Stars, Sickles, and ... Tricolors? - A History of the world since 1936

What happenened to Rouen and other Norman cities? Were they destroyed as badly as IOTL? Also, is Paris unharmed?
Paris experienced some street fighting in its outskirts, but like OTL escaped serious damage. As for the cities of Normandy, the slightly faster Allied advance means that they aren't quite as damaged as OTL, although they still suffer badly. For example, approximately 45% of Rouen was destroyed IOTL, while ITTL around 35-40% is destroyed.
In this line the Russians expel the Germans from the land they occupied and will give it to Poland or create their own Germany
Yes, the Germans will be expelled as IOTL, although the Germans of Pomerania will mostly leave with the American and British armies as they move back into Germany itself, instead of waiting for the Soviets to move in and toss them out.
 
The Pacific War Part II (1942)

Burma and Thailand
After the landings in southern Siam, the Japanese were effectively at war with the small nation. Therefore, few were surprised when Japanese troops under General Terauchi marched across the border from Indochina, heading for Bangkok.

Many in Siam were sympathetic to the Japanese, whom they saw as liberators from European influence. However, a fair number of military officers in the nation were furious at what they saw as a direct violation of their nation's neutrality. This group organized a defensive irregular army based in Lampang, in the north of Siam. They requested British intervention, while allowing the retreating French to use their military bases. Led by Adul Aduldejcheras, the Free Thai Movement (ST) organized their defenses, with British and French support.

The Japanese moved against them in mid February, sending a large force into northeastern Siam. At the same time, they began moving west into British Burma. This offensive was aimed not only at seizing Burma, but also at cutting the Burma Road, through which China received a majority of its supplies from the Allies. Tavoy fell on February 18th, and Moulmein fell on the 26th. Outside of Rangoon the encountered stiff resistance, with the British bringing reinforcements from India. General Slim's forces held off the Japanese onslaught for two weeks before forcing them back to Sittang. The front would remain here, between Sittang and Moulmein, for two years, barely moving until the final months of the war.

Back in Siam, the rebels had been forced back from Lampang to Chiang Mai. They were on the verge of being surrounded, and tensions between the Siamese and the Anglo-French forces were high; it was into this minefield that British General Smyth walked, leading a column of reinforcements. With the Japanese to the south, southwest, and east, Smyth immediately began reorganizing the local militia into a hardened battle force capable of taking on the Japanese.

In August of 1942, he got his chance. Smyth's army, alongside the Free Thai's, engaged the Japanese near Chieng Bai, forcing them from the village; few Japanese soldiers escaped the fighting, but those who did told furious Siamese renegades wreaking havoc among the garrison, decimating those who tried to surrender. Chieng Bai took a heavy toll on the Allies as well; nearly half of the attacking troops were killed. However, the remaining troops of what would be nicknamed the 'Jungle Tigers' continued their hit and run tactics, tying up valuable Japanese troops as garrisons in northern Siam and eastern Burma.

Coral Sea (May 1942)
After securing the Dutch East Indies the Japanese turned their attention eastwards, to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Intending to cut off Allied convoys from the United States to Australia and thereby starve the continent into surrender, the Japanese landed troops on northern New Guinea. At the same time, an amphibious assault force began heading towards Port Moresby. After intercepting the Japanese transmissions, the Americans dispatched the carriers Lexington and Yorktown to attack the Japanese task force and prevent it from landing at Port Moresby.

On the morning of May 5th, Admiral Frank J. Fletcher's fleet rendezvoused south of the Solomon Islands before sailing northwest. During their run northwards, they encountered the Japanese light carrier Shoho and duly sank her. On May 8th, the two fleets sighted one another.

The American pilots, flying the still new TBF Avengers as well as F4F Wildcats, were able to penetrate the Japanese air defenses and scored several good hits upon the Shokaku and Kaga. However, Lexington had been severely damaged by the Japanese pilots, with fire covering parts of her flight deck. Lexington would be overwhelmed by the blaze before sundown, sinking quietly in the early morning hours of May 9th. Shokaku would be laid up for repairs until August, while Kaga would return to frontline service in early July.

Despite the loss of Lexington, the Americans accomplished their objective; the Japanese fleet turned tail and ran northwards, saving Port Moresby from invasion. The damage done to their carriers at Coral Sea compounded their losses off Hawaii the previous December, and restricted the Japanese to a defensive posture until late 1942. Conversely, the Americans were beginning to ramp up their wartime production, with two new Essex-class carriers entering service in July to complement Essex herself, launched just a few days after Coral Sea. America, true to Admiral Yamamoto's somber prediction, had indeed been awakened.
 
