“The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire” by John Toland Essay

World War II and its results forever determined the moral and political code of the global community. Terrifying aspects of human nature were fully manifested during this conflict. In this regard, an example of brutal actions and inhuman decisions of the government and the army of the former Japanese Empire is particularly noteworthy. A study of the historical chronicle and notes of the war participants give an understanding of what tragic consequences nationalist and imperialist ideologies may lead to.

The book called The Rising Sun is a great example of a complex historical chronicle of hostilities between Japan and the US during the Second World War. In his work, “which is largely seen from the Japanese point of view,” Toland narrates the causes and effects of the political and military actions of Japan from the mid-thirties to the mid-forties (8).

The author allows the reader to look at the invasion of Manchuria, World War II, and the Pacific conflict from the point of view of the Japanese and American governments, generals, ordinary soldiers, and citizens. The work is filled with multiple excerpts from numerous interviews and documents of those times, which were made available through the “co-operation of hundreds of people in Asia, Europe, and the United States” (Toland 1066). The author also gives his assessment of particular historical moments.

First of all, Toland provides a detailed description of the internal and external political situation in Japan, such as popular discontent, technical backwardness, and ongoing war conflicts in several regions of continental Asia. Special attention is paid to the diplomatic talks between the foreign policy representatives of the Japanese Empire and the US throughout the conflict. According to Toland, at some point in diplomatic negotiations between the highest ranks, there was the possibility of complete avoidance of the outbreak of hostilities (88). However, the aggressive mood and the decisive position of the generals led to the start of the conflict.

It is essential to note that the author intentionally does not mention some war crimes, such as the Nanjing Massacre. The reader may also notice that Toland sympathizes with the Japanese side to some extent, sometimes including the recollections of ordinary civilians (591).

The culmination of the entire book is a description of the tragic events of the use of nuclear weapons by the American military. Both cases of the bombing are given from different perspectives, such as the memories of US military pilots and Japanese citizens (Toland 962). The author concludes that the actions of Japan in continental and southeast Asia and its further defeat led to the fall of ancient regimes in the region (1061). Further rebellions and the establishment of national governments stopped the era of French and British colonial politics in eastern countries. American influence in the region replaced these colonial interests.

The work describes in great detail key events between the US and Japan in the mid-20th century. Unlike most authors of that time, Toland aimed at narrating the story mostly from the point of view of the defeated Japanese Empire. Using various sources, the author manages to explain many paradoxical aspects of the foreign policy of that time. In the end, he gives his perspective on the summation of the events and the subsequent global changes in Asia.

Work Cited

Toland, John. The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945. Modern Library, 2003.