Encouraging 'Democracy' in a Cold War Climate: The dual-platform policy approach of Evatt and Labor toward the Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1949
Publication Details
de Matos, C. (2001). Encouraging 'Democracy' in a Cold War climate: The dual-platform policy approach of Evatt and Labor toward the allied occupation of Japan 1945-1949. Asia Pacific Economic Papers, 313, 1-30.
Abstract
This paper is based on research conducted in Australia and the United States into Australian aims toward the Allied Occupation of Japan under the Chifley government between 1945 and 1949. It challenges the prevailing characterisation of Australian aims as solely seeking a ‘harsh peace’ with Japan. An alternative, two-platform model is proposed to assess Australian aims. The model incorporates the pragmatic and retribution aspects of Australian policy (known as platform-one aims) and the more complex pragmatic and idealist aims of encouraging democratisation in postwar Japan (known as platform-two aims). The paper focuses on platform-two aims, as these tend to be neglected in historiography on the Australian role in the Occupation.
Keywords
Peer-reviewed
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