The Pacific War Part III (1942-1944)

Midway(August 1942)
After the disastrous Battle of Hawaii and the near-disaster at Coral Sea, the Japanese had only one fleet carrier, Soryu, available for duty. Shokaku and Kaga were under repair until late July, Akagi was unusable until November, while the carriers under construction would not be completed until October at the earliest. Therefore, Admiral Yamamoto recommended that the planned strike against Midway be postponed until the end of August to allow more carriers to become available.

On the morning of August 28, 1942, the first Japanese planes appeared in the sky over Midway. The Japanese fleet, under Yamamoto's command, consisted of carriers Kaga, Soryu, and Shokaku escorted by several battleships, including the massive Yamato. Countering the Japanese was an American fleet under Admiral Chester Nimitz; it was made up of carriers Hornet, Enterprise, and Essex, each with a large escort.

The Americans, forewarned by ULTRA intercepts, spotted the Japanese fleet first, in the early afternoon. Around two pm, according the one Japanese survivor, "every plane in the American Navy" came barreling down from the northeast. The pilots, more than a few of them veterans of Coral Sea, met with heavy fire from both Zeros and AA defenses. However, with new torpedoes fresh from the Bureau of Ordnance, the Avengers and Dauntless' managed to get several well-placed hits on the three Japanese carriers. In addition to severely damaging Shokaku, the first wave also managed to knock Yamato's third turret out of action.

This first assault did cost the Americans dearly, though; over a quarter of the fighters involved were downed, as were almost half of the bombers. Meanwhile, the Japanese had managed to locate the American fleet, and were launching their own strike.

Hornet was heavily damaged, suffering no less than three torpedo hits. Enterprise was also badly hit, a hole torn in her forward flight deck. Essex managed to shrug off most of the incoming fire, with only light damage to her deck. With both fleets wounded, the two combatants paused to regroup and lick their wounds.

After a long night, the Hornet barely managed to stay afloat, but she was definitely out of the fight. Essex and Enterprise were both prepared to continue the battle, and scouts were sent out soon after dawn. The Japanese had meanwhile withdrawn 100 miles to the south, also launching scouts at first light. As in Coral Sea, the two fleets managed to locate each other and launched their strike groups at approximately the same time. When the Japanese arrived at the American fleet, a moment of confusion ensued; there was only one carrier, escorted by two battleships and other smaller ships. However, they pressed the attack, playing right into Nimitz's plan. Hornet lived through only a dozen minutes of abuse before beginning to list heavily to port, while the Arizona exploded due to a pierced magazine, and Oklahoma would sink by midafternoon.

Despite this apparent victory, the other American carriers were gone, with no trace of them being found. In reality, Nimitz had moved Essex and Enterprise carriers to the southeast overnight while ordering Hornet to proceed northwest as a diversion. As soon as Hornet radioed she was under attack, Nimitz ordered the attack on the Japanese fleet to commence.

Again the Americans slammed into the Japanese fleet, tearing open Shokaku's hull while also battering Kaga and Soryu. The end result was devastating for Japan; Shokaku sank by dusk, while Kaga exploded after fires reached her fuel stores; the fireball also took out two nearby destroyers which were picking up survivors. Soryu was abandoned and scuttled overnight, while Yamato was critically hit, although she managed to limp back to Japan.

After Midway, Admiral Yamamoto tendered his resignation to the War Cabinet; it was rejected, and Yamamoto remained at his command for the rest of the war.

For the Americans, Midway marked a turning point in the war; Japan's threatening carriers were sunk, and the first solid victory since the beginning of the war was confirmed. Now, America was on the offensive.

Choiseul (September 1942)
After the inconclusive Battle of Coral Sea, the Japanese stab at Port Moresby had been thwarted. However, their continued presence on New Guinea allowed them to expand onto the Bismarck Archipelago, taking the islands of New Britain and New Ireland. Simultaneously, they began to advance on the British Solomon Islands. First landing on Bougainville, the Japanese soon moved on to Choiseul. With any further advance presenting a threat to the Allied air bases on Guadalcanal, the Americans landed the 1st Marine Division under Major General Vandegrift on Choiseul, with Admiral Fletcher's fleet providing support.

