Policy Papers

Executive Summary

    Since the end of the Second World War, the United States of America, with the aim of promoting its national security and well-being, has taken a new strategy to develop its economic, cultural and social influence in the world by shaping the internal and governance structures of the countries. Later, this strategy was introduced in scientific literature under the name of "nation building".

    Germany and Japan were two countries that were occupied at a short distance from each other, and the United States began the nation-building process in both countries in a serious manner. Despite the simultaneity of America's action in starting the nation-building process, the conditions in each of these two countries were different from the other, and for this reason, the success rate and time frame of the United States' actions in Germany were different from Japan.

    After the Second World War, Germany became a very different Germany from the entire history of this country. After the end of the war and the surrender of Germany in May 1945, the Allies divided the country into 4 parts and each of them established a military government in their region. The United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France, which occupied German territory, behaved differently in the region under their control, and the United States, with many arguments and debates with these countries and doubts between the Morgenthau and Marshall Plans, was finally influenced by the Cold War. decided to rebuild Germany by choosing the Marshall Plan and use this country as a stronghold against the Soviet Union. The German economy witnessed a remarkable growth during the Cold War years, with a combination of capitalist and socialist economic foundations. Regardless of the economic issues, the United States was able to establish the foundations and concepts of democracy in this ruling country and to institutionalize this thinking in public opinion that the best method of government is liberal democracy. America started establishing democracy and rebuilding Germany after establishing security and humanitarian aid to the people of this country.

    The beginning of the nation-building process in Japan was different from Germany and other countries. Since America had single-handedly brought this country to its knees and forced the Japanese people to surrender, it had the power to rebuild this land in any way it wanted. In fact, the United States saw the right conditions to test its ideas about nation-building in front of it. At the beginning of the nation-building process of Japan, the approach of putting pressure on it in various fields was adopted because America believed that the re-formation of Japanese power and sense of revenge should be prevented, but over time and with the introduction of Truman's ideas and his doctrine, a completely different method was adopted. Adopted to attend Japan.

    With the rise of the anti-communist movement in America since 1947, Japan's role changed from an occupied country to a strategic ally against the Soviet Union and the spread of socialism. In this way, the fear of socialism and the Soviet Union changed America's basic policy in Japan from democratization to economic revival of that country. One example of this change was the purchase of weapons and equipment from Japan for use in the Korean War. Following this policy change, in Japan as well as in Germany, large industries were returned to the same companies and families that armed Japan in World War II.

    Acquaintance with the processes passed in these two countries can be considered as a lesson for the development of the regional presence of the Islamic Republic and an active confrontation with the regional influence development plans of the United States.

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