vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Surrender of Japan
Japanese leaders had always envisioned a negotiated settlement to the war . Their prewar planning expected a rapid expansion and consolidation , an eventual conflict with the United States , and finally a settlement in which they would be able to retain at least some new territory they had conquered . By 1945 , Japan 's leaders were in agreement that the war was going badly , but they disagreed over the best means to negotiate its end . There were two camps : the so - called `` peace '' camp favored a diplomatic initiative to persuade Joseph Stalin , the leader of the Soviet Union , to mediate a settlement between the Allies and Japan ; and the hardliners who favored fighting one last `` decisive '' battle that would inflict so many casualties on the Allies that they would be willing to offer more lenient terms . Both approaches were based on Japan 's experience in the Russo -- Japanese War , forty years earlier , which consisted of a series of costly but largely indecisive battles , followed by the decisive naval Battle of Tsushima . As
Korea under Japanese rule
There were some modernization efforts by the late 19th century prior to annexation . Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity , trolley cars , water , telephone , and telegraph systems all at the same time , but Korea remained a largely backward agricultural economy around the start of the 20th century . `` Japan 's initial colonial policy was to increase agricultural production in Korea to meet Japan 's growing need for rice . Japan also began to build large - scale industries in Korea in the 1930s as part of the empire - wide program of economic self - sufficiency and war preparation . '' In terms of exports , `` Japanese industry as a whole gained little ... and this is certainly true for the most important manufacturing sector , cotton textiles . This export trade had little impact , positive or negative , on the welfare of Japanese consumer . '' Likewise in terms of the profitability of Japanese investors : colonial Korea made no significant impact .
Great Depression in the United States
The economy in America was now beginning to show signs of recovery and the unemployment rate was lowering following the abysmal year of 1938 . The biggest shift towards recovery , however , came with the decision of Germany to invade France at the beginning of WWII . After France had been defeated , the U.S. economy would skyrocket in the months following . France 's defeat meant that Britain and other allies would look to the U.S. for large supplies of materials for the war .
Surrender of Japan
In the middle of the meeting , shortly after 11 : 00 , news arrived that Nagasaki , on the west coast of Kyūshū , had been hit by a second atomic bomb ( called `` Fat Man '' by the United States ) . By the time the meeting ended , the Big Six had split 3 -- 3 . Suzuki , Tōgō , and Admiral Yonai favored Tōgō 's one additional condition to Potsdam , while General Anami , General Umezu , and Admiral Toyoda insisted on three further terms that modified Potsdam : that Japan handle their own disarmament , that Japan deal with any Japanese war criminals , and that there be no occupation of Japan .
Surrender of Japan
On Missouri that day was the American flag flown in 1853 on USS Powhatan by Commodore Matthew C. Perry on the first of his two expeditions to Japan . Perry 's expeditions had resulted in the Convention of Kanagawa , which forced the Japanese to open the country to American trade .
Korea under Japanese rule
In May 1910 , the Minister of War of Japan , Terauchi Masatake , was given a mission to finalize Japanese control over Korea after the previous treaties ( the Japan -- Korea Treaty of 1904 and the Japan -- Korea Treaty of 1907 ) had made Korea a protectorate of Japan and had established Japanese hegemony over Korean domestic politics . On 22 August 1910 , Japan effectively annexed Korea with the Japan -- Korea Treaty of 1910 signed by Ye Wanyong , Prime Minister of Korea , and Terauchi Masatake , who became the first Japanese Governor - General of Korea .
Containment
The U.S. followed containment when it entered the Korean War to defend South Korea from a communist invasion by North Korea . However , the success of the Inchon landing inspired the U.S. and the United Nations to adopt a rollback strategy to overthrow communist North Korea , thus allowing nationwide elections under U.N. auspices . General Douglas MacArthur then advanced across the 38th parallel into North Korea . The Chinese then sent in a large army and defeated the U.N. forces , pushing them below the 38th parallel . Although the Chinese had been planning to intervene for months , this action was interpreted by Truman 's supporters as a response to U.S. forces crossing the 38th parallel . That interpretation allowed the episode to be used to confirm the wisdom of containment doctrine as opposed to rollback . The Communists were later pushed back to around the original border . Truman blamed MacArthur 's focus on victory and adopted a `` limited war '' policy . His focus shifted to negotiating a settlement , which was finally reached in 1953 . For his part , MacArthur denounced Truman 's `` no - win policy . ''
United States embargo against Cuba
The 1998 U.S. State Department report Zenith and Eclipse : A Comparative Look at Socio - Economic Conditions in Pre-Castro and Present Day Cuba attributed Cuba 's economic penury not as a result of the embargo , but instead the lack of foreign currency due to the unwillingness of Cuba to liberalize its economy and diversify its export base during the years of abundant Soviet aid . Cuba also amassed substantial debts owed to its Japanese , European , and Latin American trading partners during the years of abundant Soviet aid .