The Marines landed under heavy fire, managing to secure the beach relatively quickly. They began moving inland before nightfall, securing the village of Posrae. By September 8, they had reached the interior mountains, and by the 15 had secured the entire south of the island. Soon after the capture of the village of Sasamungga, a Japanese naval flotilla arrived offshore and began to bombard the American positions. However, aircraft from the carrier Saratoga were able to sink the battleship Hiei, forcing the rest of the Japanese flotilla to withdraw until nightfall.

Without the advantage of Saratoga's planes, the American battle line was sent in, headed by the battleships North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Kentucky. The two fleets began to duel north of Rob Roy Island, where the numerical superiority of the Americans began to show. By dawn, it was all over, with the Japanese losing three battleships(including Hiei), two cruisers, and a destroyer; the Americans had lost only one cruiser and two destroyers, although Pennsylvania suffered severe damage.

After the withdrawal of their naval support, the Japanese were doomed, and they knew it. Rather than surrender, the Japanese troops adopted a new practice, the suicidal 'banzai' attacks. These 'Banzai' attacks became notorious for the resultant bloodbaths, which were the cause of most of Choiseul's 4,550 American deaths. By September 26, the Japanese had been thoroughly spent, and the surviving 30 soldiers surrendered to the Americans.

The Bismarck Campaign(1942-1943)
After the victory at Choiseul, the Americans continued their planned offensive aimed at retaking the Bismarck Archipelago and isolating the Japanese on New Guinea. Code-named Cartwheel, the offensive began with landings on Bougainville in early December. Advancing quickly, the 1st and 3rd Marine Divisions stormed the island's capital of Arawa. After nearly a month of heavy fighting, the Japanese garrison surrendered on Christmas Day.

The landings on New Britain and New Ireland were carried out simultaneously, with General Vandegrift overseeing the invasion of New Britain and General Patch commanding the invasion of New Ireland. Despite the heavy fighting, the islands were secured by mid February, with casualties high but lower than predicted.

The Carolines and Gilberts (1942-1944)
At the same time as Operation Cartwheel, the United States also launched Operation Fortitude, the American invasions of Japan's Central Pacific holdings. Directed by Admiral Chester A. Nimitz, Fortitude would be the most wide-ranging offensive of the war in the Pacific, covering dozens of islands and hundreds of miles.

Fortitude began on December 12, 1942, when the 2nd Marine Division landed on the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. The small island put up a tenacious defense, holding out until New Year's Day. Majuro was the next to be occupied, by the 5th Marines in late January of 1943. Makin fell in February after only a few days of fighting. Kwajalein was targeted next, with the Americans landing in April, along with Roi-Namur. Eniwetok was the last of the Gilberts to be targeted, and was the most heavily defended of the chain. In August of 1943, 3 Marine divisions landed on Eniwetok's beaches; the fighting lasted for a solid month, with all but 103 of the original 6,000 man Japanese garrison dying in the battle.

After the fall of Eniwetok, the entirety of the Gilbert Islands came under American control; now the second phase of Fortitude began. This second phase began with the invasion and occupation of Kosrae in November 1943; Ponape was targeted next, taking two weeks to be pacified. In January of 1944, the 3rd Marine Division landed on Truk, taking the islands by the middle of February. With this victory, America dominated the Central Pacific, and was propelled one step closer to victory over the Japanese Empire.

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Here's a belated update! Sorry for the long wait, I've had to sort out a few issues with university and life in general in the meantime. Now, though, I finally have the time to post updates regularly; I'll try to get at least one up every week.

Also, WW2 is just about over, and the postwar world is looming. Any comments or suggestions are welcomed, as always, and I hope that the TL so far has been enjoyable and at least somewhat realistic. Many thanks for your patience.
 
Next update is ready. This will wrap up WW2 and set the stage for the postwar world in Asia

The Marianas and Palau (1944)
In May of 1944, the 2nd and 4th Marine Divisions landed on the island of Guam, occupied by the Japanese soon after Pearl Harbor. Since then, retaking their former possession had been a major part of the overall American strategy. The Marines opened the liberation of Guam by landing on the western shore near Agat, and managed to take Mount Alifan within 24 hours of landing. Within two days of landing, the Americans had made significant progress, securing nearly half of the island while brushing up against enemy strongpoints on Mt. Lamlam and Mt. Tenjo. After smashing a major Japanese counterattack on May 14, the Marines pushed through the capital of Agana, and bottling up the Japanese at opposite ends of Guam. However, the battle then became a stalemate, which lasted for 24 days; on the 25th day the Marines stormed Mt. Bolanos, while the Japanese troops chose suicide over surrender. After the perimeter at Machanan was reinforced, the Marines began a slow advance to the shore, steadily gaining ground until the few Japanese troops left surrendered on June 19. The 2nd Marine Division then began reinforcing the 3rd Division on Tinian.

