The Great Power Struggle in East Asia, 1944-50: Britain, America and Post-War Rivalry (Global Conflict and Security Since 1945)

The First Comprehensive Account Of British Policy Towards China, Japan And Korea From The Final Stages Of The Second World War To The Outbreak Of The Korean War, Placed In The Broader Context Of Far Eastern Developments, The Beginnings Of The Cold War, Dealings With The Commonwealth And, Above All, Relations With The United States. Based Upon Research In British, American And Australian Archives, This Book Examines The Tensions That Emerged Within The Anglo-american Relationship As The United States Sought To Dominate The East Asian Agenda And Britain Agonised Over The International Role It Should Play In The Region. That Tension Intensified Over What The British Perceived As An American Failure To Devise A Post-war Plan For East Asia Other Than The Containment Of Japan. As Communist Threats Inside China And Korea Gained Momentum, Britain, With Valuable Far Eastern Interests To Protect, Could Not Afford The Asian Mainland To Turn Red And Found Itself Drawn Increasingly Into East Asian Affairs Far More Than It Desired--provided By Publisher. Christopher Baxter. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 Maps......Page 12 Abbreviations......Page 15 Introduction......Page 16 Searching for a strategy......Page 20 Securing Moscow's co-operation......Page 28 British forces for an invasion of Japan......Page 32 2 Post-War Planning in Wartime......Page 41 The post-war planning apparatus......Page 42 Planning for post-war China......Page 44 Planning for Korea......Page 50 Planning for an occupation of Japan......Page 54 3 Japan Surrenders......Page 61 Staking claims......Page 62 Priorities in the post-war world......Page 67 Returning to China......Page 69 The control of Japan......Page 73 Korea and trusteeship......Page 77 The Moscow Council of Foreign Ministers......Page 79 4 Occupation and Civil War......Page 82 Defence planning......Page 83 The occupation of Japan......Page 85 The Commonwealth, Japan and regional defence......Page 88 The occupation of Korea......Page 92 Civil war in China......Page 97 5 Questioning Engagement......Page 103 Assessing the dangers......Page 104 The policy of non-interference......Page 107 Japan and a peace treaty......Page 116 Korean solutions......Page 120 6 Going into Reverse......Page 129 Priorities, strategy and intelligence......Page 130 The Commonwealth and Korea......Page 134 China perceptions......Page 141 Japan and the next phase of the occupation......Page 150 7 The Road to War......Page 160 Regional collaboration and defence......Page 161 Peace treaty stalemate......Page 164 Discord in China......Page 168 Instability in Korea......Page 178 The drift towards regional conflict......Page 182 Conclusion......Page 190 Notes......Page 197 Select Bibliography......Page 246 B......Page 257 C......Page 258 F......Page 259 J......Page 260 M......Page 261 R......Page 262 S......Page 263 U......Page 264 Z......Page 265 The first full account of British policy towards China, Japan and Korea from the final stages of the Second World War to the outbreak of the Korean War, set against the backdrop of the Anglo-American relationship, broader Far Eastern developments, the beginnings of the Cold War, and Britain's relationship with the Commonwealth. The first comprehensive account of British policy towards China, Japan and Korea from the final stages of the Second World War to the outbreak of the Korean War, placed in the broader context of Far Eastern developments, the beginnings of the Cold War, dealings with the Commonwealth and, above all, relations with the United States. Based upon research in British, American and Australian archives, this book examines the tensions that emerged within the Anglo-American relationship as the United States sought to dominate the East Asian agenda and Britain agonised over the international role it should play in the region. That tension intensified over what the British perceived as an American failure to devise a post-war plan for East Asia other than the containment of Japan. As Communist threats inside China and Korea gained momentum, Britain, with valuable Far Eastern interests to protect, could not afford the Asian mainland to turn 'red' and found itself drawn increasingly into East Asian affairs far more than it desired Machine generated contents note: Acknowledgements Maps Abbreviations Introduction Defeating Japan Wartime Post-War Planning Japan Surrenders Occupation and Civil War Questioning Engagement Going into Reverse The Road to War ConclusionBibliographyIndex . "Historians interested in Anglo-American relations in the immediate post-war years will find this trawl through the official archives fascinating and instructive." Sir Hugh Cortazzi, The Japan Society