U.S wipes out Japanese people

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trurle

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The genocide was indeed possible IF the WWII will turn much bloodier and longer for US than it happened in OTL. But to make this happen, a rather radical change is needed. Like total axis victory over Soviet Union (which is less impossible compared to stronger pre-war Japan).

As POD, i propose the summer 1942 Japanese attack on Soviet Union. It may happen if some chancy (yet reliable) intelligence will reveal to Japanese the shittiness of Soviet defences of Siberia back in 1942. Plus some radical political changes are necessary in Japan to revoke the non-aggression pact with Soviet Union (coup d'etat, for example). As result, battle of Staligrad will turn into the quagmire of trench warfare in Volga-Akhtuba plain, the "Great Famine of 1943" in Soviet Union results in its internal collapse , German forces liberate Iran from Soviet-British occupation etc ...

In this case, German can join forces with Japanese in Pacific with some nasty results for US. The ultimate outcome will be a USA-led nuclear bombardment campaign throughout an Asia starting in 1947. By 1950, the Japanese people will be dispersed and genocide can theoretically commence.


As about long-term consequences of such horrendous scenario..i think it mean a total political chaos and a ruin for everybody, although to different degree. The 4 major states (USA, Soviet Union, Germany and Japan) will be weakened to the point what the new world dominating power can become New Zealand or Argentine for example.:mad:
 
They couldn't wipe them all out, but most might be possible. The US could accidentally kill the Emperor in a bombing raid over Tokyo. Japan now will never surrender to the very end. America has to atom bomb virtually every Japanese city in the home islands to cause a surrender. The fall out wipes out most of the Japanese population. Huge swathes of the home islands are completely uninhabitable for decades.

Fallout doesn't make large areas uninhabitable for decades.

Look at Novaya Zemlya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novaya_Zemlya

No place on Earth has had more nuclear weapons detonate above, on or under it yet a couple of thousand people live there today and the low population is more because of harsh climate than any other reason.
 
If I believed in Gods I would curse in their name.
What is being discussed here would be literally the worst genocide in history. Japan had a population of about 100 million at the time. Even without a total wipeout, a fraction of that number would be in the range of largest mass killings of any category.

The US is jingoist, but even Americans aren't that brazen with genocide.

If someone in charge tried to forcibly continue permanent blockade and airstrikes after a total Japanese surrender, they would be overruled or removed from their office. The US wanted to finish the war, not expend great effort to pointlessly annihilate nations.

And the Japanese would surrender. Sooner rather than later. For all their "ferocity" and "insane radicalism", they gave up before their homeland was invaded. The regime in charge feared the Soviets more than humiliation, and socialist rebellion was seen as a serious threat. Once the Soviets declared war, they were done.
 
A program to totally exterminate every person living on the Japanese home islands? No, no, no. Not gonna happen. That's not to say that there wasn't room for an even more horrific (especially for the Japanese) conclusion to WWII in the Pacific.

Firstly, butterfly away the nukes-too quick and clean. Probably have to keep the Soviets at bay, too. Faced with invasion as an only option, I can see the US setting up an ever tighter blockade and bombing campaign. Hunger turns to starvation and famine; no fuel, no power, no shelter into the winter of 1945. Social unrest and military crackdown with riots and killings.

In 1946, the US makes landings and, somehow, the IJN manages to hold some of them from breaking out (think Italy) or even push some back into the sea. If you want to skirt ASB, a repeat of the real "kamikaze" (divine wind) typhoon that wrecks part of the invasion fleet.

After one bloody round, the US doubles down on everything for Act II. No coastline is un-bombarded; no city, town or village un-firebombed, 24/7. And civilian casualties are not to be avoided in the least. In late 1946, maybe even 1947, landings gain a foothold against equally determined but far more feeble opposition. Still the nightmare scenario of almost universal fighting to the death actually happens. Then, before the pitiful conditions of Japan's civilian population can start to win any sympathy with the US public...some desperate idiot in the IJN unleashes gas attacks.

That, I think, will be when all the non-nuclear gloves come off and everything that can fly, float, drive, walk, throw, or spit will be used to unload every ounce of US (and probably British) stockpiles of any chemical or biological compounds until the cupboards are bare. A combination of weariness, frustration, fear, and rage turns the US invasion/occupation into a "shoot them all and let God sort it out" scenario.

And, since it seems disappointingly necessary to make the disclaimer-no, I do not feel that any of this should have happened. The OP asked for a US decision to "wipe out" the Japanese people. This is as close as I can think of to a TL that would bring something approaching that result about.
 
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