Could the US have beat Japan without the atom bomb?

Answer 1

Hindsight is always 20-20. With that said, Japan's military resources had been stretched to the limits by its multi-front war that Japan itself created. Based on the US's population, the safety of its industrial base and its advanced technology, Japan had no chance of defeating the US. It vastly underestimated the power of the US. Japan was not alone in bad estimates. Hitler also underestimated the power of the US. He would have been wiser to never involve the US in the European fronts of WW 2.

In fact, Hitler's declaration of war, to basically help Japan was foolish in that Japan refused to attack the USSR based on a flimsy treaty the two dictatorships had with each other. Japan and the USSR kept their treaty of nonaggression until Japan was basically out of the war. Then Stalin attacked the mortally wounded Japan. Hitler made a huge error and so did japan.

Answer 2

Japan - 1933-1945

For Japan World War 2 began in 1933.

With the invasion of china and the vast amounts of resources they gathered from china they were well on there way to becoming one.

Short answer - No

Great Power - yes

Reasons.

1) Resources - although China provided the Japanese with many resources, the US embargo on goods especially oil was a sickening pain on the Japanese which resulted in the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

2) Technology - although Japan was on par with the western allies technologically in the 1930s it relied heavily on western innovation for technology and improved very little once the united states got involved.

3) United States - Had the Japanese not attacked the United states and the United states allowed the conquest of East Asia to go unchallenged, they would certainly be a superpower today.

4) Timing - The only reason Japan had the success it had was because the west was fighting a war in Europe and the British and Russians couldn't afford to fight the Japanese when facing a much more advanced German foe. Without the War in Europe, Britain could have quickly defeated Japan and probably gained more territory from the Japanese. Also Russia could have defeated the Japanese on Land if they were not engaging Germany on the eastern front.

5) Industrial capability - They did not have the capablity to keep up the industrial might of Russia and america which is key reason why they became superpowers and japan did not. The side with the bigger factory always wins.

Japan could of secured a much more favorable position for itself in the world after world war 2 and then possibly become a superpower in the years following world war 2 but not during. Its biggest mistake was awakening a sleeping giant like the United States.

Answer 3

Yes, but the Invasion would have required the sacrifice of many lives on both sides of the conflict.