USA HISTORY

POST WAR WORLD 1946 1959

RECONSTRUCTION OF JAPANS GOVERNMENT

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
How did Emperor Hirohito “break the precedent of imperial silence” at the end of World War II?
A
He took a vow of silence so that the Allies would know that Japan was surrendering
B
He did what no other Japanese emperor had done before by going on a radio broadcast
C
He broke the silence when he bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941
D
He ended the war by signing a treaty with the United States
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -In August 1945 he broke the precedent of imperial silence when he made a national radio broadcast to announce Japan’s surrender, and in 1946 he made a second broadcast to repudiate the traditional quasi-divine status of Japan’s emperors. See also Shōwa period .

Detailed explanation-2: -Emperor Hirohito of Japan died of cancer at the age of 87 on January 7, 1989. He was once worshipped as a god incarnate. After World War II, he renounced his divinity and became the symbol of both the state and the unity of the people.

Detailed explanation-3: -Many elements of the Imperial Japanese Army refused to accept that the emperor was going to end the war, believing it dishonourable. As many as 1, 000 officers and soldiers raided the Imperial Palace on the evening of August 14, 1945 to destroy the recording.

Detailed explanation-4: -On August 15, 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender of Japan to his people in the “Jewel Voice Broadcast, ” or “Gyokuon-hoso.” This was the first time an emperor had ever addressed the nation by radio, and Hirohito delivered the speech formal, florid Japanese.

Detailed explanation-5: -There was a compromise. The emperor retained his title; Gen. Douglas MacArthur believed his at least ceremonial presence would be a stabilizing influence in postwar Japan. But Hirohito was forced to disclaim his divine status.

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