3. Restore and Keep Order
MacArthur was fortunate in that there was no active violent resistance to the occupation, but he knew that order must be restored and maintained for change to succeed. It was for this reason that his first priorities in Japan were to disarm the nation and feed its people. His “send-me-bread-or-send-me-bullets” message was not written lightly.
Although he preferred not to make public demands, MacArthur did step in and exert his authority to keep order. MacArthur supported labor unions, nevertheless when three million workers threatened a general strike in 1947, he forbid it and threatened force. He supported a free press but closed down a Communist newspaper. Public order was his priority.
Get No Substitute for Victory: Lessons in Strategy and Leadership from General Douglas Macarthur now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
