The USA and the Cold Wr in Asia 1945-1975
US Policy in Asia 1945-1949
US Policy in Asia
1) Where was the main focus of containment for the US?
The main focus of the containment policy was western Europe, the US had deliberately created a Europe first policy for containment as they saw it as the most threatened area.
2) What were the principal means of containment by the US in Asia?
They made Japan a satellite of the United States, provided money to anti-communist forces, support for independent non-communist South Korea and war plans to defend a crescent of offshore Pacific Islands.
Japan
1) Who controlled Japan after the surrender in 1945?
After 1945 Japan was controlled by the US military, General Douglas MacArthur was the person commanding the US forces in Japan. They were however allowed to keep their Emperor Hirohito as a figurehead.
2) Why was Soviet involvement in Japan prevented by the US?
The US told the Soviets that they were not allowed to be involved as they had not fought in the Pacific War, however the real reason they did not want them involved was because they did not want Soviet interference in the construction of post-war Japan.
3) What were the main objectives of the occupation policy? How were they implemented?
Between 1945 and 1947 the main objectives of the occupation policy were demilitarisation and democratisation. The armed forces were demobilised, stockpiles of weapons were destroyed and a no war clause was written into the new Japanese constitution.
Some of Japans industry was broken up go neutralise their war-making capacity, the right to strike was recognised and trade unions were legalised, a range of political parties were recognised including the Japanese Communist Party(JCP).
4) How did the economic situation put US policy in jeopardy?
The economic situation put the US policy in jeopardy because the defeated and demoralised people might find themselves attracted to communism. These fears had grounds however as the Communist Party encouraged by the Soviet mission in Tokyo was gaining support. In 1949 there was a series of industrial strikes and the Japanese Communists polled three millions votes in elections.
5) How did the US reconstruct the Japanese economy? Why did they do this?
The US believed. That the best way to counter communism was to remove the economic situation that created it, Japans big industrial corporations were left intact and restrictions were relaxed to help the economic recovery, in 1948 striking was forbidden and communist sympathisers in the trade union movement were arrested.
6) In what ways did the US occupation become less harsh?
The US occupation became less harsh in an attempt to buy the support of the Japanese people. The prosecution of war criminals was quietly scaled down, more responsibility was given to the Japanese government and the Japanese police force was strengthened, plans for an end to the occupation and a non-punitive peace treaty.
7) How successful was containment in Japan?
In some ways the containment policy in Japan worked, for example they managed to stop communism from spreading and managed to rebuild the Japanese economy. They also managed to gain an ally out of the Japanese from their efforts. However the communist party had managed for a time to gain some supporters in thhe Japanese people.
China
1) Why was Jiang Jeishi such a difficult ally to work with?
He was vain, corrupt, autocratic and had limited skills as a battlefield commander. He wanted to completely defeat the communist party in China while he could have simply come to terms with them.
2) Why was the US so concerned about the spread of Communism in China? why was US assistance so modest?
The US were concerned about the spread of communism because there was a lot of resources in that area and they did not want the soviets having access to a large amount of resources.
3) How did US policy towards China change after 1947? How successful was the US attempt to contain Communism in China?
When the nationalists were losing the civil war, the American object was no longer to achieve Nationalist control of the entire Chinese country, but to pen the CCP into the north of the country. Leaving then controlling the interiror and the south.
Korea, Vietnam and the Defensive Perimeter
1) What were the hopes of the US for the future of Korea? Why did the policy fail?
The Americans planned to partition Korea into two occupation zones and eventually unify Korea under a government chosen by free and fair elections.
2) How significant was Korea to the thinking of the US after 1947?
While Korea was not part of the vital areas for the US, it was already partly run by the soviets and allowing them to completely take over the country would deprive Japan of a important trade partner.
3) What happened in Korea during 1948? How active was the US presence in Korea 1948-1949?
During 1948 two separate Korean states emerged, both led by different people and backed by either the soviets for the north and US for the south.
The US military left a small detachment of troops until 1949, they also continued to send economic aid to the north but did not want a permanent military force there.
4) What problems existed in Korea after 1945?
Both the north and the south wanted to unite the country under their rule and so a civil war broke out, the civil war caused the deaths of over 100,000 Koreans.
5) Explain the policy of the US towards Vietnam in 1945?
They tried to get the French to grant them freedom as their own government.
6) Why did US policy towards Vietnam change in 1946?
War broke out between the French and the Vietminh, the US sided with the French but tried to get them to grant them concessions.
7) What attempts did the French make to give the Vietnam some independence in 1949? How successful was this policy?
They gave the Vietnam their own government but retained control over defence and Foreign policy.
This policy did not work as the Vietnam wanted complete freedom and not just partial freedom that was offered to them.
8) How did the US try to unite the Asian periphery to resist the spread of communism?
They used economic aid to existing anti communist forces, a belt of8/@-'ds for,ing a u-shape provided the first defence against communism in Asia.
How successful was the policy of containment?
1) How successful was the policy of containment in Asia by 1949?