A Comparison of How Germany and Japan Are Patching WWII Wounds with Neighboring Countries
In World War II, two of the Axis nations, Germany and Japan were similar in some respects. They both wanted to create vast empires, and they both occupied neighboring countries in an incredibly short period of time. However, the most striking similarity is how they performed bad deeds in the countries they invaded.
Nazi Germany took over Austria, Sudetenland, and Czechoslovakia without causing any military backlash from Britain or France. Then, Germany triggered World War II by attacking Poland, and subsequently occupied Belgium, France, Denmark, and Norway in the following months. Germany even threatened to occupy Britain for some time, before Allied forces drove the Germans back to Berlin.
In the countries that Nazi Germany occupied during World War II, mass genocide was carried out in the open and in concentration camps. A well-known fact is that many Jewish people were killed, about 6 million in all. Something that is not so widely known is that Poland lost about the same number of its citizens - 6 million - roughly 20% of its population. And contrary to popular belief, only about 3 million were Polish Jews. The other 3 million were Polish Christians or those of no religion. This goes to show that everyone in Poland, not just those of Judaic faith, suffered greatly during the Holocaust.
Japan's conquest of its neighboring countries started much earlier. In 1910, the Korean peninsula officially became a part of the Japanese empire. Not being satisfied with this gain, Japan extended its boundaries to the Chinese province of Manchuria, the southern part of Sakhalin Island, the Philippines, and even Indochina. Japan's sphere of influence was so great that the two leaders of China's opposing factions, Generalissimo Jiang Kai-shek of the National Party and Mao Zedong of the Communist Party, temporarily allied together to drive the invaders off Chinese soil.
Most westerners do not know what Japan did to people of its neighboring countries, or even the fact that Japan did any bad deeds at all, against those peoples she occupied between the World Wars and World War II. But people in the Far East vividly remember the atrocities and war crimes of Japan, which, though not nearly on the scale of the Holocaust, were brutal indeed. Some Chinese and Koreans with long memories are still infuriated by even thinking of what the small island nation has done to countries on the mainland.
Records show that many Chinese and Koreans were dragged off to Japanese labor camps, and some died of harsh labor. Just as Japanese men had died making railroads in western U.S. during the 19th century, Chinese and Korean men died much the same way during the first half of the 20th century. In addition, experts claim that part of the Japanese manpower in World War II were really not Japanese, but people of the regions which they occupied. In other words, Chinese and Korean lives were lost, fighting on Japan's side during WWII. The Japanese also sucked natural resources out and drained the economies of Korea and China. Webs of railroads were placed all over Korea and Manchuria, a testament to Japanese colonialism. The lack of natural resources was one of the reasons that Korea was slow to develop until the 1960's.
So what has Germany done in recompense for its inhumane acts? The people of Germany are divided into two factions on this issue. One says that looking back in history is an illogical thing to do, and claims that the German people today should not have any moral guilt of something that their grandfathers did. To some degree, this has some merit; the Nazis that carried out the Holocaust are all dead, and the German people of today bear no direct relations with the horrific mass murder of a total of 8 million people. The other faction says that an event such as the Holocaust is just too great to be thrown off the shoulders of Germany, and states that all the apologies in the world are not enough to make up for past atrocities.
As of now, the latter view prevails throughout Germany, and people who insist on the former opinion amount to a small number of extremists. In 1970, the prime minister of Germany, Willy Brandt, publicly apologized to the Polish and Jewish people on his knees - literally. This apologetic behavior is present in all ladders of German society as well. Even now, it is said that Germans cannot walk with their heads up high in Poland, and they do not speak in German loudly, either. How can they, in a country that they almost destroyed over half a century ago? This year marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and many Germans flock there to learn what their forefathers did. They visit the former death camp to learn from past mistakes, and not let such a tragedy happen again.
And what has Japan done on behalf of its inhumane acts? Many analysts agree that Japan's attitude of atoning for past crimes has been disappointing compared to that of a much more penitent Germany. Only in a joint declaration in 1998 did Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi publicly apologize to Korea and China for its actions during colonial rule. For many Koreans, including President Roh Moo-Hyun, this is not enough; he demands a "formal apology" and is asking for reparations for Japanese war crimes.
