Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click "Follow", so that you can access a series of high-quality articles at any time, and at the same time facilitate discussion and sharing, thank you for your support~
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender, and in order to better control Asia, the United States thought of MacArthur, who had a relationship with Japan.
After receiving the order, MacArthur knew that his opportunity to be humiliated had come, and under his suppression and management, the Japanese people vied with each other to praise him, and his influence and power even far exceeded that of the reigning Japanese emperor, and he vaguely had the tendency of "the emperor."
Even Setsuko Hara, who was known as the "Showa Goddess" at the time, was willing to throw herself into MacArthur's arms. During MacArthur's time, the emperor groveled to him, surrounded by beautiful women, and loved by the people.
MacArthur prepared to put Japan in order
During World War II, Japan won the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and decided to take advantage of the victory to pursue and attack the Philippines, where the US military was stationed. After the incident, Supreme Commander MacArthur urgently issued a defensive combat order.
However, the Japanese army bombed the Clark and Nelson airfields with lightning speed, and continued to launch air strikes on the Philippines, which caught MacArthur by surprise and caused catastrophic destruction to American combat aircraft.
As events unfolded, the U.S. forces went into a state of assembly, but due to MacArthur's misjudgment and mishandling, U.S. air power was bombed by the Japanese almost to zero.
In addition, the United States has always controlled the Philippines from a distance, and the limited and untrained military forces and outdated military equipment make it extremely difficult to counterattack.
Finally, on December 14, 1941, MacArthur ordered the remnants of his troops to flee the Philippines in a hurry and head to Australia.
MacArthur, who had always been known for his invincibility, ended in defeat in this battle, which made him very hateful to Japan. This humiliation made MacArthur think about apologizing with death, but in order to be able to overcome the shame, he has been waiting for a suitable opportunity to fight back.
Finally, in October 1944, MacArthur, with the support of both the Army and the Navy, re-entered the Philippines by repelling the Japanese army, washing away the humiliation of his own majestic escape.
On October 20, MacArthur led his troops to land on Leyte Island, and the president of the Philippines accompanied him with him.
On the other hand, under the bombing of the atomic bomb, the Japanese emperor decided to spare his life and announced Japan's surrender, and signed the instrument of surrender with the representatives of various countries on the USS Missouri, and MacArthur served as the representative of the United States to sign.
When signing the surrender, MacArthur deliberately arranged for American General Wainwright and British General Percival, who had been captured by the Japanese army, to stand in an honorary position behind him. It was like announcing to Japan that a temporary victory does not mean a permanent victory.
MacArthur then used five Parker gold pens to sign his name, and after the meeting, he also presented his own Parker gold pens to the two generals.
In order to expand its strategic territory, in the same year, the United States decided to send MacArthur to Japan to take charge of the military occupation of Japan and post-war reconstruction. In the idea of the United States, it is necessary to eliminate the idea of Japan's foreign aggression, and at the same time spread Western culture, so that Japan can become the foothold of American domination in Asia.
Before leaving for Japan, MacArthur learned about Japan's "Emperor Theism", and the Japanese people regarded the emperor as a god-like existence and obeyed his words, and the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the attack on the Philippine Islands showed how ruthless this person was.
In this regard, MacArthur was already pondering, how to remove this guy who was blocking his ability to rectify Japan?
In the face of absolute power, Japan's arrogance was swept away and it unconditionally accepted the US military presence and post-war management. As a result, MacArthur was stationed in Japan with his troops and began his seven-year administration of Japan.
Entered Japan and broke the theism
After MacArthur arrived in Japan, he did not immediately meet with Japanese government officials, but immediately sealed off the Japanese Imperial Palace, deciding to give the Japanese imperial family and government a disadvantage, and also paved the way for a better takeover of Japan in the future.
After the defeat of Japan, the people were panicked, and Emperor Hirohito, who was the leader of the Pearl Harbor attack and the Philippine invasion, was frightened when he saw the American soldiers surrounding his palace, and his legs weakened.
Emperor Hirohito, who had never met MacArthur, feared that he would be deposed and put on trial. So I decided to come to the door to intercede in person.
As the "god" of Japan, Emperor Hirohito took off his imperial dress, dressed in a suit and tie, and personally went to MacArthur's residence. On the other hand, MacArthur, dressed in loose clothes, received the Japanese emperor with an unawakened appearance.
