Architects of Occupation: American Consultants and Planning for Postwar Japan

The Allied occupation of Japan is remembered because the “good occupation.” An American-led coalition efficiently turned a militaristic enemy right into a secure and democratic ally. After all, the story was extra sophisticated, however the occupation did forge one of the vital enduring relationships within the postwar world. Latest occasions, from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan to protests over American bases in Japan to more and more aggressive territorial disputes between Asian nations over islands within the Pacific, have introduced consideration again to the topic of the occupation of Japan.In Architects of Occupation, Dayna L. Barnes exposes the wartime origins of occupation coverage and broader plans for postwar Japan. She considers the position of presidents, bureaucrats, suppose tanks, the media, and Congress in policymaking. Members of those elite teams got here collectively in a casual coverage community that formed planning. Fairly than relying solely on authorities stories and information to grasp policymaking, Barnes additionally makes use of letters, memoirs, diaries, and manuscripts written by policymakers to hint the rise and unfold of concepts throughout the coverage community. The e book contributes a brand new aspect to the substantial literature on the occupation, serves as a case research in international coverage evaluation, and tells a shocking new story about World Warfare II.