WI:A Great Pacific War in 1931

Scenario is from the book "The Great Pacific War."

In 1931, what if Japan invaded Manchuria, Formosa, and Korea. Afterwards, they launch a surprise attack on the Panama Canal. In the book (written before the Great Depression) they do this because an American mining company gets a contract in China. And increasing US influence. But you can also add the Great Depression as a factor to the war. The war ends in 1933 with the US winning.

How would this war go down strategically and tactically? How would it effect the American public? Could Hoover use the war to get reelected like FDR? How would WW2 play out in Europe?
 
Manchuria was invaded by Japan in 1931 IOTL. They already controlled Formosa and Korea so I'm not entirely sure why they're invading them unless it's to put down insurgency, in which case a very isolationist USA isn't going to care that much. I have a hard time seeing the necessity of the Japanese attacking the Panama Canal and bringing us ibto the war unnecessarily.
 
Manchuria was invaded by Japan in 1931 IOTL. They already controlled Formosa and Korea so I'm not entirely sure why they're invading them unless it's to put down insurgency, in which case a very isolationist USA isn't going to care that much. I have a hard time seeing the necessity of the Japanese attacking the Panama Canal and bringing us ibto the war unnecessarily.
Well one of the reasons Japan starts the war was the aforementioned US mining company in China and the leaders stirr the public up about American influence on land that is "rightfully Japan's." That along with trying to pull themselves out of the depression. They also take advantage of the isolationist US and try to get rid of their influence in Asia.

May be poor justification but I mostly just wanted to know the effects of the war.
 
The American concessions in China were one reason for the war in the book. The BIG reason was the need for a foreign crisis to unify the Japanese people from nasty domestic problems, and, of course, securing a good defensive perimeter.
I think the book was quite well done, given what was known at the time. It was published in 1925, and paid good attention to such things as logistics, deception, and more. There was extensive use of gas, which didn't happen, but easily could have. He had no way of knowing how badly the Japanese treatment of POW's would change, and assumed that it would be much as it was in the Great War.
In short, he did a good job of writing a future war, based on the tech of the time and what we knew.
 
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I think the book was quite well done, given what was known at the time. It was published in 1925, and paid good attention to such things as logistics, deception, and more. There was extensive use of gas, which didn't happen, but easily could have. ...
...In short, he did a good job of writing a future war, based on the tech of the time and what we knew.

Bywater had written a number of items on naval affairs & managed to witness portions of the USN naval war-games & related planning for War Plan Orange. As much as possible of the book was drawn from those early 1920s naval planning exercises.
 
Bywater had written a number of items on naval affairs & managed to witness portions of the USN naval war-games & related planning for War Plan Orange. As much as possible of the book was drawn from those early 1920s naval planning exercises.

He did vry well--I started trying to write a timeline based on the aftermath, though it didn't go anywhere.
 
Attacking the Panama Canal is a big no-no even to the most grotesquely caricatured isolationists. For lack of a better word, "This is our continent, Bitches, and now you're going to PAY."

The weapons and shipbuilding industries ramp up, temporarily suspending the depression.
 
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