Japan is on the verge of becoming a socialist country
After the end of World War II, Japan suffered severe damage, with 40% of the country's wealth reduced to ashes, 100,000 children living on the streets, more than 100 cities severely damaged, 9 million people left homeless, and 13 million unemployed.
Famine, unemployment, and the plague gripped Japan. Against this backdrop, in October of that year, the Allied Command issued the "Five Reform Directives for the Democratization of Japan," which set out a series of demands, including the dissolution of the zaibatsu, the abolition of fascist regulations, the liberalization of school education, the democratization of state administration, and the establishment of trade unions.
These reform measures laid the foundation for social progress and development in Japan, opening a new chapter in the story of socialism.
After the crushing of fascism in Japan, the social and political environment was unprecedentedly relaxed, the Communist Party was re-legitimized, and the social trade unions of left-wing organizations also developed rapidly. According to statistics, in January 1946, a total of 925 labor unions were established nationwide, attracting 490,000 industrial workers from the surrounding areas.
For MacArthur, however, the de facto ruler at the time, these new unions did not attract much attention from him. The U.S. military within the Allies even regarded these union organizations as child's play.
However, what happened next exceeded all Allied expectations.
By April 1946, the number of trade unions in Japan had swelled to 7,357, with a total membership of 2.79 million, and 40 percent of the country's workers had joined trade unions.
However, this was only the beginning of the labor movement. On April 7, the Japan Electrical Industry Labor Association was founded, and as the largest trade union in Japan, it became the center of the activities of the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, and the electricians became the vanguard of the socialist movement in Japan.
They put forward three goals: the immediate disbursement of previously promised "anti-famine funds" to workers, the increase of wages to three to five times the current level, and the democratization of decision-making in business management.
The organized masses of workers were unstoppable, and Japan's power companies soon announced compromises, and the associations were given personnel rights and part of the company's management. The Japanese capitalists at that time wanted to pacify their ** by giving the unions some power, but they underestimated the power of the labor movement.
In August 1946, the Communist Party of Japan (CPC) established the "All Japan Industrial Trade Union Conference", with 1.63 million registered members. At the same time, the leadership of the Socialist Party of Japan established the "Japan Federation of Trade Unions," with a total of 830,000 members.
The rapid and powerful development of the labour movement shows the strong demand for fair treatment and democratic rights among workers.
In April 1946, Japan, under the supervision of the United States, held its first large-scale post-war elections, successfully elected Shigeru Yoshida as the 45th prime minister, and formed the Yoshida Cabinet.
On June 13, in the face of the growing power of the trade unions, Shigeru Yoshida established the "Economic Stability Headquarters" and issued a statement emphasizing the maintenance of social order while allowing the arrest of "controversial workers".
At the beginning of September, at the instigation of **, the Japanese seafarer employer announced the layoff of 430,000 people, Japan National Railways also announced a one-time layoff of 750,000 people. This series of actions sparked a raging fire in the Japanese workers' movement.
On September 10, Japanese sailors took the lead in the uprising, intercepting 229 large ships and 3,550 small and medium-sized ships. Five days later, railway workers in the Tokyo, Sapporo, Sendai and other subways declared a strike, paralyzing railways across the country.
On September 16, the Japan Workers' Movement Pioneer Electric Power Association sent a notice to the management asking for negotiations, but was arrogantly refused. On the 18th, the Electricity Association announced that there would be a 5-minute power outage across the country from 6:00 to 7:00 every night, and workers would be organized to defend important power supply facilities.
On the 19th, the Communist Party-led "Industry Special Conference" established the "Supreme Struggle Committee", which proposed five goals: removing a large number of CEOs, improving the treatment of workers, establishing a minimum wage system, reaching an industrial collective labor agreement, and overthrowing the Yoshida cabinet.
On September 23, Yoshida's cabinet enacted the Labor Relations Act, which restricted workers' freedom to strike and declared the mass labor movement "illegal." At the end of September, MacArthur ordered the dispatch of the 8th Army in Japan, arrested the workers' leaders, investigated the Communist Party organs, and began to carry out brutal operations against the workers.
Entering October, a total of 44 million people in Kanto Prefecture and northeastern Japan entered a state of strike, and sporadic armed attacks began to occur. In view of the situation getting out of control, on October 7, the Japanese** and the bourgeoisie were forced to agree to negotiate with representatives of the Electricity Industry Association.
