japan since the bombing on Nagasaki had only added to the damage of Hiroshima. -
Japan Surrenders
Shortly after the bombings and the Soviet Union's declaration of war, Japan officially agreed to surrender on September 2, 1945. Japan had no other choice but to accept their defeat because they definitely did not have the strength to both rebuild and defend themselves from the Soviet Union. Japanese leaders also feared the power of the United States' new atomic bombs and were no longer reluctant to agree to their terms. -
Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission Established
Established by U.S. President Harry Truman, the purpose of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission was to obtain information about the effects of the atomic bombs. The researchers of the ABCC conducted a long term study on survivors and found that those exposed to the radiation had developed lasting medical issues including cancer. The creation of the ABCC illustrates how the United States tried to aid Japan in their effort to recover from their atomic weapons. -
Allies Punish Japan
Led by General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Command of Allied Powers punished Japan for their militarism and expansion into other territories. They had completely restricted Japan's military and prohibited former officials from taking any political positions. The Allies also drafted a new constitution for Japan which gave the government more power than the emperor and removed their armed forces along with the right to wage war. -
Economic Crisis Emerges in Japan
Towards the beginning of 1948, Japan faced a great amount of economic conflict after being punished by the Allies. The Supreme Command of Allied Powers were afraid that Japan's weak economy would encourage the spread of communism and attempted to create a free market capitalist system. Japan was struggling because they lacked raw materials needed for industrial production. Policies and tax reforms were enacted to control inflation in order to prevent Japan's economy from getting any worse. -
Korean War Gave Japan an Opportunity to Recover
When the Korean War started in 1950, Japan was given the opportunity to rebuild their economy by becoming the supply depot for the United Nations. This allowed Japan to quickly gain profit and they were protected by the United States from any serious conflict involved in the Korean War. It would have been much more difficult for Japan to recover without the outbreak of the Korean War as it increased their amount of exports significantly. -
Final Peace Treaty Signed
Once Japan's economic and political situation was stabilized, the United States proposed a final agreement which allowed their bases to remain in several areas including Okinawa. During September 1951, 52 nations reviewed the terms of the treaty and 49 signed. The three nations that did not agree were Poland, the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. The United States no longer saw Japan as a military threat but was concerned with the rise of communism throughout Asia. -
Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration
After refusing to sign the final peace treaty in 1951, the Soviet Union agreed to a joint declaration in order to improve their relationship with Japan. This joint declaration further negotiated the terms for a peace treaty and resolved any territorial problems. The Soviet Union also relaxed their WWII reparations to help support Japan and trade between the two nations was able to develop.