After a brief chat with Emperor Hirohito, MacArthur offered to have a photo with him. In Japan, the emperor's face is sacrosanct and is not allowed to be photographed. But MacArthur ignored it, and insisted that he have a photo with the emperor and that the record be published in the newspaper.
The emperor's dignity was seen in the newspapers, and he was not wearing the emperor's dress, which dealt a serious blow to the dignity of Emperor Hirohito, and the majesty of the entire imperial family.
The most unacceptable thing is that compared with the tall and sturdy American General MacArthur, Emperor Hirohito's short and thin stature and thick eyebrows and small eyes are completely inconsistent with the image of the emperor who is sacrosanct in the hearts of the Japanese people. On the contrary, the two are in the same frame, making Emperor Hirohito more like the underage son of General MacArthur.
MacArthur knew that his move had shaken the idea of "emperor deity" that had been rooted in the Japanese people for a long time, and people began to realize that the emperor was just like ordinary people. It was also MacArthur's first step in the governance of Japan.
In response to the political situation in the Emperor's Ichōndo, MacArthur decided to change the status quo. Under MacArthur's threat, Emperor Hirohito wore a suit to the market every day to meet the people, and more and more people realized that the "god" in their hearts was nothing more than that.
Then, he asked the emperor to issue a "Human Declaration", which completely shattered the image of "God" in the hearts of the Japanese people.
In November 1946, under MacArthur's arrangement, Japan promulgated a new constitution that excluded the emperor from Japanese politics, and since then, the Japanese emperor has been completely reduced to a political mascot.
After the ideological emancipation, MacArthur launched a top-down revolution against Japan, although this move was for the United States to better control Japan, but in the eyes of the people, MacArthur's actions were helping them, and he was the savior who saved the Japanese people, which also made him far more important in the hearts of the people than the emperor.
The rising clamor endangered the interests of the "royalists" led by Emperor Hirohito, and they were helpless militarily and politically, so they turned their attention to MacArthur's daily life, and they decided to use it to find MacArthur's weaknesses.
Beauty scheming
Their first thought was to take advantage of women, and a large number of Western soldiers were stationed in Japan, and in the face of small, soft-spoken Japanese women, young American GIs quickly became addicted to them. A large number of entertainment venues are popping up all over Japan.
Because of this, Japanese officials decided to follow suit and "present" MacArthur with a Japanese woman. After many inquiries, they selected the actor Setsuko Hara, who was known as the "first goddess of Japan's Showa" at that time.
Setsuko Hara, whose real name is Aida Masae, became popular during World War II for her participation in many Nazi movies, because such movies were echoing the appetite of the Japanese people at that time, and her beautiful appearance made her the "first goddess of Showa".
As a result, the Japanese side sent Setsuko Hara to toast General MacArthur at a welcome party to welcome the arrival of US troops. MacArthur, who had read countless people, only glanced at the petite and beautiful woman in front of him, and couldn't take his eyes off it.
Faced with General MacArthur, who was nearly seventy years old but still undiminished, Hara Setsuko was willing to throw herself into the arms of the general. and hyped it up with the image of "dedication to the country", and fanatical fans believed her words and pursued her even more.
MacArthur knew that this was a "beauty plan" given to him by the Japanese side, and he was happy to accept it, and in this way, Hara Setsuko, who was in her twenties, stayed by MacArthur's side as a lover.
Hara Setsuko's gentle approach made MacArthur very happy, and her "pillow wind" also played a role, at least Emperor Hirohito would no longer be afraid of his own throne. As a result, the "royalists" calmed down, accepted MacArthur's management, and no longer had the heart to resist.
Hara Setsuko did not simply promote her dedication to the country, but under her persuasion, MacArthur changed his attitude towards Japan, changed Japan's existing land system, and increased investment in Japan's economic development. Make the Japanese people more subservient to his rule.
With the help of MacArthur, Hara Setsuko reached the peak of her acting career, and she had a super high popularity in Japan, becoming the first post-war women's representative of Japan at that time, which can be described as a bumper harvest of fame and fortune. After MacArthur left Japan, she did not choose to get married, but continued to develop her career.
During the seven years of MacArthur's administration, MacArthur was in the limelight, from the servility of the Japanese top to the loyal obedience of the people. When MacArthur returned to the United States in 1952, the Japanese people were greeted with joy, and even wept and did not want the general to leave.