The 3rd Marines had landed on Tinian less than a week before, and were encountering significant resistance. However, after the arrival of the 2nd Marine Division, the fight quickly drew ot a close, ending on the 24th. Meanwhile, the 4th Marines had landed on Saipan, and resistance there was subdued by July 4. A photo taken of a pair of Marines raising the Stars and Stripes over Mt. Tapochau on the 4th would become one of the most iconic photographs of the war.

During July, the 2nd and 3rd Marines would land on Peliliu, taking the island with great difficulty by mid-August. Now the Americans had only two major objectives left: retaking the Philippines and bringing the fight to Japan itself.

Liberating the Philippines (1944-1945)
After the Marianas had fallen to the Americans, the Japanese had recognized the inevitability of an American attempt to retake the Philippines. Thus, in fall 1944 the Japanese fleet, reinforced by new carriers, set sail for the Philippine Sea. The two fleet carriers in the Japanese fleet, Shinano and Taiho, were formidable ships; Shinano dwarfed all other carriers afloat, even the massive Lexington and Saratoga. Taiho was also large, but more importantly she had an armored flight deck. Both Japanese carriers were escorted by Yamato and her sister ship Musashi, as well as Fuso and numerous cruisers and destroyers. This formidable flotilla positioned itself in northern Philippine Sea to await the Americans.

The American naval command, of course, new about the Japanese movements due to ULTRA, and Admiral Nimitz consolidated much of his fleet to strike at the Japanese. He gathered together five carriers: Saratoga, Enterprise, Essex, Franklin, and Concord. He guarded these carriers with several battleships, namely North Carolina, Iowa, and Missouri; many cruisers and destroyers were also detailed to this fleet. The stage was now set for the largest naval engagement of the war, and the show was about to begin.

At dawn on October 25th, Nimitz' fleet arrived on station in the Philippine Sea, and immediately began a painstaking sweep of the area for the Japanese fleet. Reports had indicated it would be somewhere north of the island of Polillo, and it was here that Nimitz concentrated most of his efforts. After several hours, a scout reported the Japanese fleet bearing down from the north; Nimitz immediately ordered a strike. However, unlike previous engagements the Japanese were aware of the American's presence, and were better prepared to meet their attackers head on.

The American planes sent to hit the Japanese included some of the latest types, such as the F8F Bearcat and the BTD Destroyer. The improved Corsair fighters held their own against the Japanese Zeros, while the Bearcats and Hellcats tore more holes in the Japanese air defenses. The Destroyers and Avengers meanwhile scored several hits on the Japanese ships, Shinano suffering the most damage. Taiho shrugged off the bomb hits, but one torpedo did manage to find its mark, tearing a hole in her hull which slowed Taiho to three quarters speed. Unfortunately, neither Japanese carrier was mortally wounded in the first round of attacks, while the American air groups were badly mauled. By mid-afternoon the Japanese had launched their retaliatory strike against the Americans.

Most of the American fighter screens had been held back from the earlier fighting, and were freshly fueled and well rested; the Japanese had been forced to scrape their fighter screens bare to shield their bombers, and most pilots were already tired form the earlier fighting. The result was a near-slaughter of the Japanese planes, but some pilots turned their planes into flaming missiles, slamming into the American ships. Saratoga and Enterprise suffered the most from these 'kamikazes', with Enterprise being knocked out of the fight, and Saratoga barely limping away. Franklin also suffered a severe torpedo hit; she would be sunk soon after the battle by a Japanese submarine, the only Essex-class carrier to be sunk in the war. Later that night, the Americans again spotted the Japanese carriers, and a second attack was launched just after dawn. The Shinano was again the main target, due to her size; this time, she suffered several major hits, while Taiho suffered little damage from the bombs. A massive blaze soon broke out on Shinano, spreading to her hangars within a few minutes; she would be abandoned and scuttled later in the evening. Taiho and part of the Japanese fleet retreated northwards, while Fuso and Musashi stayed behind in the hopes that Shinano could be saved. Following the smoke trail, the American battleships North Carolina, Washington, Iowa, Indiana, and Pennsylvania came across the two battleships just before dark, as the Shinano was slipping beneath the waves. The battleships engaged in a running duel as the Fuso and Musashi began running northwards. Musashi was hit hard by the guns of the Iowa and Washington, slowing down before being pummeled to death; Fuso was quickly overtaken and sunk relatively quickly. Pennsylvania would be the only American loss of this gunnery duel, a victim of a pierced magazine.

