japan attacks soviets

Mrstrategy

Banned
could the soviets be defeated if japan attacks the soviets after the Germans invasion a few months after instead of declaring war on allies?
 
No. There are no significant strategic objectives in the East that are vulnerable to Japanese forces, while Soviet forces in the East are strong enough to make a successful Japanese offensive an iffy proposition anyway. Meanwhile, without the crippling losses caused by the Japanese attack in south-east Asia and the subsequent diversion of materiel, more Lend-Lease is available to be sent to Russia. Without the need to send naval units east, the Arctic convoys of 1942 are likely to be more successful, increasing the amount of LL delivered via the Murmansk route.
 
Meanwhile, without the crippling losses caused by the Japanese attack in south-east Asia and the subsequent diversion of materiel, more Lend-Lease is available to be sent to Russia. Without the need to send naval units east, the Arctic convoys of 1942 are likely to be more successful, increasing the amount of LL delivered via the Murmansk route.

The British also have extra ground units to deploy against the Germans in North Africa, accelerating the turning of the tide against Rommel in that theater.
 
Yes. Such a move would have helped German attack on Soviets.
a. It would have pinned down Soviet troops that reinforced German front.
b. it would have delayed US entry into war.
c. Lend lease via Vladivostok would have stopped.

In summer of 1941 Japanese cabinet chose to prepare for war against US and British and Dutch, and not attack Soviets. So if Japan attack Soviets, they never attack US. They felt they didn't have resources to fight China, USSR and USA all at once.

US entry would have been delayed without Pearl Harbor. Eventually Roosevelt would have somehow managed. But until Pearl Harbor there was majority against US entering war.

But the problem with this scenario was the oil embargo that US placed on Japan.
 
The Soviet troops that were transferred to fight the Germans were not those facing the Japanese, and those troops could at a minimum ensure that Japan did not achieve any fast victories. Even if they did, it doesn't help - the basic casus belli for Japan was access to strategic resources (steel, oil, rubber, etc). None of those things will be available if they attack the USSR, and their stockpiles will be used up rapidly. The only possible access for the Japanese to those resources is to strike south, which is what they did IOTL.

Put simply, there's no reason for the Japanese to do it and it wouldn't hurt the Soviets in the short term (which is when Germany lost its shot of beating the Soviets). The idea sometimes works in games of Axis & Allies, but I don't think it'll help in the real world.
 
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