2009 Lost Memories

Yesterday I saw this very intersting Korean movie that gives an alternative view of history. In the movie Japan during WW2 was allied with US and UK and not with Nazi Germany. As a result in 1945 the Americans nuke Berlin instead Japan and Korea is still a protectorate of Japan. Your views?

My opinion is that that's not exactly plausible. Without the US being busy in the Pacific, the US would have more resources at hand for the war effort in Europe (though, there's the question if Germany declares war on the US without Pearl Harbour), and WWII might end even earlier than in OTL, so there's no way nuclear weapons will be ready by the time Germany surrenders. I mean even in OTL, the first nuclear weapon was ready over two months after Germany surrendered. So, the only way that Germany actually ends up getting nuked is to prolong WWII for at least several months.

And, I won't even get on the other repercussions this has, especially with Japan... :eek:
 
My opinion is that that's not exactly plausible. Without the US being busy in the Pacific, the US would have more resources at hand for the war effort in Europe (though, there's the question if Germany declares war on the US without Pearl Harbour), and WWII might end even earlier than in OTL, so there's no way nuclear weapons will be ready by the time Germany surrenders.

Of course maybe if you remove Pearl Harbour it will take longer for the US to enter the war in Europe and thus lead to a longer war.
 
Of course maybe if you remove Pearl Harbour it will take longer for the US to enter the war in Europe and thus lead to a longer war.

Well, yes, but there'll also be more resources generally available which would work in Britain's favour. Plus, you have to consider that the US was already planning and preparing to intervene in WWII on Britain's side before Pearl Harbour even happened (think about the so-called "neutrality patrol"). Thus, the allies war effort in Europe would drastically have been sped up without the Pacific theatre.

Oh, and besides, I'm not sure how likely it is in such a scenario that Japan could hold to Korea or Taiwan until 2009. ;)
 
Its probably unlikely without some other divergences that you'd see Berlin get nuked with just the stated POD of the film. However I think it wouldn't be too implausible for a set of circumstances to arise that could result in that outcome. As for Korea still being an integrated province of a democratic Japan in 2009 I seriously have my doubts.
 

ninebucks

Banned
Its probably unlikely without some other divergences that you'd see Berlin get nuked with just the stated POD of the film. However I think it wouldn't be too implausible for a set of circumstances to arise that could result in that outcome. As for Korea still being an integrated province of a democratic Japan in 2009 I seriously have my doubts.

I don't think it said anything about Japan being democratic? Why would it be without the post-War reconstruction?

As for integration, the trailer says that pro-independence terrorism is a common occurrence. In OTL, Japan invested far more man-power into keeping their colonies than any comparable Western Imperial power - the occupation of Korea, for instance, was a massive endeavour, involving tens of thousands of Japanese and Korean sympathisers.
 
I don't think it said anything about Japan being democratic? Why would it be without the post-War reconstruction?
What are you talking about Japan had an elected lower house since 1890 and universal male suffrage since 1925 The period is even referred to as the "Taishō democracy" ...

As for integration, the trailer says that pro-independence terrorism is a common occurrence. In OTL, Japan invested far more man-power into keeping their colonies than any comparable Western Imperial power - the occupation of Korea, for instance, was a massive endeavour, involving tens of thousands of Japanese and Korean sympathisers.
I was referring to political integration i.e. it becoming some kind of semi-autonomous region rather than cultural assimilation. However that assumption is based rather flimsily on the fact that the wiki article states how a Korean football player is playing for the Japanese team instead of Korea. And that it didn't mention any change in Korea's status post POD so I could entirely wrong about that.
 
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