After the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Imperial Navy was reduced to a shadow of its former self; never again would it embark on offensive operations. Most of its ships would be sunk near the Japanese Home Islands or Taiwan, with Taiho dying a slow death from American firebombs at her berth in Tokyo Bay. For the Americans, the battle cleared the way to the Philippines, with the first landings on Luzon and Mindoro in mid December.

Manila would be liberated by late February, and Luzon pacified enough for use as a base by late April. The rest of the Philippines were ignored by the Army, although the airfields were thoroughly bombed by the Army Air Force for the rest of the war. In essence, the Japanese garrisons on the other islands became prisoners, unable to leave or be resupplied in a hostile nation.

Approaching the Castle(June-August 1945)
After the liberation of Luzon, there were relatively few other targets for the Americans to take; in fact, a clear, tangible objective was seemingly elusive for days afterward. However, a proposal by Admiral Nimitz changed this situation; he suggested landing on the Japanese possession of Formosa. This would greatly reduce the distance for resupplying the Chinese, as well as provide a closer base of operations against Japan itself. The landings were set for June, and on June 12, the first American troops landed on a beach south of Hualien.

Taipei was secured on July 1st by the 1st Marine Division and the 7th Infantry Division. The battalion of M3 Lees that were instrumental in the initial assault became infamous as the 'Tigers of Formosa'. The Americans bypassed the central highlands of Formosa, full of Japanese troops in hiding, and secured the western side of the island through July and into early August. Fighting in the central highlands and Kaohsiung was still ongoing at the time of the Japanese surrender.

Meanwhile the newly formed 7th Marine Division was tasked with securing Iwo Jima as a forward base for American bombers. The Marines landed on the 15th of May, meeting heavy resistance not only from Japanese troops bu Japanese civilians as well. The fighting continued into early July, before the island was declared secure on the 18th, and the airfields there were repaired and upgraded by Army engineers.

On July 25th, the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions landed on Okinawa, in the Ryukyu Islands north of Formosa. Despite heavy resistance, the island was fully pacified by early September; here the island hopping campaigns of the Pacific came to an end, and the war entered its final and most controversial stage.

Endgame(August-September 1945)
After the end of the war in Europe in August 1944, the United States had issued an ultimatum for Japanese surrender, echoed by the British and French. Also at the time, the United States had raised the question about possible Soviet participation in the Pacific Theater. However, by the beginning of 1945 it was abundantly clear that Japan was on the verge of defeat, and America dropped the issue. However, Stalin was determined to have his way, and since it was partially blocked in Europe, he opted for further gains in Asia.

On August 24, 1945, as the atomic bomb was being shipped to Iwo Jima, the Soviets declared war on Japan. At the same moment, Soviet tanks rolled into Manchuria from Siberia and Mongolia, easily brushing aside the Japanese outposts in the region. Harbin was captured by September 8th, and Changchun was occupied on the 15th of September.

Simultaneously to his invasion of Manchuria, Stalin launched a master stroke of an attack that thoroughly surprised the Americans and Japanese alike: he invaded Japan itself. Soviet troops landed at Wakkanai and Rumoi, swiftly moving inland against the surprised Japanese militia. By September 8th, most of northern Hokkaido was under Soviet occupation, and the Red Army was on the outskirts of Sapporo at the time of the Japanese surrender. This invasion, pulled off with absolute secrecy and preparation, would come to have a massive influence on postwar politics in Asia. However, no other event has affected the world in such a way as did the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan.

On September 1st, 1945, the Enola Gay, a large B-29 bomber commanded by Paul Tibbets dropped 'Little Boy', the first atomic bomb used in warfare. Its target was the city of Hiroshima, and its effects were devastating; over 80,000 people were killed in the blast and ensuing fires. Three days later, 'Fat Man' was dropped on Kokura, killing another 70,000. After waiting another 4 days, 'Fat Man 2' was dropped on Nagasaki; the death toll there was 75,000. Finally, after desperate deliberation by the War Cabinet, the Japanese Emperor intervened himself. In a radio address to his entire nation and to the Allies, Emperor Hirohito asked his people to "bear the unbearable" and surrender. A few hours later, on September 9th.1945, Japan began broadcasting a surrender order to its armed forces. The deadliest and most far reaching conflict in the history of mankind was over.

