This Week in History: An emperor’s stopover in Alaska was a first in many respects.
Americans sat in shock on July 15, 1971, when President Richard Nixon announced he would visit the People’s Republic of China. Long heralded as a staunch anti-communist, the president did not feel his decision was an about face on his feelings regarding communism, but rather that it created an opportunity for leverage against the North Vietnamese in the Vietnam War, as well as provided a strategic move against the Soviet Union. His visit to mainland China, which took place in February the following year, was a first for a sitting president.
Before this event, which changed the landscape of geopolitics, Nixon made plans for a different historical meeting with a leader from the Far East.
From Enemies to Friends
Twenty-six years prior to Nixon’s announcement, the United States was making plans to end the bloodiest conflict in human history. The war in Europe had concluded in May of 1945 with the taking of Berlin by the Allies. The war in the Pacific, however, was still months, possibly many months away from ending. The United States had conducted its island-hopping campaign with success, but with a lot of bloodshed. Now that mainland Japan was in its sights, the demand for unconditional surrender was made on July 26 by the United States, Great Britain, and China in Potsdam, Germany. The leadership of Imperial Japan chose to fight.
