ABSTRACT
The surrender of Japan to the allied powers in September 1945 marked a major turning point in the history of Japan. Against a background of the horrors of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and a devastated school and university system, General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman, as spokesmen of the victorious allies, set out to ensure that a peacful democratic and responsible government would be established in Japan. The re-education of the Japanese people in accordance with acceptable aims was vitally important for the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers.
