The period of 1945 to 1960 was a significant one in the development of postwar U.S.-Japan relations. The relationship underwent significant transformation as U.S. policymakers sought to guide Japan's reemergence as an independent nation and build a stable Japanese-American relationship. In the initial phase of the relationship, between 1945 and 1952, U.S. policymakers embarked upon a bold experiment in idealistic nation-building, believing that democratic and liberal economic reforms were necessary to secure postwar peace and security in the region. By 1947, developments within Japan, combined with the onset of the Cold War, resulted in a changing definition of stability and a shift in U.S. policies towards economic recovery, conservative political consolidation and military security. Between 1952 and 1957, security issues continued to be the most contentious aspect of the relationship, but the issue of trade, and with it the rise in importance of domestic constituencies, came to play a more significant role.; By 1957, a watershed in Japanese-American relations had been reached. Attempts by the U.S. to maintain control aggravated the existing tensions and threatened the stability of the relationship which had begun to show signs of strain. In response to the evolving definition of stability, U.S. policymakers once again shifted their policies in order to ensure Japan's voluntary alignment with the United States.; The success of both nations in adapting to changing circumstances resulted in the successful maintenance of the relationship to the present day. It is, therefore, important to discover and understand the various domestic and international factors which provided the formative influences on the development of the alliance between 1945 and 1960. This work will analyze three closely related aspects of the period: the evolution of American and Japanese policies, and the constraints and influences upon them; Japan's reemergence as an independent power with the subsequent decline of American leverage; and the growth of Japanese-American cooperation and contention. Understanding the creation, development and problems of the alliance forged between 1945 and 1960, as American policymakers and their Japanese counterparts sought to achieve a stable and profitable relationship, may provide us with clues to its future.
展开▼
