[Starman]

What would have happened if Japan had struck with an atomic bomb first?
I have difficulty visualizing the USA giving up unconditionally.

[fredg]

Hi, Starman,
We might all be speaking Japanese now!
I am sure many have written, in speculation, about this very thing.
I also have difficulty in believing that, too. I also hope we will never know in the future, not speaking of Japan, but any other country.

[RickJ]

No way, in my opinion. I think if they'd have struck first, we'd have turned Japan into a parking lot.

And agreed. I fear the day that any nation uses an atomic bomb.

[phillysteakandcheese]

I have seen documentaries talking about how WW2 German scientists were indeed exploring atomic wepaons. I'm not sure how close Japan may have been.

I would speculate that had Japan (or Germany) been very close to developing an atomic weapon, the Allies would have come up with a specific strategy to disrupt that research as much as possible, as well as sabotage the means of producing a deployable atomic weapon.

It certianly is conceivable that had that technology race been lost, the world would have become a very different place than it is today.

[Starman]

I have seen documentaries talking about how WW2 German scientists were indeed exploring atomic wepaons. I'm not sure how close Japan may have been.

I would speculate that had Japan (or Germany) been very close to developing an atomic weapon, the Allies would have come up with a specific strategy to disrupt that research as much as possible, as well as sabotage the means of producing a deployable atomic weapon.

It certianly is conceivable that had that technology race been lost, the world would have become a very different place than it is today.

It was generally believed that Japan was incapable of developing a nuclear bomb. But then in the year 2003 evidence was discovered that revealed otherwise. It was learned that a small team of scientists located in occupied Korea had managed to detonate a nuclear device before the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Japanese requested certain essential material from Nazi Germany and a German submarine carrying the material needed to produce a powerful atomic bomb was on its way to Japan when it was intercepted by the American navy which had been informed by the code breakers who had intercepted the Japanese German messages. After seeing that all was lost, the Japanese destroyed the documents related to the bomb's research. However, one was overlooked and it was this one that revealed what the real situation was.


BTW
This information can be seen on a documentary entitled "Japan's Atomic Bomb" which is presently being given in the USA by Comcast Cable on the "On Demand Channel".

Here are some links:

Japan's Atomic Bomb
The real story behind the bombimg of Japan in World War II. Tell of Japan's atomic bomb and how we were almost too late.. . Email: [email protected]. Japan's Atomic Bomb: We almost lost all. Japan's Atomic Bomb. By Leon Thompson...
http://www.grunt.com/scuttlebutt/cor...atomicbomb.asp

OnTV
Japan's Atomic Bomb. Tune In: Tuesday, August 16 @ 8pm ET/PT. A revealing look at the untold story of Japan's atomic bomb, and how they may have detonated a nuclear device just two days before surrender.
http://www.historychannel.com/global...PM&page=search

Tune In: Tuesday, August 16 @ 8pm ET/PT

[BobbyC]

This would have been really something. But thanks for the schedule time Starman. I have a question for you all. In reading this, I remember having a converstion with of my classmates at one time where he mentioned a writer, whose name I cannot remember. He has published books on how the world would be if the opposite had happened, going back to the War?

[J_9]

Haven't we, the U.S. been looking at that lately with North Korea and their "test missles"

[Dr D]

I may be further digressing from the original topic, but sadly I fear that the crazies will eventually secure a nuclear weapon and attack the US on its own soil. I almost miss the days of the cold war, (Mutualy Assured Destruction)where our enemies valued the lives of their citizens as much as we do ours. The only thing that I do know is that we will not surrender.

[talaniman]

They shoot theirs we shhot ours end of conversation!

[Dr D]

"The Man in the High Castle" (1962) is an alternate-history novel about a post-war United States controlled by the Axis. It was written by Phillip K. ****, whose novels were the basis for "Minority Report" , "Blade Runner" and the new film "A Scanner Darkly". The computer would not print his last name which is short for Richard.

[ScottGem]

This would have been really something. But thanks for the schedule time Starman. I have a question for you all. In reading this, I remember having a converstion with with of my classmates at one time where he mentioned a writer, whose name I cannot remember. He has published books on how the world would be if the opposite had happened, going back to the War?

Harry Turtledove (one of my favs) is the acknowledged master of alternative history. He has written a series of books stemming from the premise that the South won the Civil War. He also has another series postulating an alien invasion in the middle of World War II. But nothing starting from Germany and/or Japan winning WW II. I would suspect that other authors have attempted such story lines.

[StuMegu]

If you were in a situation where the enemy had a vastly superior weapon (nuke) and were prepared to wipe out each of your cities until you surrendered, you (as a president or prime minister etc.) would be forced to surrender, I don't care who you are.

In those circumstances it would be 100 times worse not to - what's the point of managing a country with no citizens. Every next city destroyed would effectively be your fault once you had refused to co-operate. How many lives is it worth? Remember, as the enemy, you don't know how many of these things they have, the next day they could drop 20 bombs.

[Fr_Chuck]

AT the time of course it was more the race to see who would make the first bomb

But look at Viet Nam and at Iraq today, how many people want to leave and quit because a few thousand soldiers have been killed, and because many a few dozen children have been killed.

What if 300,000 men, women and children were all dead and many more dying that there were not enough hospitals in the US to hold them.
How many people would say, hey we don't care if they drop another one, lets keep on fighting??

I think it would not take much of a major invasion on the US before a large part of the US would be demanding we give up.

[magprob]

Well, I guess we would have had Shushi a hell of a lot more quick than we did!
I love Shushi and I eat it till my gills turn green! Just don't get any of that green stuff, wasabi, up your nose. Wow, One time I got too much and I started to sneeze and cough at the same time and somehow it went in the wrong pipe and into my nose at which time I proceeded to hack half chewed crispy squid roll all over the Shushi bar. Coupled with the fact that we were in Hollywood in a swank Shushi bar it just didn't go over to well.

[Jonegy]

I think it would not take much of a major invasion on the US before a large part of the US would be demanding we give up.

Too true. The first turncoats probably being politicians and the business men behind them - who would not be wanting to lose their businesses or their money.

As the Nazis invaded each country, it wasn't long before alternative governments were set up - and at the end of the war - all the old family businesses were still sat there.

An interesting concept crosses my mind now.

The underground fighters who did a lot of sabotage and killing during their countries occupation -- could they in today's terms be called "insurgents"?

Funny ole world... innit??

[phillysteakandcheese]

At the risk of going even further off course...

The attached PDF file came to me as an e-mail making fun of how the D-Day Invasion would be covered by the modern media. It mocks a lot of recent history and it is funny to read, but when you really think about it, it rings all too true.


I came across this post on Shoutwire the other day...
http://www.shoutwire.com/comments/19428/World_War_Three

The line "...doomed to have massive wars every 100 years..." really makes you think.

:(