Assuming his duties as leader of the Occupation of Japan in September 1945, General MacArthur was faced with a daunting task. No modern occupation had been successful, and history was not in his favor. Some of the great commanders in history – including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Wellington, Kitchener, and Petain – had seen their battlefield triumphs unravel in occupations. However, just a few short weeks into the Occupation of Japan, on September 27, 1945, a single black and white photograph would set the Occupation on track for success. The photograph captured the first meeting between General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. This month’s podcast will examine this meeting and evaluate the effect it had on the Occupation.

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