Rome-Berlin-Nanking-Washington Axis

What if, instead of deciding to side with Japan, Germany continued their support of Nationalist China into late 1930s and 1940s, due to the shared history of good relations between Germany and China as well as its mutual anti-communism and nationalism, resulting in a more significant modernization of the Chinese military as well as an even larger economy for Germany?
As Japan would still likely attack China and American conflicts with Japan would still arise in the Pacific, the USA decides to ally themselves with the Axis rather than the Allies, as their primary reason for joining the war was the Japanese threat.

Do you think this is plausible, and if so, what might be the result?
 
Even if Nationalist China became part of the Axis, I seriously doubt the U.S. would side with the Axis. If it comes down to a choice between supporting the Axis (and throwing Britain under the bus in the process) to appease the China Lobby or going to war with Axis China, I think the U.S. would either remain neutral in the Pacific or decide to go to war with China. Remember, the U.S. (arguably) got involved in the war when it elected to help the British with the Lend Lease Act. Pearl Harbor was merely the Casus Belli that got the general public to realize the fact that the Axis wasn't above attacking the U.S. Kriegsmarine attacks on American merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships was already turning public opinion away from the Axis.
 
Even if Nationalist China became part of the Axis, I seriously doubt the U.S. would side with the Axis. If it comes down to a choice between supporting the Axis (and throwing Britain under the bus in the process) to appease the China Lobby or going to war with Axis China, I think the U.S. would either remain neutral in the Pacific or decide to go to war with China. Remember, the U.S. (arguably) got involved in the war when it elected to help the British with the Lend Lease Act. Pearl Harbor was merely the Casus Belli that got the general public to realize the fact that the Axis wasn't above attacking the U.S. Kriegsmarine attacks on American merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships was already turning public opinion away from the Axis.
:confused: The POD is before 1938, so the Lend Lease Act does not apply yet. The United States indeed used Pearl Harbor as a casus belli, but their main purpose was to prevent Japanese imperialism in any case. Japan would not be part of the Axis, and the attacks on the US by the Kriegsmarine were due to the Lend Lease Act, which half of the US opposed and had been pressured to support. I don't see why, if there is a mutual threat, why the US would not sign a similar agreement with the Axis in this timeline.
 

oberdada

Gone Fishin'
I don't see why, if there is a mutual threat, why the US would not sign a similar agreement with the Axis in this timeline.

Roosevelt, that's why.

But without Nazi-Germany declaring war at the US after Pearl Harbor, provided it isn't butterflied away, the USA will be only at war with Japan...
I will all be a mess, but I kind of like the Idea of a German-Chinese force attacking Vladivostok to support Barbarossa:eek:
 
:confused: The POD is before 1938, so the Lend Lease Act does not apply yet. The United States indeed used Pearl Harbor as a casus belli, but their main purpose was to prevent Japanese imperialism in any case. Japan would not be part of the Axis, and the attacks on the US by the Kriegsmarine were due to the Lend Lease Act, which half of the US opposed and had been pressured to support. I don't see why, if there is a mutual threat, why the US would not sign a similar agreement with the Axis in this timeline.

What is the exact POD?
 
Most likely a more resistant Battle of Shanghai following a better military modernization of China, which would give the Germans the incentive to support China rather than Japan.

You're going to have to be more specific than just "better military modernization." Japan stomped China pretty badly in Shanghai with less troops, because they had more than 10x more tanks and planes.

Additionally, if the POD is early enough, a lot of the world could change via butterfly effect.
 
The Xi'an Incident in December 1936 prevented the destruction of the Chinese Communist Party as well as lowered unity within the Republic. If it had not occurred, resulting in a more centralized China, then there would have been less reason for Hitler to slow down production of the 80 Division Plan proposed by von Seeckt under Japanese pressure, with around 20 German-trained divisions completed by mid-1937 instead of the 8 completed at the time of the Japanese invasion. An analogue to the Battle of Shanghai would have likely occurred, but with more than twice the amount of artillery, the Chinese could have won the battle, especially considering that even with 12 times the aircraft and 19 times the tanks, Japan only destroyed 6 more aircraft and less than 4 times the troops.
 
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I think it is pretty much a given that the USA would eventually enter the war against Nazi Germany. Cultural ties with Britain are just too strong and the Nazis can be counted on to eventually enflame US sensibilities so that only a small spark would result in war. Plus, Hitler would still probably declare war against the US after Pearl Harbor.

In this situation,Why wouldn't the US adopt a stance somewhat like the USSR did in the Pacific theatre? Agree to function as part of the Allied coalition with respect to Germany and Italy, wage it's own separate war (presumably allied with the UK) against the non-Axis aggressor Japan who attacked it, and retain full diplomatic and economic ties with China, even to the extent of providing China material assistance. In essence that is what the USSR did OTL with respect to Japan.
 
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