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There were three Axis countries defeated in World War II: Germany, Italy, and Japan. The United States, Britain and France in West Germany and the United States in Japan oversaw an occupation with changed the nature of German and Japanese society, rooting out NAZIism and militarism and fomenting the development of democratic political regimes and social structures. The results by all practical
measures have been an overwhelming success. Germany and Japan today are two of the most prosperous and democratic societies in the world. There were, however, major differences in the Allied occupation policies pursued in the two countries. Germany unlike Japan was also occupied by the Soviet Union. The Soviet occupation policies in eastern Germany were very different than those pursued in the western occupation zone. The Soviets also occupied the Eastern European countries that joined the Axis
in the War, in some cases under duress: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. Spain dispatched a division to the Eastern Front, but never declared war on France, England, and America.
The three principal Axis countries were Germany, Italy, and Japan. These and the Soviet Union, were the countries primarily responsuble for launching World War II. Several Eastern European countries also joined the Axis with various degrees of compulsion by the NAZIs. Some like Slovakia were puppet states. Other like Romania and Bularia were forced into the Axis, both by the Soviets and Germans. Hungary was more of a willing participant. There were also areas from neighboring countries that the NAZIs annexed to the Reich.
The United States along with Britain and France Japan oversaw an occupation with changed the nature of West German society. The German readily admitted their
country's responsibility for the War and their horrendous acts of the NAZI regime. The Allies instituted a thorough going denazification process, a process which continues to this day in Germany. The Allies also attacked the militarism of the old Prussian junker class which the united German state was built around in 1870. The Allies completely dismantled the NAZI regime and during military occupation reconstructed an entirely new political structure. In some ways the process was simplified by the NAZIs who although opposed to democracy had gone a great way toward the breaking down of class barriers and weakening the power of the Prussian junkers. The Germans were not without a tradition of democracy and parliamentary politics. Given the NAZIs success in dominating the German people and the thourougness of that domination, it seems perhaps surprising how readily the Germans adopted democracy. Perhaps the totality of the NAZI defeat and the specter of Soviet totalitarianism looming across the border were major factors. What ever the reasons, the German took to political democracy and free-market economics. A relationship with America was forged in the Berlin Airlift (1948) and four decades of resistance to the Soviets and Warsaw pact. The results by all practical measures have been an overwhelming success. Germany today is one of the most prosperous and democratic societies in the world. Germany unlike Japan was also occupied by the Soviet Union. The Soviet occupation policies in eastern Germany were very different than those perused in the western occupation zone. Austria was separated from Germany after the War and occupied by the Soviets and Western Allies.
The NAZIs incorporated Austria into the Reich with the Anschluss (1938). This was was enormously popular action both in Austria and Germany. After the German surrender (May 1945), Austria was separated from Germany and occupation zones set up. Austrians began to complain saying that they were occupied by the NAZIs and should be treated as a liberated country, not a occupied country guilty of war crimes. In fact many Austrians were enthusiastic NAZIs and actively participated in the NAZI aggressioins and war crimes. The occupation was ended on the condition that Austria would be a neutral nation (1955) and the Soviets and Western Allies withdrew.
As a result of the stunning German military successes early in the War, Germany occupied most of Wesern and Central Europe. They proceeded to annex occupied areas to the Reich. This included reas in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, France, and Yugoslavia. As a result of this, the citizens in these areas were confricted ito the German military. Here occupied Poland was a partial excetion. Germans or peopleclassified as Aryans were subject to cnscription. Those classified as Poles were not and manu were deported as part of the German program of Germaninizing the occupied areas.
Italy sued for peace in 1943 after the loss of Sicily and just before an Allied invasion. Italy was treated differently by the Allies than Germany and Japan. The guilt for the War was laid on Mussolini and the Fascists and not on the new government established after Mussolini and the Fascist fell from power. The NAZIs also treated Italy differently, Hitler ordered Italy occupied by the Wehrmacht which
quickly moved south, seriously depleting the country's strategic reserves. Coming on the heels of the defeat at Kursk, the power of the Whermacht was seriously eroding, but still capable of executing an effective delaying action in Italy. Hitler also ordered the internment of much of the Italian Army. A daring NAZI special forces action freed Mussolini who was installed as a figurehead of a Fascist
state set up in northern Italy.