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Good grief, that was a long update! But now the Second World War is finished, and a new conflict is beginning to approach over the horizon. The next few updates will deal with the immediate aftermath of the war, as well as the two sets of trials for the high-ranking Axis leaders. After that, the updates will focus on one region of the world at a time, with each decade being summed up in a separate update. Thanks to all of you for keeping up with the TL, I hope you've enjoyed the first part of it. Cheers to all.
 
Well, the main reasoning behind dropping three nuclear weapons is to end the war and force a Japanese surrender before the Soviets capture too much land. The whole invasion of Hokkaido causes a lot of panic in the US high command, and they go ahead and allow the third bombing to take place. President Truman is even less enthusiastic about dropping nukes on Japan ITTL, but he recognizes that if the Japanese hold out for much longer they are liable to be overrun by the Soviets before the US can mount their own invasion.
 
TTL's Korean War is bound to be interesting.

Forget looking that far ahead - if the Soviets parlay their current position into getting a segment of Tokyo to occupy, then the Americans can respond in kind to the Berlin blockade. And then things get interesting.
 
Yes, that's the case.

Postwar Asia is definitely going to have some... interesting developments.
If it is really going to be a tripartite world, France is bound to keep a measure of a sphere of influence in Indochina, which might mean a Socialist-ish government in Vietnam unaligned with the Communists, and Monarchies in Laos and Cambodia.
Of course, this assumes Japan as in OTL created a puppet Indochinese government in Indochina which the French have to beat back. If they didn't, then the French might be able to stay a while longer in control of Indochina.
 
A summary of the Postwar World
This update is meant to give you guys a basic idea of how the world looks just after the end of the war. Its not exactly part of the TL, its just a kind of recap so far.

- Britain is in a similar shape to OTL, with its economy and populace exhausted after years of war with Germany and Japan. It's economy is further stressed by having to care not only for its occupation zone in Germany, but also its zone in southern Italy and Sicily, Greece, Albania, and portions of Bulgaria and Yugoslavia.
- France is slightly better off than OTL. Most of the government and a fair portion of the military managed to escape to Africa, in addition to the German occupation of mainland France lasting about a year less. However, simmering tensions between those who fled to Algiers in L'Exode and those who endured occupation promise a tense few year for France.
- The Soviets are sitting back and glaring at the western Allies, feeling rather excluded from Europe. They are in control of their OTL occupation zone in Germany, as well as Poland, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and bits of Yugoslavia. However, their exclusion of a zone in Italy, in addition to a more tense wartime relationship with the US, has deepened their mistrust of the US and the UK.
- Spain has sat quietly through the war, with the Republican having cleaned house since their victory in the Civil War in 1938. They have tried to walk the line between the relatively friendly governments of France and the UK, and their socialist brothers in the Soviet Union. However, the Cold War will spell the end for this balancing act, and Spain will have to choose sides.
- Yugoslavia is a mess right now, with the US occupying parts of Slovenia and Dalmatia, British troops in Macedonia and Montenegro, Chetniks southern Serbia and Bosnia, Soviet troops in northern Serbia and Belgrade, and Tito's partisans scattered across Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. The whole area is a massive powder keg, and plenty of loose sparks are around.
- China is under a tenuous peace, as the Japanese troops are disarmed and shipped back to Japan. The Nationalists have managed to secure a fair amount of Japanese weapons, including a few tanks. Meanwhile the Soviets have occupied Manchuria, and will ensure that it goes to the Communists, as IOTL. The Soviets have also managed to snag all of Korea, and a puppet government is in the process of forming there.
- The largest change in the Asian Theater is the Soviet occupation of Hokkaido. The operation was carried out with no warning, either to Japan or to the Western Allies, and the Soviets have made it clear they are here to stay. They are also currently pushing for a share of occupied Tokyo, one of the few points of agreement between them and Nationalist China.

Other than these major points, the world looks pretty much the same as OTL, with only a few minor details changed in other areas of the world. The next update will cover the Nuremberg and Tokyo Trials, and then we shall move on to the rest of the TL proper. Also, I'd like to have some idea of what regions you all would like me to explore later on in the TL.

Again, thanks to all of you guys to following this TL, and I'll see you in the next update!
 
Final Justice Part I: The Nuremberg Trials
After the end of the war in Europe, the Allied powers were now faced with the question of punishment for the Nazi high command. The appalling enormity of the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis meant that some form of retribution had to be carried out, but how? This question led to the establishment of the War Crimes Court, which would later serve as the basis for the World Court branch of the United Nations. The WCC was charged with trying all of the high-ranking Nazis in Allied custody; these ranged from industrialists such as Gustav and Alfred Krupp, all the way up the chain of command to Adolf Hitler himself.

