Imperial Japan in the Cold War

What if Imperial Japan had been around in the Cold War?

I'm thinking they don't clutch the idiot ball firmly and go after the United States and Great Britain (maybe even Indochina too). They then proceed to just bleed out in China for a decade until they either opt to call it quits or the Soviets after the European War decide to take the opportunity to spread their authority in the east.
 
For the first situation the sino-soviet spilt is unlikely and Japan would likely back and aid regimes like Francoist Spain , South Africa during apartheid and Pinochet's chile and the second situation nothing much changes expect the KMT will not hold any territory post civil war and Japan will be more militaristic
 
For the first situation the sino-soviet spilt is unlikely and Japan would likely back and aid regimes like Francoist Spain , South Africa during apartheid and Pinochet's chile and the second situation nothing much changes expect the KMT will not hold any territory post civil war and Japan will be more militaristic

KMT wouldn't/couldn't retreat to Hainan instead here?
 
I wonder if they try to act as a third block or if they try to reproach with one of the superpowers - if the latter, I'm thinking they'd try with the US
 
What if Imperial Japan had been around in the Cold War?

I'm thinking they don't clutch the idiot ball firmly and go after the United States and Great Britain (maybe even Indochina too). They then proceed to just bleed out in China for a decade until they either opt to call it quits or the Soviets after the European War decide to take the opportunity to spread their authority in the east.

Given that the embargos that led to PH stemmed directly from Indochina, keeping out is pretty much a necessity.
 
What territories and military resources does this Imperial Japan control? Certainly they have the Home Islands, Formosa, Korea, and several smaller Pacific islands but do they have Manchuria? Nanking? (former) French Indochina?

I tried a TL about a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere arising under different circumstances as a similar venue, at its peak in the 70s it spread from Persia to Palau but fractured as India and Indonesia wanted more power. China was controlled by breaking her up into half a dozen states of varying levels of fascism and development. Looking forward to seeing the ideas here!
 
What territories and military resources does this Imperial Japan control? Certainly they have the Home Islands, Formosa, Korea, and several smaller Pacific islands but do they have Manchuria? Nanking? (former) French Indochina?

I tried a TL about a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere arising under different circumstances as a similar venue, at its peak in the 70s it spread from Persia to Palau but fractured as India and Indonesia wanted more power. China was controlled by breaking her up into half a dozen states of varying levels of fascism and development. Looking forward to seeing the ideas here!

I would think the home islands, Taiwan, Hainan, Korea, Manchukuo, Chishima (Kurils), Karafuto (south Sakhalin), and Micronesia at a minimum if the Soviets aren't the ones driving them from the mainland.

Eventually the Japanese would have to cut it quits in mainland China by the 1950s I think. There'd be no end in sight to all the warring. I imagine they'd want to keep Shanghai as well.


Over time Mao's communists probably would end up being the ones to unite China I think, considering how they'd likely be the most organized, least corrupt, and most well-funded group.


Japan would probably look to newly independent nations in Southeast Asia as potential trade partners, but I'm not so sure they'd find much luck. Cambodia wanted to be nonaligned, Vietnam has its issues, Laos is landlocked, Malaysia is close to Britain, Brunei is a British Protectorate, Philippines is in the US orbit, and Thailand joined SEATO historically and mainly aligned with Japan because it saw the writing on the wall.

Indonesia might make sense as a friend of Japan if they go for the whole non-aligned thing.

Japan had an interesting dynamic with Ethiopia I believe.
 
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It would be a poverty-wracked catastrophe. The Japanese economy was cruising for a complete collapse by 1950, which would have obviously terrible implications and results.

I should note that when I learned this I had the amusing thought of naval commanders using their ships to carve out coastal fiefs.
 
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