Soviet occupation zone in Japan -

raharris1973

Gone Fishin'
Donor
Monthly Donor
What if the Japanese defenders screw up a little bit in Sakhalin in August 1945 and Stalin meets his timetable for starting an offensive in Hokkaido. What are the political consequences of a Japanese occupation zone in northern Hokkaido?

What about an earlier variation.. Something delays the A-Bomb, or speeds up the victory in Europe by 6 months or more. Could this allow the Soviets to occupy first all of Hokkaido and then some of Honshu?

One thing about Japan is that the population is denser and the prime agricultural, industrial and cultural areas are to the south.

Now West Germany was the "better" part of Germany for similar reasons, but I think to get Soviet occupation zone in Japan that gives them an opportunity to create a state the same relative weight that the GDR was (which did have, in addition to Berlin, economically valuable areas like Leipzig and Dresden in Saxony), the Soviets would have to have a zone going down at least to the 38th parallel. How would this bigger, Democratic People's Republic of Japan develop, or would a permanent division not be inevitable?
 
If Stalin really wanted to, there's no reason he couldn't have landed paratroopers on Hokkaido in OTL. Of course Truman would be mad as hell and demand the Soviets leave, thus increasing tensions. The Cold War would feature an additional front of US-Soviet confrontation which increase the potential of a superpower showdown should both sides be unable to reach an accommodation.

The best option for the Soviets would be to trade Hokkaido for West Berlin. After all Hokkaido was not absolutely necessary for them. Certainly not nearly as important as Berlin. An agreement to swap the two territories and the demilitarization of Hokkaido would be an excellent deal for Moscow.

Without West Berlin there would be no Berlin airlift and the Berlin wall. That alone would dramatically change Cold War politics.
 
Top