There were, of course, charges leveled against the court that the trials were nothing more than a victor's revenge. However, these charges were dismissed outright by the United States and United Kingdom, with pictures and documentaries of the German concentration camps and ghettos distributed across North America and Europe. Soon after, those who decried the trials as a farce fell silent.

In October of 1945, soon after the war ended in the Pacific, the trials at Nuremberg began. There were 32 defendants being tried, most of them former military officers or government officials in the Nazi government. Some of the more notable personalities included Erich von Manstein, Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Goering, and of course Hitler himself. Beginning on October 12, each defendant was tried for crimes against humanity, war crimes, the planning of these crimes, and participating in crimes against peace. Each defendant retained their right to a fair trial, as well as public defenders appointed by the court. Most of the defendants took the stand in their own defense; although many gave explanations for their actions, one defendant's testimony remains the most notable: after taking the stand, Adolf Hitler unleashed a fiery oratory, railing against the failures of his subordinates and the injustice of the courts. His speech, blaming the Jewish people to the last sentence, was reminiscent of his many pre-war speeches at Nazi rallies, and many feared that his words would galvanize the German people into further resistance.

Their fears were unfounded; the Germans were tired of war, and were suffering as they had never suffered before in living memory. Many blamed Hitler for the war, and their present misery. Many Germans denounced Hitler's testimony as the raging of a madman, and so Hitler railed on through his trial, to little effect. His fate, though, was never in any doubt.

In the end, 15 of the defendants were sentenced to death. Aware of the very real danger of assassination attempts on the prisoners, the Allies posted extra security around the Palace of Justice. However, Joseph Goebbels was still killed by poison two days before his hanging; the perpetrators were never caught. On February 3, 1946, Hitler and his condemned compatriots were sent into oblivion, unrepentant to the last.

For the rest of the defendants, 5 were sentenced to life imprisonment, 3 to 20 year terms, 6 to 10 year terms, and the remaining three were acquitted.

In addition to serving justice to the Nazi government, the Nuremberg Trials also served to crush the Nazi ideology in its birthplace; compelling evidence of German genocide against the Jewish, Roma, and Slavic peoples was presented in overwhelming numbers, as well as mountains of documents detailing German crimes in occupied territories. Even today, the three nations which make up former Germany still maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any form of Neo-Nazism, and the peoples of former Germany still maintain an air of guilt whenever the war is brought up.

Soon after concluding the trials at Nuremberg, the WCC would be relocated to Tokyo, in order to try the accused of Japan in the Tokyo Trials.

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Alright, so here's a short little update on TTL's Nuremberg Trials. They are handled in a similar manner to OTL, but there are a few differences, namely in Hitler's rambling while in the stand. These speeches would later go on to serve as major subjects for students of many studies, from psychology to history and criminal law. The WCC also serves as the nucleus for the later World Court branch of the UN; this slightly different foundation will mean that the World Court will act more independently of the rest of the UN.
 
Final Justice Part I: The Nuremberg Trials
After the end of the war in Europe, the Allied powers were now faced with the question of punishment for the Nazi high command. The appalling enormity of the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis meant that some form of retribution had to be carried out, but how? This question led to the establishment of the War Crimes Court, which would later serve as the basis for the World Court branch of the United Nations. The WCC was charged with trying all of the high-ranking Nazis in Allied custody; these ranged from industrialists such as Gustav and Alfred Krupp, all the way up the chain of command to Adolf Hitler himself.

There were, of course, charges leveled against the court that the trials were nothing more than a victor's revenge. However, these charges were dismissed outright by the United States and United Kingdom, with pictures and documentaries of the German concentration camps and ghettos distributed across North America and Europe. Soon after, those who decried the trials as a farce fell silent.

In October of 1945, soon after the war ended in the Pacific, the trials at Nuremberg began. There were 32 defendants being tried, most of them former military officers or government officials in the Nazi government. Some of the more notable personalities included Erich von Manstein, Joseph Goebbels, Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Goering, and of course Hitler himself. Beginning on October 12, each defendant was tried for crimes against humanity, war crimes, the planning of these crimes, and participating in crimes against peace. Each defendant retained their right to a fair trial, as well as public defenders appointed by the court. Most of the defendants took the stand in their own defense; although many gave explanations for their actions, one defendant's testimony remains the most notable: after taking the stand, Adolf Hitler unleashed a fiery oratory, railing against the failures of his subordinates and the injustice of the courts. His speech, blaming the Jewish people to the last sentence, was reminiscent of his many pre-war speeches at Nazi rallies, and many feared that his words would galvanize the German people into further resistance.

