Vol.III, No.15
www.renewssource.com
August 1, 2017
August 14, 1945 By Pat Farrell
PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID San Antonio, Texas Paid Permit #1590
Definitely not for most, but for some of our readers, the date above will have a great deal of significance as it was the day it was announced that the Japanese had unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, thus finally ending the hostilities of World War II. Though the formal surrender actually took place 19 days later on September 2, 1945, on board the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, both dates have been recognized as “Victory over Japan Day” or V-J Day. Is it not interesting that Japan, an island nation that is slightly smaller than California, would decide to even consider taking on the United States during World War II?. To even try to understand the “why,” it is important to know some of Japan’s early history. Japan has always been an
interesting place, and though it was most likely inhabited as far back as the prehistoric period, the first written reference to the country did not occur until the first century A.D. when newer technologies had been established in continental Asia. Most of the inhabitants of Japan were thought to have crossed the archipelago off of the Korean peninsula to reach the larger island to its east. Beginning in the fourth century, which was the start of what was considered to be the Heian Period, the Golden Age of Japanese culture, the many kingdoms and tribes that had been established within the country up to that time, pulled together to become unified under one government, one supposedly, controlled by an Emperor. However, the power of the ruling Emperor gradually declined over the following centuries at which time control was assumed by the military clans and their Samurai warrior armies. The Heian period lasted into the late 1100s, and in 1185 saw the onset of the five-year long conflict known as the Genpei War between two of the major clans, Taira and Minimoto. The Minimoto clan prevailed and its leader established his “Shogunate” and declared himself to be Shogun. His reign lasted until 1333 when he lost to a new Shogun from the Muromachi clan. But eventually the powers of the Shogun were usurped by regional warlords (daimyōs) and Japan then experienced an extended period of civil war. Eventually, in the late 1600s Japan was reunified under subsequent daimyōs and shoguns and remained so thereafter, entering into a
period when all contact with the outside world was shunned. Under orders from United State President Millard Fillmore, the “Perry Expedition” was set in motion and Commodore Matthew Perry, through a display of naval superiority, was able to end the 220 years of Japanese isolation and to establish “unequal” agreements that would open their ports to accept foreigners and to trade with the Western powers. The additional outcome of the expedition was that the reigning Shogun, Yoshinobu, resigned and Meiji was named the 122nd Emperor of Japan and restored to at least nominal supreme power in 1867 at age 15 and the imperial family moved to Edo, which is now Tokyo. Regarded as some of the most successful statesmen in history, the leaders of the Meiji government instituted significant political and social changes, proceeded to remodel Japan’s institutions and promoted the widespread westernization of Japan. One of the leaders was named as Japan’s first Prime Minister and his initial official action was to pen the country’s new constitution which established an elected lower House of Representatives that was responsible to the unelected cabinet members of the upper house, who were ultimately responsible to the (unelected) Emperor, as was the newly established military. Up to this point most of Japan’s warlike activity had been contained within its own borders, as was the new military’s first successful action when it decisively crushed an
uprising (Satsuma Rebellion) that was begun by disaffected former samurai warriors, whose statuses had been rendered obsolete, and were thus opposed to the new imperial government. Beyond that action, however, the leadership felt that in order to compete with the Western powers it would be necessary for Japan to begin acquiring its own colonies, and after securing Hokkaido, to its north, began activity to obtain control over the Ryukyu island chain which included Okinawa. Then in 1894, the first SinoJapanese conflict occurred which pitted the Chinese Qing Empire against the Japanese Empire and concerned China’s hold over Korea which was seen as a potential threat to the Japanese territories. By 1895 the defeated Qing Empire had relinquished control over Korea and had ceded Taiwan along with other islands in that area to Japan, which continued to gain prestige internationally. Years later, as Russia was expanding its power in Asia, it rejected Japan’s offer to recognize Russian dominance in Manchuria in exchange for recognition of Japan’s claim to Korea, so Japan chose to fight, initiating the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 where it was again victorious and its prowess was further noted. The agreement reached at the conclusion of this war essentially resulted in a loosening of Russia’s hold over parts of China, while those of Japan seemed to increase and become stronger. During World War I Japan agreed to fight alongside the Allied forces in their Pacific area conflicts and issued an ultimatum to Germany