The Soviets also occupied the Eastern European countries that joined the Axis in the War, in some cases under duress: Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. There were also several NAZI created rump states such as Croatia and Slovakia. Spain dispatched a division to the Eastern Front, but never declared war on France, England, and America. Austria after the War was treated liked
Germany and occupied by both the Soviets and Western Allies. The Soviet Red Army seized Vienna. Austrians after the War claimed that because of the Anchluss they were one of the occupied countries. Many Europeans, however, saw them as little different if not worse than the Germans. Many Austrians were enthusiastic NAZIs.
The United States in oversaw an occupation with changed the nature of German and Japanese society, rooting out German militarism and fomenting the development of democratic political regimes and social structures. Women were enfranchised and labor unions allowed to organize. The results by all practical measures have been an overwhelming success. Japan today is one of the most prosperous and democratic
societies in the world. There were, however, major differences in the occupation policies pursued in Germany. The Imperial Government was not dismantled. Emperor Hirohito was allowed to remain on the Chrysanthemum Throne. Details on his involvement in the War suggest a participation that was far more extensive than admitted at the time, although he certainly acted with considerable courage to end
the War. Japan did not and does not today admit the full extent of its responsibility for launching World War II. Many Japanese attempt to hide the extent of their country's war crimes. Here the list is long, led by the launching of aggressive war first against China (1937) and then the United States and Britain
(1941). Specific examples include the terror bombing of undefended Chinese cities
(Shanghai); massacres of Chinese civilians (the Rape of Nanking), use of biological and chancel weapons, mistreatment and massacres of Allied POWs (the Batan Death March), abuse of civilian internees, use of slave labor, conscription of civilian women for prostitution (Korean comfort women). Many Japanese today attempt to portray Japan in the role of a victim of the War as a result of the atomic bomb. Right wing groups in Japan today are promoting a new curriculum about the War.
The primary warcrime trials were the International Military Tribunals in Germany and Japan. There were no international tribunals in Italy. There were also national trials in the occupied countries that focused more on local collaborators. The International War Crimes Trials introduced a new concept in international law, making the planning, preparing, initiating, or waging of war of aggression a crime. After World War II, the International Military Tribunal at Nurnberg (composed of a judge from Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States) tried NAZI leaders. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, at Tokyo (composed of a judge from Australia, Britain, Canada, (Nationalist) China, France, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, the Soviet Union, and the United States) tried Japanese leaders.
Both tribunals stressed in their proceedings that laubching a war of aggression "is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime". The two tribunals established the principle that only high government officials actually formulating or influencing governmental policy can be charged with "crimes against peace. Thus soldiers in an army who have a legal obligation to follow the orders of their government can not be procecuted for crimes against peace while the political leaders and ranking generals could. Low ranking individual could, however, be procecuted for individual acts of atroicities such as the murder of civilians. All of the occupied countries tried local collaborators. The Soviets controlled the trials in Eastern Europe. The trials in Western Europe wee conducted like the International Tribunals as real trials with judicial safeguards. Trials in Asia were ,ore varied.
A HBC reader writes, "I must start off by saying you have wonderful site. Even though I have not gone through most of your site, it still marvels me on how clothing can help depict history. Anyway I must ask you if you can direct me to any resource that talk about in detail the occupation of Japan and maybe Europe if you can? For you see I am planning to a write a fictional story about the occupation of
Japan and another about the war in Europe. But the problem is I want to get everything that is factual right. Like the units that were there, how the people reacted, and so forth. Even though you did help answer that question about occupation for me it be nice if you direct me to more source to help me get a
better picture. For me, if i told something that was not true about the time or misrepresent something I feel I be doing a great disservice for the people of that time and to everyone." HBC would appreciate any suggestions reader may have about good accounts of the occupation of Germany and Japan.
Haffner, Sebastian. Defying Hitler (Farrar Straus Giroux).
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