The end of the Second World War heralded the coming of a New World Order. Massive changes had to be made in every aspect of life. It was obvious that nothing would stay the same. An important question was raised during the first years of the reformation period – a question regarding the fate of the defeated nations.
Hostile feelings lingered, and the crimes committed by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan were numerous and horrifying. Ian Buruma addresses these issues in his book, called Year Zero: A History of 1945. He sheds light on this underrepresented period of time and analyzes the motivations of the people that shaped the world into what it is today. This paper is dedicated to reviewing several chapters from this book and understanding the author’s message to the readers.
Chapter 7 is dedicated to the understanding of post-war political movements that took place soon after the war reached its conclusion and the countries involved were passing the staggering shock of the aftermath. Socialist ideas, previously suppressed by the totalitarian governments and regimes, became more popular in France, Italy, England, and Germany, as well as in Asian countries. The author believes that the first views and attempts at building new societies on the ruins of the old ones were idealistic and naive.
As he says in the concluding part of the chapter, “Utopian dreams are destined to end in a junkyard of shattered illusions.” However, he acknowledges that the legacy of those dreams was not completely lost, and views the current European Union as a monument to an idea of a unified Europe. His faith in this union is weak as he describes it as rotten and battered. Through numerous examples of events happening in many countries after the end of the war, Ian explains to us that the changes in socio-political systems were made by the people who tried to make the world better so that the evils of the years past would be forgotten. The slogan “Never Again” describes it perfectly.
The next chapter of the book slowly moves on from the Allies’ efforts on changing themselves towards the much more controversial subject of changing their fallen foes. While Ian Buruma agrees that re-education of Germany and Japan was preferable to the complete annihilation of it as a state, he believes that it was done poorly. He explains that the Americans, the French, and the British viewed German and Japanese cultures as barbaric and thus dispensable. The cultural policies were particularly harsh on the Japanese, since, unlike Germans, they were not a part of the Christianized western world.
As quoted in an American newspaper, “The average Japanese is a simple person not far removed from the savage—as evidenced in the war.” The numerous evidence presented in the chapter serves to strengthen Ian Buruma’s position that these efforts were largely unsuccessful and caused more trouble than good. The chapter could be summarized by his words that leaving the occupied countries without inciting anger and hate was the Allies’ greatest achievement.
Chapter 9 ties the previous chapters together with the one overarching goal behind all of the changes made in the societies. In order to ensure that the world never experiences the same tragedies again, a framework for the United Nations is created. Ian Buruma is skeptical of how successful the organization was and quickly outlines the points of contention for it, one of them being the situation in the colonies that sought independence.
Describing the motivations behind the UN’s creations as idealistic, he pushes forward a thought that they are unachievable, which is then quickly demonstrated by the events that lead to the Cold War. He wishes the readers to understand the futility of noble yet utopian dreams of the “earthly kingdom of God.” At the same time, he teaches not to look at the idealists with scorn, but rather with appreciation and respect for their aspirations, hardships, and dreams.
The book is concluded with an epilog describing a night of celebration of the New Year’s Eve, which both Ian and his family decided to celebrate together. It was rather symbolic that the celebration took place at the Berlin Wall, shortly after its fall. The author wished to reflect and remark on how the land known for military marches and violence was filled with cheerful singing of reunion, and how the sounds of fires and explosions were replaced with the popping of fireworks.
Ian mentions an incident involving his father at the end. He says that “A firecracker had somehow found its way to him and hit him right between the eyes.” It was humorous considering he dodged bombs, shells, and sniper fire during the war. Yet one would wonder what the author meant by mentioning that event. Perhaps he meant it as a humorous end to a rather somber book, or perhaps it was an omen. We could speculate, but only the author could tell us for sure.