The Red Scare in East Asia: Japan (1945–1950) - A glimpse into what East Asia could have looked like if Japan was divided, instead of Korea.
“In the later half of the Second World War, the United States had developed the world’s first nuclear weapon, the Atom Bomb. While Germany had been subdued in the Allied capture of Berlin and removal of the German government, the Empire of Japan continued its rampage across the Pacific. As a last-ditch effort to end the war, between 30 November and December 4 1944, the United States dropped two atom bombs on Japan. One in Hiroshima and the other in Nagasaki. Shortly after, Japan officially surrendered and from 1944 to 1945, Japan was occupied by the Allies.
The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) was a very prominent party, and was openly against occupation. In May of 1945, communist revolutionary Hotsumi Ozaki, leader of the JCP declared independence and proclaimed the People’s Republic of Japan. In February 1946, the government of the People’s Republic, which was mostly members of the JCP, set its capital in Tokyo, though one month later American forces dismantled it. In July of that same year, most of the Allies withdrew from Japan, which left the Soviets and Americans occupying the Japanese mainland and the United Kingdom occupying the Ryukyu Islands. The JCP was backed by the Soviet Union, and Stalin had made plans for the People’s Republic of Japan to become a sovereign state. Fearing the spread of communism in Japan, the United States made numerous attempts to stomp out the JCP, but it was all in vain. In late October of 1946, the Soviet Union, United States, and United Kingdom began negotiating terms for a possible temporary division of Japan. The consensus was that Honshu, the main Japanese island, would be partitioned at the 36th parallel, with the south being occupied by the United States and the north by the Soviets, and Tokyo would be split between two. Ryukyu was to remain under British occupation until further notice.
On 19 April 1947, Japan was divided at the 36th parallel. North of the demarcation line, the Soviet Union established the Soviet Civil Administration in Japan (日本の蘇聯民政; Nipon no Soren Minsei), which was headquartered in East Edo (東江戸; Tōedo). In the south, the United States established the United States Army Military Government in Japan, and two months later on 21 June, the Socialist People’s Republic of Japan (SPRJ; North Japan) was established and on 24 June, the State of Japan (SOJ; South Japan) was established. Due to conflict between the North and the South over Tokyo, North Japan moved its capital from Tokyo to Sendai in 1950.
“In the later half of the Second World War, the United States had developed the world’s first nuclear weapon, the Atom Bomb. While Germany had been subdued in the Allied capture of Berlin and removal of the German government, the Empire of Japan continued its rampage across the Pacific. As a last-ditch effort to end the war, between 30 November and December 4 1944, the United States dropped two atom bombs on Japan. One in Hiroshima and the other in Nagasaki. Shortly after, Japan officially surrendered and from 1944 to 1945, Japan was occupied by the Allies.
The Japanese Communist Party (JCP) was a very prominent party, and was openly against occupation. In May of 1945, communist revolutionary Hotsumi Ozaki, leader of the JCP declared independence and proclaimed the People’s Republic of Japan. In February 1946, the government of the People’s Republic, which was mostly members of the JCP, set its capital in Tokyo, though one month later American forces dismantled it. In July of that same year, most of the Allies withdrew from Japan, which left the Soviets and Americans occupying the Japanese mainland and the United Kingdom occupying the Ryukyu Islands. The JCP was backed by the Soviet Union, and Stalin had made plans for the People’s Republic of Japan to become a sovereign state. Fearing the spread of communism in Japan, the United States made numerous attempts to stomp out the JCP, but it was all in vain. In late October of 1946, the Soviet Union, United States, and United Kingdom began negotiating terms for a possible temporary division of Japan. The consensus was that Honshu, the main Japanese island, would be partitioned at the 36th parallel, with the south being occupied by the United States and the north by the Soviets, and Tokyo would be split between two. Ryukyu was to remain under British occupation until further notice.
On 19 April 1947, Japan was divided at the 36th parallel. North of the demarcation line, the Soviet Union established the Soviet Civil Administration in Japan (日本の蘇聯民政; Nipon no Soren Minsei), which was headquartered in East Edo (東江戸; Tōedo). In the south, the United States established the United States Army Military Government in Japan, and two months later on 21 June, the Socialist People’s Republic of Japan (SPRJ; North Japan) was established and on 24 June, the State of Japan (SOJ; South Japan) was established. Due to conflict between the North and the South over Tokyo, North Japan moved its capital from Tokyo to Sendai in 1950.