Japanese American Alliance?

cpip

Gone Fishin'
You're also going to have to figure out how to defuse the incredibly intense anti-Japanese racism in the western United States. California had a way of provoking the Japanese on multiple occasions in the first two decades of the twentieth century.

Oddly enough, one way might be for the Japanese to lose the Russo-Japanese War. That might lead to a reevaluation of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance from the Japanese side, which could lead to them seeking a new partner and finding it in the Americans.
 
An actual alliance (as opposed to cooperation with other countries for specific purposes) between the US and any other nation was simply out of the question for the US in the early twentieth century. The tradition was too strong against it.

"Even after an American army of 2 million men was fighting alongside the French and the British on the western front, Wilson refused to refer to them as allies, insisting instead on the term 'associated powers'..." https://books.google.com/books?id=ZY8aErCU9U8C&pg=PA225
Uncle Sam blushes. "Baka! It's not like I l-like you or anything." :mad:
 
As i stated before in other threads, i'd suggest having the Zhili Clique be successful in unifying the Central China plain, Manchuria, and then the entirety of China, with generalissimo Wu Peifu becoming its fascist dictator-for-life and breaking with US and British interests after China becomes self-sufficient.

Still, how do you get a "Fascist" China, even if we somehow magically handwave the whole administrative clusterfuck that is China and make it a worthwhile ally? Fascism at its core was a revolutionary movement based in Western Nationalism, the warlords are going to be men out for their own power, and not idealists, dealing with diverse populations depending on the region. You could have a conservative China out to reclaim it's lost land, but how can it do that, and meet the POD of land powers vs Sea if Russia/ Soviet Union has their fingers in Manchuria, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang. If we are talking a Post 1900 POD, there is no real way to avoid that question, especially once you go post 1911.
 
An actual alliance (as opposed to cooperation with other countries for specific purposes) between the US and any other nation was simply out of the question for the US in the early twentieth century. The tradition was too strong against it.

"Even after an American army of 2 million men was fighting alongside the French and the British on the western front, Wilson refused to refer to them as allies, insisting instead on the term 'associated powers'..." https://books.google.com/books?id=ZY8aErCU9U8C&pg=PA225
It doesn’t have to be a official alliance. It could start out as more of a general anti-colonialist, defensive, and economic policy between both nations. America will speak out against any European power trying to start conflict with Japan or oppose them in the region. This would be done more through economic and diplomatic means. Japan would do the same for the US. The big change would be the economic ties that could develop. Imagine the economic and cultural impact on the Japanese Empire that has much heavier American investment would have on the nation. I think that could possibly lead to some similar trends and gains that took place in post-ww2 Japan to happen earlier within the Japanese Empire. If the economic ties become stronger between the US and Japan the Americans might be more supportive of their imperialist goals(maybe not openly) in the Far East if they get something out of it economically. If America has a great amount of investment and business with Japan and Japan helps open up China and other places in the Far East to more America business they might just let and even indirectly help the empire takeover China and other places in the Far East. American media could twist it into “America for Americans” and “Asia for Asians”. Americans could depict themselves and Japan as “benevolent overseers and protectors” of their regions from European imperialism. In a timeline without ww1 or stronger European powers after the war, I could see some of those powers pissing off America if they start trying to influence or expand into the Western Hemisphere. Maybe this leads to the US to develop closer ties with Japan. A Japanese Empire with American support is a really powerful nation especially later on. If the US is giving them fair trade deals or even beneficial ones that solves many problems for Japan. Furthermore, it would be interesting to see if the US would give Japanese people “honorary white” status if relations got good enough to avoid issues with them over that and to make them stop bringing up racial equality issues.
 
Have the Japanese focus on a northern expansion strategy and be too preoccupied to expand elsewhere. The Japanese remain in North Sakhalin and and the Far Eastern Republic survives as a Japanese-proxy east of the Amur River.

The Americans, wanting a bulwark against the Soviets, support the Japanese. The Japanese, too focused on the Soviet threat, don't have the resources to look elsewhere (again, sans Manchuria).
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
Have the Japanese focus on a northern expansion strategy and be too preoccupied to expand elsewhere. The Japanese remain in North Sakhalin and and the Far Eastern Republic survives as a Japanese-proxy east of the Amur River.

The Americans, wanting a bulwark against the Soviets, support the Japanese. The Japanese, too focused on the Soviet threat, don't have the resources to look elsewhere (again, sans Manchuria).
OP said the alliance has to be established in the early 20th century, not Cold War. America would have no interest helping Japan occupy the Far East in the interbellum era.
 
OP said the alliance has to be established in the early 20th century, not Cold War. America would have no interest helping Japan occupy the Far East in the interbellum era.

Propping up the Japanese in Transamur and North Sakhalin in the period from 1920s onwards isn't really that crazy. The US wasn't too hot on the Soviets and I imagine some kind of deal could be made with regards to North Sakhalin oil.
 

BigBlueBox

Banned
Propping up the Japanese in Transamur and North Sakhalin in the period from 1920s onwards isn't really that crazy. The US wasn't too hot on the Soviets and I imagine some kind of deal could be made with regards to North Sakhalin oil.
This is the era of isolationism. The US isn’t going to be propping up anyone outside of the Americas, least of all the Japanese. I also find it extremely unlikely that the Japanese occupy the Far East but don’t grab Manchuria when the opportunity presents itself.
 
That would require the Anglo-Japanese alliance to be butterflied away though. ...

That did dissolve in the 1920s. The Japanese were not comfortable with being a British client state. From the mid 1920s the US banks replaced London as the primary source of investment capitol for Japan. When colonial expansion restarted in Manchuria New York banks contributed a significant portion to Japan to underwire that. By at least the 1930s Japan was the #1 US trading partner in Asia. Outstriping stagnate China in terms of raw numbers. After 1937 Japan solidified that position by forcing US business in China to use Japanese middlemen.

This is the era of isolationism. The US isn’t going to be propping up anyone outside of the Americas, least of all the Japanese. I also find it extremely unlikely that the Japanese occupy the Far East but don’t grab Manchuria when the opportunity presents itself.

Isolationism in that era was selective. The US expanded its military presence in China in that era. Both the 4th Marine and 15th Infantry regiments, plus the Asiatic Squadron were permanently stationed there. In 1927 additional brigade of US Marines were sent to Shanghai, not departing until 1928. Elsewhere US Marines were busy in the Banana Wars in Latin America. A Marine regiment was stationed in Nicaragua from the mid 1920s through into 1934. hati also had a Marine garrison that was only slowly drawn down in the 1920s. Marines landed elsewhere in the region during those years. The Phillipines were of course occupied by a fair size US Army force, and the USN slowly expanded is naval base there. The conversation about PI independence alway assumed a US military presence there, similar to that in Panama. Isolationism was largely aimed at Europe. Few had objections to Army or Marines contingents in Latin America or Asia.

Support for Japanese confrontation with the Bolshivks depends on how its sold to the US voters & Congress. OTL there was a lack of support within Wilsons group. Perhaps a Roosevelt presidency would have had a different policy?
 
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