Their fears were unfounded; the Germans were tired of war, and were suffering as they had never suffered before in living memory. Many blamed Hitler for the war, and their present misery. Many Germans denounced Hitler's testimony as the raging of a madman, and so Hitler railed on through his trial, to little effect. His fate, though, was never in any doubt.

In the end, 15 of the defendants were sentenced to death. Aware of the very real danger of assassination attempts on the prisoners, the Allies posted extra security around the Palace of Justice. However, Joseph Goebbels was still killed by poison two days before his hanging; the perpetrators were never caught. On February 3, 1946, Hitler and his condemned compatriots were sent into oblivion, unrepentant to the last.

For the rest of the defendants, 5 were sentenced to life imprisonment, 3 to 20 year terms, 6 to 10 year terms, and the remaining three were acquitted.

In addition to serving justice to the Nazi government, the Nuremberg Trials also served to crush the Nazi ideology in its birthplace; compelling evidence of German genocide against the Jewish, Roma, and Slavic peoples was presented in overwhelming numbers, as well as mountains of documents detailing German crimes in occupied territories. Even today, the three nations which make up former Germany still maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any form of Neo-Nazism, and the peoples of former Germany still maintain an air of guilt whenever the war is brought up.

Soon after concluding the trials at Nuremberg, the WCC would be relocated to Tokyo, in order to try the accused of Japan in the Tokyo Trials.

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Alright, so here's a short little update on TTL's Nuremberg Trials. They are handled in a similar manner to OTL, but there are a few differences, namely in Hitler's rambling while in the stand. These speeches would later go on to serve as major subjects for students of many studies, from psychology to history and criminal law. The WCC also serves as the nucleus for the later World Court branch of the UN; this slightly different foundation will mean that the World Court will act more independently of the rest of the UN.

Interesting, I'm currently doing my TL: Justiz in Nurnberg. It's pretty much like OTL, but with some notable differences. I like to dig deep when I write my TL, but that's probably my unique style. It's fascinating to see someone else's perspective on what would happen if Hitler was on trial. Have a good night and here's a link to my TL:

Justiz in Nurnberg (still in progress): https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...rnate-history-of-the-nuremberg-trials.388924/
 
Even today, the three nations which make up former Germany still maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any form of Neo-Nazism, and the peoples of former Germany still maintain an air of guilt whenever the war is brought up.
Three nations, huh? The french, american and soviet occupation zones?
 
Final Justice Part II: The Tokyo Trials
In March of 1946, the War Crimes Court convened in Tokyo to carry out the trials of Japan's leadership in the war. 27 defendants were to be tried, but one personality who was conspicuously absent was Emperor Hirohito. Despite the very real desire by most of the American public as well as many military troops and officers to carry out justice on the emperor, General Douglas MacArthur managed to secure Hirohito's safety and immunity from prosecution; MacArthur recognized that if Hirohito were to be sentenced to death, massive uprisings would likely wrest control of Japan away from the occupation troops and lead to more bloodshed. However, in exchange for his immunity, Hirohito agreed to renounce his claim of divinity as the emperor, and accepted a mostly ceremonial role in the future Japanese government.

The 27 defendants who were charged lost another of their number just days before the trials began; Shumei Okawa was judged mentally unfit for trial, and the charges against him were dropped. Admiral Osami Nagano and Yosuke Matsuoka both died during the trials from natural causes, further reducing the number of defendants. Led by Joseph Keenan (US), the prosecution team (whose membership included lawyers from Canada, the UK, France, the Netherlands, USSR, and China) portrayed the defendants as capable of barbaric war crimes. The defense countered that most of the accused were following orders. Like Nuremberg, however, this proved to be an inadequate defense, with the tribunal ruling that such orders should not be carried out. In the end, 9 of the defendants (including Admiral Yamamoto, the mastermind behind Pearl Harbor) were sentenced to death. However, in Yamamoto's case, the sentence was commuted when evidence came to light revealing his opposition to war with the United States. 13 of the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, and the final two were given 20 years imprisonment. Most would either die in prison or be released for ill health.

At Tokyo, as in Nuremberg, the ideology of fascism was crushed by the WCC. All major proponents of the ideals of Nazism and Japanese imperialism were punished, and in both cases popular support was demolished. As effective as these rulings were, the unfortunately did not prevent the rise of 'neo-Nazi' groups in other nations, where they remain a nuisance to the modern day.
 
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