In August 1945 an exhausted and battle-weary Japan accepted the surrender terms of the Allied powers, and by imperial edict the people laid down their arms. For more than six years after the surrender, Japan was placed under Allied, mainly American, control. Between 1945 and 1948, Japan was embroiled in utter confusion as the country desperately tried to rebuild itself.
After the cessation of World War Two, Japan was led by General Douglas Macarthur who acted as the country's leader whilst it was under occupation by the USA. During this period of occupation, various social and political reforms were carried out, whereby agricultural land was redistributed in favor of former tenants and workers were assured of their rights to organize trade unions and to strike. At the top of Macarthur's agenda was demilitarization as it spread to every corner of Japan's society.…