In the "Requirements of the Electric Power Industry Association", the workers' group put forward seven major requirements for capitalists, such as the "eight-hour system" around the core. Wages.
In mid-October, a total of 2.9 million people in Japan participated in the strike action with the participation of unions, including news, steel, coal, broadcasting, and others. This action, led by the Electricity Association, under the leadership of the Communist Party, formed a "left united front" covering most of Japan.
On 26 October, the second round of negotiations took place between the two sides. After the mediation of a third-party organization, the "** Labor Commission", a document called "Mediation Case" was drafted.
The Mediation Bill requires that a wage system based on work should be implemented to ensure the full implementation of the minimum wage bill, and that performance pay should be negotiated between employers and employees.
However, the prime minister at the time, Shigeru Yoshida, was not a fool. He knew that if he signed this agreement, the Americans behind him would immediately end his political career.
Under pressure, he adopted a strategy of gradual retreat. Yoshida dismissed the mediation case on Nov. 6 and then said on Nov. 13 that while the power industry association's plan for a pay reform made some sense, the base salary should be significantly reduced.
After the power industry association threatened a new round of blackouts, Yoshida** finally fully compromised on November 30 and agreed to all the demands of the mediation case.
The 10-month struggle ended with the complete victory of the Japanese Communist Party, which also heralded the coming storm of the socialist revolution.
At the end of 1946, the Yoshida Cabinet issued a new version of the yen, but due to lack of experience, inflation was severe. Workers are living in hardship and are also threatened.
As a result, the leader of the Japanese Communist Party, Tokuda Kuichi, organized the "Joint Struggle Committee of the Japanese General Office" to express his dissatisfaction with ** and seek reform.
What is noteworthy about Tokuda is that the participants were no longer limited to "productive meetings" led by the Japanese Communist Party, but also included the left, center, and right-wing socialist group "Japan Federation of Trade Unions".
The reason is simple, small business owners are facing an existential dilemma.
What action did Shigeru Yoshida take in the face of the threat of a strike? He opted for a direct subsidy of 500 yen per household. At the time, a movie ticket cost about 3,000 yen.
In addition to the capitalists, Japanese society is also dissatisfied with this practice. However, in his New Year's address on New Year's Day in 1947, Shigeru Yoshida thoroughly angered the workers.
In his speech, he said: "Clamouring the economic crisis for the purpose of political struggle will only exacerbate social unrest, not only hinder production, but also undermine the economic reconstruction of national unity."
I must appeal to the patriotism of our people, which will hinder their actions. However, the threat of strikes did not disappear from this. On January 18, 1947, the Communist Party of Japan issued the "General Strike Manifesto", clearly informing ** that if wages were not increased, then the largest "general strike" in Japanese history would be held on February 1 this year.
According to previous estimates, the number of direct participants in the strike exceeded 2.6 million, and the number of indirect participants reached 6 million. 90% of Japan's trade unions are mobilized, including but not limited to railways, telegraphs, **steel, coal, education, and journalism.
At this critical juncture, the Communist Party of Japan and the Socialist Party were founded hand in hand"Cabinet Committee"and drew up a new cabinet that was ready to take over power.
So what is the Yoshida cabinet doing? They decided to continue negotiations with the Japanese Communist Party to raise the minimum wage for workers from 650 yen to 1000 yen.
The Yoshida cabinet seems ready to bow to the Japanese Communist Party, but you may ask, is there no American military in Japan? Can't Yoshida ask the Americans for help? The answer is no.
On January 30, the U.S. forces in Japan issued an ultimatum to the association, demanding an immediate cessation of the general strike, or military action would be taken. However, in the early hours of January 31, the association refused and ordered workers across the country to prepare for armed struggle.
At this moment, both the working class and the associations, both materially and spiritually, are ready for a decisive battle, and the Japanese regime seems to be on the verge of reform.
However, this last step is not yet ...... after allAt 6:30 p.m. on January 31, 1947, the Japanese Communist Party bypassed the representatives of the association and abruptly announced the cancellation of the general strike.
The Japanese Communist Party panicked. They have personally experienced the smoke of World War II and know the horror of the US military, so they chose to retreat at the last moment. The gloom of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is still fresh in our minds, and Japan can no longer bear the wrath of the US military.
On 1 February, the general strike collapsed naturally. After that, the closest social movement to socialism in Japan's modern history ended in failure.