Rise Like the Phoenix
America’s participation in the Second World War (1939-45) was initially indirect, in the sense that its role was to supply arms and ammunition and give paramilitary assistance to Britain and its allies. As a result, it became an enemy in the eyes of the Japanese. Japan then secretly planned and launched a major offensive against the American naval base, Pearl Harbour, on December 7, 1941, completely destroying it and, as a consequence, bringing the U.S. directly into the fray. It did not, however, manage to do any major overall damage to the American Air Force, which was spread over a number of other bases.
It was at this time that the atomic bomb was being developed in America. When it had been brought to the stage when it could be successfully used as a lethal weapon, America issued an ultimatum to the Japanese that they should either surrender unconditionally or prepare to be annihilated. Japan, being completely ignorant of America’s acquisition of atomic power, paid no heed to this warning. On August 14, 1945, America therefore, dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, one on each of the two major cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Within a matter of moments, Japan’s military power was reduced to ashes. Japan could do little else but lay down its arms.
Soon afterwards, General Douglas MacArthur entered Japan, and placed the entire nation under American military control. Although from the purely military point of view, Japan had been defeated, the Japanese were still frenziedly preoccupied with the notion of military retaliation. At one time, they had been so fired with military zeal that, during the war, they would even go to the extent of tying bombs on to their bodies and jumping down the funnels of ships so that they could not fail to make a direct hit. Now, the problem facing MacArthur was how to direct such fanaticism towards some positive, peaceful goal. An American commentator, Author Lewis, wrote: “When Japan surrendered, 40 years ago, General Douglas MacArthur undertook not just to occupy, but to remake the country. If he had been asked then what his most extravagant hope was, I think he might have said: ‘To channel the drive of this aggressive people away from militarism and into economic ambition.’”
One way for the Japanese to respond to American overtures would have been to engage in unending guerilla warfare. They could have, alternatively resorted to verbal protests in the press and from public rostrums. But Japan unreservedly accepted the proposals of its conqueror and immediately began diverting its energies away from war and towards progressive ends. It totally ceased its direct confrontation with America and concentrated all of its energies on scientific education and technical progress. Japan began to make rapid economy advances which culminated in great commercial successes. In 1971, for example, it exported to America goods to the value of 6 billion dollars.
A book entitled, Japan: The 40-year Miracle, which elaborates at length upon the total destruction of Japan and its extraordinary progress in the space of 40 years, sums up the position in just one sentence: “The nation rose like the mythical phoenix from its own ashes.” (Newsweek, August 12, 1985)
Japan has been able to achieve such phenomenal progress as compared to its conqueror, that the latter has ultimately been forced to concede to Japan’s superiority.
The acceptance of reality is the greatest secret of success in this life. Yet, how many do we see around us who persist in seeking success through a denial of reality!
