Page 31 - All About History - Issue 16-14

What if…
THE SOVIETS HAD INVADED JAPAN IN WWII?

by Japanese troops abroad. On the whole, the Allies were
surprised at the level of cooperation and the fact that a major
resistance did not emerge. The Russians would have faced the
same challenges with occupation; a food crisis, housing and
public health issues, damaged infrastructure and widespread
devastation. An extended invasion before surrender would
have made such problems worse.

Would the Soviets have stopped at Japan or invaded
anywhere else close by?
Russia had interests in northern China (Manchuria), Korea and
the Kuril Islands from the late-19th century, and invaded all
of those places at the end of WWII. It did not have significant
interests further south.

Would the USSR have broken up sooner due to
resources being stretched or would the Iron Curtain
have been strengthened?
It’s difficult to say, because so many things would have been
different. Certainly the occupation was a long and expensive
project, and post-occupation support would have been as well.
However, it is unlikely that support of or influence over Japan
would have demanded more resources than other states in the
communist camp did. This is especially true as Japan had the
The destroyer USS Shaw on fire
ingredients necessary for a successful post-war reconstruction, power and influence in the region. Without this alliance, the after being hit during the Japanese
with good infrastructure and an educated population with United States would have had a smaller presence in the region, attack on Pearl Harbor on 7
December 1941
experience in industry, finance and agriculture. especially in light of poor relations with communist China. In
the zero-sum game of the Cold War, a weaker United States
How might the USSR have benefited from this new would strengthen the position of the Soviet Union.
communist Japan?
If a communist Japan had been successful, this would have How long would Soviet rule have lasted – would they
made the communist model more attractive to other states. still be in charge today?
A successful and pro-Soviet communist Japan would have The occupation of Korea lasted from 1945 to 1948, and the
increased the power of the Soviet Union, giving it more Soviets supported early Korean independence. Japan’s lasted
influence in East Asia and another ally in the Cold War. until 1952, which was longer than had been expected. The Have your say
Japan’s success would have demonstrated that the Soviet occupation of Japan will likely not have lasted much longer if Do you agree with our
model of governance and development worked, possibly it was divided into zones. The Soviet Union supported a short expert’s view?
persuading other countries to adopt communism. Importantly, occupation of Korea after WWII and during the war proposed © Alamy; Daniel Sinoca; Freevectormaps.com
a Soviet-allied Japan would have denied the US one of its containing Japan by creating ‘strong points’, Allied military /AllAboutHistory
most important bilateral relationships in the post-war world. positions surrounding the country. It is unlikely that Russia
US military bases in Japan have been a major source of their would have supported a long occupation in Japan. @AboutHistoryMag

O Japan surrenders O Treaty of peace with Japan is signed O Japan joins the United Nations
Japan’s surrender is accepted by 48 nations sign the Treaty of San On this date Japan officially
US General Douglas MacArthur as Francisco as peace is officially secured. becomes a member of the UN as it
WWII ends. VJ Day is on 14 August Allied forces eventually leave Japan in seeks to strengthen its international
but the surrender is only made 1952, believing their political and social identity as a peaceful nation and
official on this day. targets have all been achieved. lessen its dependence on the US.
2 September 1945 8 September 1951 18 December 1956

O USSR establishes own occupational O New Japanese constitution O Chinese relations O Japanese prime minister visits China
zone in Japan A new constitution is Communist activity in the Far East Kakuei Tanaka visits Mao Tse-Tung’s
Buoyed by their success the Soviets drawn up for the nation by makes Sino-Russo relations much People’s Republic of China as diplomatic
believe a higher stake in Japanese MacArthur, with Emperor smoother with friendly trade links relations are healthily improved between
affairs is wise and claim joint occupation Hirohito stripped of his power, set up between the two nations the two nations. A joint communiqué is
with the rest of the Allies – a revised as Allied control begins to even into the Khrushchev era. signed in Peking (Beijing).
constitution is drawn up. April 1947 take effect. 3 May 1947 1955 25-30 September 1972

O Extension of Japanese rule O Japanese resistance O North Korea invades the O USSR breaks up O Cold War ends
With the Cold War brewing, With Russian rule much South The over-stretching of The Cold War ends between
both superpowers refuse to more brutal than by their US With the Soviets pumping resources in the Far East leads a now-reeling Russia and a
lessen their stake in Japan counterparts, the Japanese resources into the country, to an early break-up of the dominant USA. The US leaves
and it is eventually split into rebel in a year-long series of North Korea overpowers Soviet Union. Japan is returned Japan, the wall dividing the
a communist North and a skirmishes that is eventually the South and the peninsula to Allied rule and joins the country is broken up and
capitalist South. quashed by superior Russian becomes one. Soviet power UN as it attempts to rebuild Japan is united as one.
1952 strength. 1953 is extended once again. 1954 international relations. 1971 1972
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