Treaty of San Francisco (1951)

We explain what San Francisco's treaty was between Japan and allied countries. In addition, its dispositions and consequences.

The San Francisco Treaty was signed between 48 allied countries and Japan.
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What was San Francisco's treaty?

The San Francisco Treaty It was a peace treaty signed between Japan and most countries that had formed the allied side during the Second World War (1939-1945). While the war ended in 1945, the treaty It was signed on September 8, 1951 and entered into force on April 28, 1952.

During the first years of the postwar period, the United States maintained an occupation government in Japan and dedicated itself to introducing administrative reforms and ensuring the Japanese alliance against the Soviet Union (USSR).

The triumph of the communist revolution in China in 1949 complicated the political situation of the United States in Oriental Asia. To this was added the beginning of the Korean War in 1950, which He decided the US government to promote the signing of a peace treaty with Japan .

The San Francisco Treaty It was signed for forty -nine countries and resolved the end of the American occupation of Japan and the reduction of the Japanese borders he had in 1854 (before the expansion that had given rise to the Empire of Japan).

The Soviet Union refused to sign the treaty and only in 1956 the end of hostilities with Japan was unofficially agreed.

Frequent questions

What was San Francisco's treaty?

The San Francisco Treaty was a peace treaty signed shortly after World War II between Japan (which had belonged to the axis powers) and forty -eight countries of the allies' side. Although the war ended in 1945, the treaty was signed on September 8, 1951 and entered into force on April 28, 1952.

What countries signed the San Francisco Treaty?

The San Francisco Treaty was signed by Japan and forty -eight countries on the side of the allies, headed by the United States. The Soviet Union participated in the conference but refused to sign the treaty. The People's Republic of China was not invited and India rejected the invitation.

What were the provisions of the San Francisco Treaty?

The San Francisco Treaty officially ended the state of war between Japan and the allies, recognized the sovereignty of the Japanese people and ended with the allied occupation of its territory. Anyway, it allowed the permanence of US military bases. It also made official the reduction of Japan's territory to the borders it had in 1854.

What were the consequences of the San Francisco Treaty?

The San Francisco Treaty allowed Japan to recover his sovereignty and prevented that he should pay war repairs. However, the security treaty with the United States (reviewed in 1960) was simultaneously signed, which had an unequal character, since it allowed the US government to administer military bases in Japanese territory without undergoing Japanese authority. These treaties strengthened relations between the two countries and founded the US and Japanese security system in East Asia and the Pacific.

The historical context

World War II ended on September 2, 1945, when the Japan government signed unconditional surrender to the allies. Since then, The Japanese territory remained occupied by allied troops, mainly American and his administration was in charge of the American general Douglas MacArthur.

Since 1945, the signing of a peace treaty with Japan was suspended while the occupation government promoted demilitarization of Japanese society and implemented institutional reforms.

Three events made the United States urgently consider its signature:

  • The communist victory in China in 1949, which led to power to Mao Zedong.
  • The Chinese-Soviet alliance signed in February 1950.
  • The trigger of the Korean War in 1950 .

The United States convened a conference in San Francisco (California) that caused important international disagreements. India and China did not participate in the conference and the Soviet Union, although it participated, refused to sign.

San Francisco's treaty was finally signed by forty -nine countries on September 8, 1951 and entered into force on April 28, 1952.

San Francisco Treaty Provisions

Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida led the Japanese delegation signed by the Treaty of San Francisco.

The main provisions of the San Francisco Treaty were the following:

  • The state of war between Japan and allied countries was concluded and the full sovereignty of the Japanese people was recognized.
  • Japan was reduced to its 1854 borders so it resigned from territories that, in fact, had already lost in 1945: Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), the Fishermen and Kuriles and the southern part of Sajalín. All the islands of former Japanese sovereignty south of the Japanese archipelago were placed by the UN (United Nations Organization) under US administration.
  • War repairs were not imposed which caused a great discontent in many Asian countries that had been invaded by the Empire of Japan.
  • American troops were maintained in Japan no longer as occupants but as forces parked according to an agreement between the two countries, and a limited Japanese rearme was allowed.

Consequences of the San Francisco Treaty

After the treaty of San Francisco, the security treaty was signed, as a result of which Japan went from the statute of defeated that of the United States natural ally in Asia . It was a bilateral agreement, since the British, the Australians, the New Zealandes and the Asian populations that had suffered the Japanese occupation refused to sign a multilateral pact.

While San Francisco's treaty was generous with Japan, the security treaty between Japan and the United States was unequal since granted to the American power the maintenance of multiple military bases in Japan with a statute of almost extraterritoriality (that is, almost as if they were small US territories), with the right to introduce all kinds of weapons and without having to account for the Japanese government.

In addition, the security treaty established that Japan was prohibited from denouncing the treaty and could not sign other defense agreements with third countries. This treaty, renegotiated in 1960, It became the cornerstone of the Japanese and American security system in Oriental Asia and the Pacific .

Between 1952 and 1959, Japan signed peace treaties with various Asian countries and, in August 1978, with the People's Republic of China. All negotiations with the Soviet Union collided with the conflict over the sovereignty of the Kuriles, appropriate by the Soviets in 1945.

However, in 1956 the governments of The Soviet Union and Japan signed the Moscow Declaration that unofficially agreed to the end of hostilities Between both countries.

References

  • COLCUTT, M., Jansen, M. & Kumakura, I. (1994). Japan. The Empire of the Rising Sun. Folio.
  • Hane, M. (2011). Brief History of Japan. Alliance.
  • Masamoto, K. et al. (2023). Japan Britannica Encyclopedia. https://www.britannica.com/
  • Stone, N. (2013). Brief history of World War II. Ariel.

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