Events leading to the attack on Pearl Harbor
Genda , who saw Hawaii as vital for American operations against Japan after war began , believed Japan must follow any attack on Pearl Harbor with an invasion of Hawaii or risk losing the war . He viewed Hawaii as a base to threaten the west coast of North America , and perhaps as a negotiating tool for ending the war . He believed , following a successful air attack , 10,000 - 15,000 men could capture Hawaii , and saw the operation as a precursor or alternative to a Japanese invasion of the Philippines . In September 1941 , Commander Yasuji Watanabe of the Combined Fleet staff estimated two divisions ( 30,000 men ) and 80 ships , in addition to the carrier strike force , could capture the islands . He identified two possible landing sites , near Haleiwa and Kaneohe Bay , and proposed both be used in an operation that would require up to four weeks with Japanese air superiority .
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Soviet Red Army performance also stunned the Japanese . Manchuria was central to Japan 's East Asia policy . Both the 1921 and 1927 Imperial Eastern Region Conferences reconfirmed Japan 's commitment to be the dominant power in the Northeast . The 1929 Red Army victory shook that policy to the core and reopened the Manchurian problem . By 1930 , the Kwantung Army realized they faced a Red Army that was only growing stronger . The time to act was drawing near and Japanese plans to conquer the Northeast were accelerated .
Foreign trade of the United States
United States trade policy has varied widely through various American historical and industrial periods . As a major developed nation , the U.S. has relied heavily on the import of raw materials and the export of finished goods . Because of the significance for American economy and industry , much weight has been placed on trade policy by elected officials and business leaders .
Surrender of Japan
The meaning of mokusatsu , literally `` kill with silence , '' can range from `` ignore '' to `` treat with contempt '' -- which rather accurately described the range of reactions within the government . On July 30 , Ambassador Satō wrote that Stalin was probably talking to Roosevelt and Churchill about his dealings with Japan , and he wrote : `` There is no alternative but immediate unconditional surrender if we are to prevent Russia 's participation in the war . '' On August 2 , Tōgō wrote to Satō : `` it should not be difficult for you to realize that ... our time to proceed with arrangements of ending the war before the enemy lands on the Japanese mainland is limited , on the other hand it is difficult to decide on concrete peace conditions here at home all at once . ''
Military history of the United States
The overall neglect for military involvement eventually resulted in appeasement in the early stages of World War II , at the distress of Roosevelt ( who wanted to continue cash - and - carry for the European theatres and the Pacific ) . After being rebuffed by Congress for attempting to reinstate cash - and - carry for the European theatres , Roosevelt eventually won the favor of restoring the arms trade with belligerent nations after Germany 's invasion of Poland , which is said by many to have fixed the United States economy . Total involvement in the war began after the Attack on Pearl Harbor , where isolationism began to cede .
United States
The United States is the largest importer of goods and second - largest exporter , though exports per capita are relatively low . In 2010 , the total U.S. trade deficit was $635 billion . Canada , China , Mexico , Japan , and Germany are its top trading partners . In 2010 , oil was the largest import commodity , while transportation equipment was the country 's largest export . Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. public debt . The largest holder of the U.S. debt are American entities , including federal government accounts and the Federal Reserve , who hold the majority of the debt .
World War II
With the situation in Europe and Asia relatively stable , Germany , Japan , and the Soviet Union made preparations . With the Soviets wary of mounting tensions with Germany and the Japanese planning to take advantage of the European War by seizing resource - rich European possessions in Southeast Asia , the two powers signed the Soviet -- Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941 . By contrast , the Germans were steadily making preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union , massing forces on the Soviet border .
Military history of the United States
Due to the underlying pressure against military involvement by both citizens and politicians , the United States was reluctant to intervene in any overseas conflicts . The involvement that the United States had toward the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria in 1931 only extended as far as non-recognition . Other events such as Benito Mussolini 's Italian Conquest of Ethiopia went ignored by the U.S. along with the League of Nations being unable to act upon the usage of chemical weapons by the Italian fascists . No official involvement was waged during the Spanish Civil War and the Second Sino - Japanese War , though both wars utilized loopholes for U.S. involvement , such as volunteering and using British ships as a middleman for delivering provisions ( since the Neutrality Acts only specified American ships ) . This , along with Roosevelt 's Quarantine Speech , produced mixed opinions among Americans that were still anxious about military involvement . Non-interventionists were mainly constituent in the Republican Party , but other Democratic politicians , such as Louis Ludlow , attempted to pass bills to compromise and even amend the United States Constitution for the purpose of calling for public Referendum to decide military involvement in cases that do not immediately follow an attack on the United States . This amendment was introduced many times , but failed to gain enough support , including opposition even by Roosevelt .
