What if the West made it one of their primary goals to contain the Soviet post war influence in 43

You really think the Kwantung army could return t the home islands without being blown out of the water by the silent service?
I know they managed to reinforce Kyushu as that seemed most logical place for "Downfall". I think they went from having 5 divisions on Kyushu in spring of 1945 to 20 by the surrender. Not sure where the reinforcements came from but mostly Honshu. Its only about 100 miles from Korea to Japan, so yes they would have suffered casualties but if we'd invaded they would have tried.

And then there's the Air Force. They still had at least 5000 planes, many of which would have been used as kamikazee. Certainly some of that reserve was also tied down in Manchuria.
 
Of course just blockading, bombing, scorching, and starving the Home Islands was pretty much a guaranteed victory. If the atom bomb had failed and the Soviets stayed out I think the US's eventual victory would have been even crueler.
Probably. Leadership was concerned about starvation - possibly millions in winter of 1945-46. As Governor MacArthur had to beg for food that winter.
 
Not sure what would cause the blinders to fall for FDR.
And Wallace was worse.
Maybe your best bet is for FDR to pick a different VP in '40, and then die/retire in the middle of his third term.

Or maybe have him never run for a third term....
I wonder what - in our time line - people think FDR could have gotten at Yalta, given the "facts on the ground" in February 1945.
 

Puzzle

Donor
Probably. Leadership was concerned about starvation - possibly millions in winter of 1945-46. As Governor MacArthur had to beg for food that winter.
I suspect that American leadership would be far more willing to countenance millions of Japanese starving than millions of Americans coming back wounded or dead. Japan was broken by the time the bombs dropped, they just hadn't realized it yet.
 
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I suspect that American leadership would be far more willing to countenance millions of Japanese starving that millions of Americans coming back wounded or dead. Japan was broken by the time the bombs dropped, they just hadn't realized it yet.


Indeed. Though the atom bombs arguably saved more Japanese lives than they took, this was not a goal of the Americans; their goal was to save as many American (or Allied) lives as possible.
 
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