ABOUT THE COLLECTION

This collection includes records from the MacArthur Memorial Archive and Library that chronicle General Douglas MacArthur’s time as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), as well as the records of SCAP Headquarters, which oversaw the demilitarization and democratization of Japan. Other records cover a wide range of topics including U.S involvement in guerilla resistance to Japanese forces in the Philippines, the defense of Australia, operational reports on the Korean War, and collections of radiograms on prisoners of war, troop movements, and intelligence. Other materials in this collection are sourced from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and contain documents from intelligence-gathering in the Pacific area, reports on cultural and political changes made by the U.S. forces in Japan, intercepted Japanese messages, and U.S. Navy case files on the trials of members of the Japanese military for war crimes in the Pacific.

VALUE OF THE COLLECTION

A unique source: Chart pivotal U.S.-led events in the Pacific during and following World War II using firsthand accounts sourced from Gale’s partnership with the MacArthur Memorial Archive and Library. A map of wartime and postwar history: Trace the development of Japan from an empire into a liberal democracy, the ways in which other countries in the Pacific region emerged from the upheaval of World War II, and the lasting influence of the U.S. on their present-day political systems. Scholarly appeal: Meets the need for in-depth English-language sources on military, civic, political, and cultural topics in Asian societies, as well as their interactions with Western powers—particularly within the twentieth century.