Causes of World War II
Two contemporaneous factors in Japan contributed both to the growing power of its military and chaos within its ranks leading up to the Second World War . One was the Cabinet Law , which required the Imperial Japanese Army ( IJA ) and Imperial Japanese Navy ( IJN ) to nominate servinet could be formed . This essentially gave the military veto power over the formation of any Cabinet in the ostensibly parliamentary country . Another factor was gekokujō , or institutionalized disobedience by junior officers . It was not uncommon for radical junior officers to press their goals , to the extent of assassinating their seniors . In 1936 , this phenomenon resulted in the February 26 Incident , in which junior officers attempted a coup d'état and killed leading members of the Japanese government . In the 1930s , the Great Depression wrecked Japan 's economy and gave radical elements within the Japanese military the chance to force the entire military into working towards the conquest of all of Asia . For example , in 1931 the Kwantung Army ( a Japanese military force stationed in Manchuria ) staged the Mukden Incident , which sparked the Invasion of Manchuria and its transformation into the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo .
War of 1812
Historian Richard Maass argued in 2015 that the expansionist theme is a myth that goes against the `` relative consensus among experts that the primary U.S. objective was the repeal of British maritime restrictions '' . He argues that consensus among scholars is that the United States went to war `` because six years of economic sanctions had failed to bring Britain to the negotiating table , and threatening the Royal Navy 's Canadian supply base was their last hope . '' Maass agrees that theoretically expansionism might have tempted Americans , but finds that `` leaders feared the domestic political consequences of doing so . Notably , what limited expansionism there was focused on sparsely populated western lands rather than the more populous eastern settlements ( of Canada ) . '' Nevertheless , Maas notes that many historians continue to believe that expansionism was a cause .
Military history of the United States during World War II
American public opinion was hostile to Hitler 's Germany , but how much aid to give the Allies was controversial . Public opinion was even more hostile to Japan , and there was little opposition to increased support for China . By 1940 the U.S. , while still neutral , was becoming the `` Arsenal of Democracy '' for the Allies , supplying money and war materials . The sudden defeat of France in spring 1940 caused the nation to begin to greatly grow its armed forces , including the first peacetime draft . After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 , America began sending Lend Lease aid to the Soviet Union as well as Britain and China .
Treaty of Versailles
Wilson brought along top intellectuals as advisors to the American peace delegation , and the overall American position echoed the Fourteen Points . Wilson firmly opposed harsh treatment on Germany . While the British and French wanted to largely annex the German colonial empire , Wilson saw that as a violation of the fundamental principles of justice and human rights of the native populations , and favored them having the right of self - determination via the creation of mandates . The promoted idea called for the major powers to act as disinterested trustees over a region , aiding the native populations until they could govern themselves . In spite of this position and in order to ensure that Japan did not refuse to join the League of Nations , Wilson favored turning over the former German colony of Shandong , in Eastern China , to Japan rather than return the area to Chinese control . Further confounding the Americans , was US internal partisan politics . In November 1918 , the Republican Party won the Senate election by a slim margin . Wilson , a Democrat , refused to include prominent Republicans in the American delegation making his efforts seem partisan , and contributed to a risk of political defeat at home .
War of 1812
American expansion into the Northwest Territory was being obstructed by various Indian tribes since the end of the Revolution , who were supplied and encouraged by the British . Americans on the western frontier demanded that interference be stopped . There is dispute , however , over whether or not the American desire to annex Canada brought on the war . Several historians believe that the capture of Canada was intended only as a means to secure a bargaining chip , which would then be used to force Britain to back down on the maritime issues . It would also cut off food supplies for Britain 's West Indian colonies , and temporarily prevent the British from continuing to arm the Indians . However , many historians believe that a desire to annex Canada was a cause of the war . This view was more prevalent before 1940 , but remains widely held today . Congressman Richard Mentor Johnson told Congress that the constant Indian atrocities along the Wabash River in Indiana were enabled by supplies from Canada and were proof that `` the war has already commenced ... I shall never die contented until I see England 's expulsion from North America and her territories incorporated into the United States . '' James
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In his `` Rescript to the Soldiers and Sailors '' delivered on August 17 , he stressed the impact of the Soviet invasion on his decision to surrender . Hirohito met with General MacArthur on September 27 , saying to him that `` the peace party did not prevail until the bombing of Hiroshima created a situation which could be dramatized '' . Furthermore , the `` Rescript to the Soldiers and Sailors '' speech he told MacArthur about was just personal , not political , and never stated that the Soviet intervention in Manchuria was the main reason for surrender . In fact , a day after the bombing of Nagasaki and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria , Hirohito ordered his advisers , primarily Chief Cabinet Secretary Hisatsune Sakomizu , Kawada Mizuho , and Masahiro Yasuoka , to write up a surrender speech . In Hirohito 's speech , days before announcing it on radio on August 15 , he gave three major reasons for surrender : Tokyo 's defenses would not be complete before the American invasion of Japan , Ise Shrine would be lost to the Americans , and atomic weapons deployed by the Americans would lead to the death of the entire Japanese race . Despite the Soviet intervention , Hirohito did not mention the Soviets as the main factor for surrender .
