What if~The Axis Powers won World War 2? (Part 2: Empire of Japan)

Nothing has caused much death and destruction, nothing has shown the conflict of different political ideologies and nothing has shook this planet to it's very core quite like World War 2. The world's first and only real global conflict that has seen the deaths of 78 Million People.

But what if in an alternate reality, the Axis Powers won the war, what would the world be like with the victorious Axis powers, what would Europe be like under the control of Nazi Germany, what would Asia be like under the control of the Japanese Empire?

Part 1 was about what Europe would be like under complete Nazi control. This is part 2, and it'll be about what would Asia be like under complete control of the Empire of Japan. But first, some real history. If you want to read about the "What if?" scenario, just scroll down to the What if category.

## Real History

It all began in 1931 (8 years before Hitler invaded Poland) when the Japanese Empire looking to expand their territory and influence across not just East Asia but the Pacific as well. They invade and conquer the Chinese province: Manchuria.

Around 6 years later, the Japanese would try to invade the rest of China, thus sparking the Second Sino-Japanese War eventhough the Chinese would put up a valiant fight against the Japanese, but the Japanese would easily break through the Chinese defensive lines, and Japanese imperial troops were in Beijing.

For the next few years, the Japanese would expand their influences throughout the extreme western Pacific as well as Southeast Asia as the Nazis in Europe were taking hold of Western Europe.

In response, the United States (who has been aiding in their resources) decides to cut off Japan by freezing it's trade assets and Embargo-ing the nation (further cutting off their resources such as oil).

In response to the USA's embargo, Japan immediate declares war on the Western Nation.

But with all knowing that Japan couldn't stand face-to-face with the USA, they carefully planned a surprise attack on the USA's huge Pacific naval base stationed at Pearl Harbor.

On December 7, in the year 1941 and at around 7:55 AM (Hawaiian Time) the Japanese Naval air force struck the base without warning. Killing 2,403 people stationed there as well as sinking 6 Ships docked there as well.

This has infuriated The United States and forced their participation in World War 2. However, because they decided to go after the Nazis first and aid Britain, they were slow in retaliating against the Japanese.

The USA first retaliated against Japan came in March of 1942 when the USA sent a force of small surgical bombers to bomb Tokyo. Though damage to the capital city was minimal, but this in turn infuriated the Japanese military and a few months later made plans to strike at another American Pacific base on the island of Midway.

The battle of midway was like a massive Chess game, and both sides were relentless, but as the Japanese wanted to rest from bombing Midway, but this is when the USA strikes back and sank nearly all of Japan's powerful aircraft carriers as well as destroying 250 Zeros and killing 246 Pilots.

Because of this, Japan would gradually lose momentum in the Pacific War. They would falter in the Philippines as well as the Defensive islands in the Marianas and Okinawa.

Before the Japanese knew it, the USA was within striking distance of Japan once more, and on March of 1945, the USA sends firebombings of the major cities of Japan. Tokyo in particular was the hardest hit with around 60% of the city was burned to the ground and 300,000 of it's residents were killed.

But it would be 5 months later when the USA would release their ultimate weapons: The Atomic Bombs. In August of 1945, the USA would drop one of their Atomic Bombs (code named "Little Boy") on Hiroshima, killing 160,000 people, another Atomic Bomb (code named "Fat Man") would be dropped on nearby Nagasaki just a few days after, killing 80,000.

This would force Japan's surrender in the beginning of September of 1945, and thus ending the second World War for good. This would also begin the US occupation of Japan which would last for nearly 8 years (at the end of the Korean War).

## What if?

Here's that universal question. What if Japan were to win the war in the Pacific, what would Asia be like under the control of the Japanese Empire?

This scenario would be quite unlikely to happen unless certain factors were to take place.

**1. Reduce their expansion**

In our reality, Japan had plans for virtually the entire East Asia region and even the Pacific Ocean. The problem was is that this infuriated a lot of other East Asian people, and who could blame them. The Japanese did horrid things to these people, though not to the extent of the Nazis did in Eastern Europe, but still it was terrible.

**2. Don't pick a fight with the Allies**

Another thing is that the Japanese decided to go to war after the USA embargoed them. If the Japanese ever went to war against an Allied power, their defeat would be inevitable.

Japan could not have win a war against the Allies, it was too technologically inferior and had insufficient resources.

What Japan would have to do is negotiate some kind of compromise with the Allies to reduce their expansion (mentioned earlier) so they can retain their trade agreements with the Allied Nations, even if they don't have to fight alongside them. This would give them the resources necessary to fight against the Chinese.

### The Scenario

It is 1944, and the Japanese have successfully established their East Asian empire, albeit smaller than they would've liked due to compromises they made with the Allies.

The Japanese would also set up pleasure slave places to comfort the Japanese soldiers stationed in the occupied areas in East Asia as they did in our reality.

Though, the Japanese could still be at war with China as their influence is in the west. China could also establish a provisional capital somewhere since the other cities in China are now under the occupation of Japan. Even with some changes in an alternate reality, the Japanese would still have a hard time fighting back the Chinese. This could also get the Soviet Union involved as Mao Tse Tung could form an alliance with the nationalist party as they would have a common enemy. However, how this would play out is difficult to say.

With the war ending in Japan's favor, what could this mean for China. Well, eventhough Japan would stop expanding all the way south into the South Pacific, but it would expand further into China as it had the resources for the Empire. But because of the size and power of the Japanese Imperial Army, they wouldn't conquer all of China, just the populated eastern region, this would allow what is left of both of the Nationalist and Communist armies would retreat to the western part of the state, this can have some serious repercussions.

This means that both the Nationalist and Communist armies can use gorilla warfare to fend off the JIA, so China can be a huge thorn on Japan's side for decades to come after the war.

That is it for part 2 of What if the Axis Powers Won World War 2. Don't forget to check out my other wikis Movies and Games. Until next time, this is Johnny OTGS signing out.