WI: No Pacific Theater?

As in, the circumstances for it to happen aren't even there. Let's say, FPOTS (for purposes of the scenario), that the militarists in Japan don't come to power, and the Japanese don't invade China.

Assuming WWII breaks out as OTL, what are the effects of no Pacific War in Europe? Would America even think about joining, now that there's no megalomaniac Japan going wild in the Pacific?
 
FDR was more worried about Germany than Japan; he would try to find a way to get the U.S. into Europe. Maybe send the Flying Tigers to the Battle of Britain.
 
By 1941, the US and Germany are already fighting an undeclared naval war in the Atlantic. Absent Pearl Harbor, if everything else stays as OTL, eventually there will be a large enough event to bring the US into the war. Have a couple more destroyers come under u-boat attack, for example. In all likelihood, it is only a matter of months.
 
Probably the same as in the first war. It will take the US three years of standing by the sidelines before they finalg make up their mind. Afterwards, it will be regards as just a waste of lives and resources and everyone promises them self not to jump into such an adventure so quickly next time.

The biggest game changer here are the Soviets. In the end the US might be forced to help Brittain with the liberation of Western Europe before the Soviets race into France with the planes and guns America gave them in the lend-lease program. In the end not just the war but also the pre-war support programs will be seen as an enormous waste of lives and resources and everyone promises themselves not to jump into such an adventure so quickly next time.
 
November 1940 is the problem - US Elections

Both candidates were pro British but both were trying to win the Election so could not afford to lose the isolationist minority so maintained a pre election position of non intervention while offering as much support as possible to the Allies

After the election things are different and POTUS only had to wait for an inevitable Casus Belli to bring his nation into the war on Britains side.

In the mean time - he provides as much support upto but not including a declaration of war on the Axis Nations - and practices brinkmanship - such as providing escorts for merchant ships etc and actively persecuting U - Boats that attacked them.

In OTL Hitler made it easy for Him by declaring war on the USA after Pearl Harbour.
 
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