Causes of the Great Depression
Protectionism , such as the American Smoot -- Hawley Tariff Act , is often indicated as a cause of the Great Depression , with countries enacting protectionist policies yielding a beggar thy neighbor result . The Smoot -- Hawley Tariff Act was especially harmful to agriculture because it caused farmers to default on their loans . This event may have worsened or even caused the ensuing bank runs in the Midwest and West that caused the collapse of the banking system . A petition signed by over 1,000 economists was presented to the U.S. government warning that the Smoot - Hawley Tariff Act would bring disastrous economic repercussions ; however , this did not stop the act from being signed into law .
Foreign trade of the United States
The 1920s marked a decade of economic growth in the United States following a Classical supply side policy . U.S. President Warren Harding signed the Emergency Tariff of 1921 and the Fordney -- McCumber Tariff of 1922 . Harding 's policies reduced taxes and protected U.S. business and agriculture . Following the Great Depression and World War II , the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference brought the Bretton Woods currency agreement followed by the economy of the 1950s and 1960s . In 1971 , President Richard Nixon ended U.S. ties to Bretton Woods , leaving the U.S. with a floating fiat currency . The stagflation of the 1970s saw a U.S. economy characterized by slower GDP growth . In 1988 , the United States ranked first in the world in the Economist Intelligence Unit `` quality of life index '' and third in the Economic Freedom of the World Index .
History of Germany (1945–90)
Timber exports from the U.S. occupation zone were particularly heavy . Sources in the U.S. government stated that the purpose of this was the `` ultimate destruction of the war potential of German forests . ''
History of United States foreign policy
Since the turmoil of the Mexican revolution had died down , the Harding administration was prepared to normalize relations with Mexico . Between 1911 and 1920 American imports from Mexico increased from $57,000,000 to $179,000,000 and exports from $61,000,000 to $208,000,000 . Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover took the lead in order to promote trade and investments other than in oil and land , which had long dominated bilateral economic ties . President Álvaro Obregón assured Americans that they would be protected in Mexico , and Mexico was granted recognition in 1923 . A major crisis erupted in the mid-1930s when the Mexican government expropriated millions of acres of land from hundreds of American property owners as part of President Lázaro Cárdenas 's land redistribution program . No compensation was provided to the American owners . The emerging threat of the Second World War forced the United States to agree to a compromise solution . The US negotiated an agreement with President Manuel Avila Camacho that amounted to a military alliance .
Surrender of Japan
Difficulty with senior commanders on the distant war fronts was anticipated . Three princes of the Imperial Family who held military commissions were dispatched on August 14 to deliver the news personally . Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda went to Korea and Manchuria , Prince Yasuhiko Asaka to the China Expeditionary Army and China Fleet , and Prince Kan'in Haruhito to Shanghai , South China , Indo - China and Singapore .
Military history of the United States
After the costly U.S. involvement in World War I , isolationism grew within the nation . Congress refused membership in the League of Nations , particularly due to Article X of the League 's charter . Pursuant to Article X , the charter would have required by contract the United States Military to intervene if a member of the League were attacked ; this prompted the United States Senate to vehemently oppose the Treaty of Versailles . Isolationism further grew after the events of the Nye Committee , which investigated corrupt military spending and fueled the Merchants of death argument , thus increasing anti-war opinions .
Great Depression
In June 1930 Congress approved the Smoot -- Hawley Tariff Act which raised tariffs on thousands of imported items . The intent of the Act was to encourage the purchase of American - made products by increasing the cost of imported goods , while raising revenue for the federal government and protecting farmers . Other nations increased tariffs on American - made goods in retaliation , reducing international trade , and worsening the Depression .
Surrender of Japan
Japanese officials left for Manila on August 19 to meet Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur , and to be briefed on his plans for the occupation . On August 28 , 150 US personnel flew to Atsugi , Kanagawa Prefecture , and the occupation of Japan began . They were followed by USS Missouri , whose accompanying vessels landed the 4th Marines on the southern coast of Kanagawa . Other Allied personnel followed .