Embracing Defeat in Japan

In this paper, I am asking you to evaluate the way another historian has dealt with postwar Japanese history. John Dower, the author of Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II, believes that many Japanese “embraced defeat,” accepting and aiding the U.S. occupation. He also says that despite this,
the Japanese in many ways shaped the post-war world. Finally, he argues that immediately after the war, the U.S. and Japan were working for pacifism and greater democracy. He argues that policies of the U.S.A. prevented Japan from moving further in that direction and instead encouraged authoritarianism.

Do you agree with Dower’s arguments ? Why or why not?

The paper does not require outside research, but you will need to cite your sources. That means when you quote or take information from somewhere, you will need to create a footnote that describes the work where you found your information. Then you will need to have a bibliography page.

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