The Allied Occupation of Japan - an Australian View
Volume 3 | Issue 7 | Article ID 1765 | Jul 06, 2005 The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus The Allied Occupation of Japan - an Australian View Christine de Matos The Allied Occupation of Japan – an Britain, British India and New Zealand, Australian View contributed to the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF). By Christine de Matos The Australians were stationed in Hiroshima prefecture, with their base at Hiro (the BCOF HQ was at Kure). At its height in 1946, The Japanese Occupation is generallyAustralia provided around 12,000 troops to the remembered as primarily an American affair total of 40,000 BCOF troops (US troops and as a dichotomous relationship between numbered 152,000).[1] However, by 1948 Japan and the United States. However, it was Britain, India and New Zealand had withdrawn an Allied Occupation, and, despite thefrom Japan, leaving Australia as the sole persistence of selective historical memories, representative of the Commonwealth forces, at there was a distinct and at times contentious least until the outbreak of the Korean War. An Allied presence, contribution, and experience. Australian acted as Commander-in-Chief of The Occupation provided a terrain on which the BCOF for the duration of the Occupation. This victor nations, believing their social, economic article focuses on Australia's diplomatic and political values vindicated by victory, contribution to the Occupation. competed to reshape the character of Japan’s modernity. One Ally that participated in this While close attention has been paid to the process, and often acted as a dissenting voice, ideological conflict between the Soviet Union was Australia. Examining the involvement of and the United States, the neglected conflict additional participants in the Occupation does between Australia and the United States, as not challenge the notion of US dominance, but well as their cooperative actions, casts further does demonstrate that others periodically light on the nature of the occupation.
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