There are three main points of dispute between Korea and Japan today. The first is voiced by a number of women in Korea. During Japanese colonial rule, some Korean women served as "comfort women." After the war, Japan has repeatedly committed diplomatic blunders by claiming that the Korean women did it voluntarily for money. This has enraged the former "comfort women," who vehemently state that they were forced into it against their will. The second is Prime Minister Koizumi's worshipping at the Yasukuni shrine. Although it is a part of Shintoism, Chinese and Koreans gnash their teeth at this action. One of the aspects of Shintoism is that the Shinto believer venerates past ancestors at the shrine. The problem is that the Yakusuni shrine deifies former war-time Japanese. It should come as no surprise that China and Korea voice great disapproval at the extremely undiplomatic behavior of Koizumi.
The final point of dispute circles on two rocks in the middle of the East Korea Sea. The islands called Dokdo (Լ�� ����) are 90 km east of the Korean island of Ulleung-do, and 157 km away from the Oki Islands of Japan (The Territorial Dispute over Dokdo). Historically, Korea has had control over Dokdo since A.D. 512, although its small size and rocky terrain makes it inhospitable permanently. In 1905, by an unfair diplomatic agreement called Eulsa Treaty (��������), Dokdo was wrested away from Korea and became a part of Shimane Prefecture. When World War II ended, Dokdo was returned to Korea, and naval police forces have been stationed on the island ever since. However, Japan has told the world that Dokdo is really Japanese possession, and Korea has been occupying the island illegally. Japan even calls the island Takeshima (����). In the past few weeks, Koreans have held many demonstrations against Shimane Prefecture's announcement of the "Day of Takeshima" and the Japanese government's tacit approval of it. Even President Roh pitched in, denouncing Japanese leaders.
What causes the differences in the behaviors of Germany and Japan in trying to make things up with their neighbors? The most important reason, in my opinion, is how the western world experienced and viewed the cruelties of these two nations. In the case of Germany, American soldiers saw, with their own eyes, the condition of the survivors in the concentration camps. Photographs of dead people littering the ground and the few survivors being nothing but bones shocked the whole world into a condemnation of the Holocaust. Germany did not hide anything after the war, and apologized again and again for its past actions. However, Allied soldiers only attacked Japan in World War II, not its colonial occupations. And in the pre-war period, the Allies did not take much interest in what Japan did, since it was far away. Therefore, they could not see the situation as it was. Consequently, after the war, Japan did not tell the world the truths of its colonial occupation, and most of the western world is not fully aware of this sad period in history.
The sad thing is, most of the Japanese people do not know the historical truth, either; the government has succeeded in leaving such things out of its textbooks, something else that Koreans are angry about. But the fact remains that Japan is a very influential country, politically or economically, and western countries favor Japan over Korea or China. Therefore, what Japan writes as "history" really becomes history, at least in the minds of the people of Europe and the U.S.
There is no doubt that Germany has committed unforgivable acts of crime against its neighboring nations and the Jewish people, and that wound may never be healed. However, Germany has been very penitent afterwards. However, Japan has tried to cover up its errors in the dust of time, and its people are mostly unaware of the crimes their forefathers committed. The Japanese government shows no signs of apologizing; instead, it is opening old wounds by making unreasonable claims to Dokdo. This behavior is flagrantly wrong; Koreans and Chinese should tell the world of the wrongdoings that the Japanese committed, and must demand for a formal apology. The Japanese people should also be educated so that they know the truth. In order for there to be peace, there is much to be done. It will not be easy, but it will be, and must be, done. As President Johnson proclaimed over 4 decades ago, "we will overcome."
References
Perez, Louis G. The History of Japan. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998.
Wright, David Curtis. The History of China. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2001.
History News Network ? Japan's Carefully Constructed Image. 31 Jan. 2004. Charles W. Nuckolls. 13 Apr. 2005
Holocaust Encyclopedia: The Aftermath. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 13 Apr. 2005.
Holocaust: 3 Million Dead Were Non-Jews. 2002. Edward Lucaire. 13 Apr. 2005.
The Territorial Dispute over Dokdo. 2002. Mark S. Lovmo. 13 Apr. 2005.