Roger604
Senior Member
Initially, Japan saw itself as the champion of Asia against Western Imperialism being the most advanced Asian nation at the time. Eventually that mutated into a rabid Yamato-race cult. It's argued that Chang Kai Shek never wanted to directly fight the Japanese. He wanted an Asian Co-prosperity Sphere where China could play second fiddle to a Greater Japan (including Manchuria) but remain independent.
Suppose political forces turned out differently, and Japan followed through on its theoretical position of being the champion of Asia things would have turned out very differently. The Asian Co-prosperity Sphere would likely have defeated the USA in the Pacific with its great manpower and resources and taken Hawaii (no American century). Even Russian Far East would have fallen. Western forces would have been kicked out of South East Asia. Invasion would be conceivable against Australia and eventually British Indian Empire.
At this point, British India could well face a rebellion. Russia would collapse from the two front war. Third Reich would win. UK would be "Finlandized" at best. Israel would never exist. In other words, you wouldn't have a post-WW2 decolonization. You would have a para-WW2 decolonization.
Then at the end, the most powerful states in the world would be:
Third Reich (including big chunks of Russia)
Greater Japan
USA
With all three roughly equal in power -- possibly a more stable equilibrium than USA / Soviet Union before or USA / China now. China and India would be much lesser powers.
Suppose political forces turned out differently, and Japan followed through on its theoretical position of being the champion of Asia things would have turned out very differently. The Asian Co-prosperity Sphere would likely have defeated the USA in the Pacific with its great manpower and resources and taken Hawaii (no American century). Even Russian Far East would have fallen. Western forces would have been kicked out of South East Asia. Invasion would be conceivable against Australia and eventually British Indian Empire.
At this point, British India could well face a rebellion. Russia would collapse from the two front war. Third Reich would win. UK would be "Finlandized" at best. Israel would never exist. In other words, you wouldn't have a post-WW2 decolonization. You would have a para-WW2 decolonization.
Then at the end, the most powerful states in the world would be:
Third Reich (including big chunks of Russia)
Greater Japan
USA
With all three roughly equal in power -- possibly a more stable equilibrium than USA / Soviet Union before or USA / China now. China and India would be much lesser powers.
