The Rise of Modern Japan (Great Courses) (2021)

In August 1945, Japan’s future looked bleak. Its navy had been destroyed, and its cities were being razed by US bombers, which had turned to launching atomic weapons. Meanwhile, a million-man Soviet army was crushing Japanese forces in China. Facing annihilation, the country’s leaders had little choice but to surrender, bringing World War II to a smoldering, near-apocalyptic end. How does a country go from the brink of collapse to a global economic powerhouse over the course of a few decades?