japan v. germany

who would win in a war between these two in the world war two time period.

Uh, Germany's on one side of the world, Japan on the other. Wouldn't happen. Ever. Not by themselves anyway.

In WW1, Japan seized German colonial possessions in the pacific, but then again those are little islands.

But, if they were to (by magic) to go right beside each other, there woudl be various factors. The Germans were able to muster together 3 million troops and drive into Russia. That said Japan used he same amount to beat back 4-5 million in China.

So really, it wouldn't happen.

No contest.

Ninjas pwn Nazis.

(This claim is made with a complete lack of any relevant historical knowledge.)

@ Panda

It's a hypothetical, obviously. He wasn't asking if it was possible, he's asking what if.

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Germany would destroy Japan. It would be absolute annihilation. Germany did a pretty good job of fighting all of Europe and Russia at the same time - I'm sure it would succeed easily against a small country like Japan.

ummm Japan would win because Japanese people are so much cooler
and Germany wouldn't make it without Hitler so there is no contest

At 10/24/2009 6:20:31 PM, Nags wrote:
Germany would destroy Japan. It would be absolute annihilation. Germany did a pretty good job of fighting all of Europe and Russia at the same time - I'm sure it would succeed easily against a small country like Japan.

"Small country like Japan"? That is a fairly inaccurate representation of Japanese power.

Here's some numbers: http://en.wikipedia.org...

Obviously, Germany has bigger numbers served - 18.2 million, to be exact. Japan had about 8.4 million serve - smaller, but hardly "small."

Gief a little more information. Who starts the war over what?

At the time, Japan was extremely isolated in the pacific, and its main power was naval. Assuming that Germany and Japan were the sole combatants, I think that Germany likely would have won. Consider how close Germany was to developing the atomic bomb before their defeat, and consider the Battle of Britain, as well. One of Germany's biggest strengths during this time was its Air Force, the Luftwaffe. Japanese air strength was hardly anything to be impressed about, a harsh contrast to Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF).

During an assault on Japan, Germany would likely have softened up the Japanese through aerial bombardment, since getting tanks to the mainland would have been difficult without having first charged through the Japanese Naval fleet, which, while possible, would have taken far too much time, and would have ruined the shock value of the famous Blitzkrieg tactic. While Ships like the Bismarck and the Tirpitz would have been able, in combination with German U-Boats and naval destroyers, to crack down on the Japanese fleet, it would clearly have left them with a significant number of losses that may have turned the tide negatively in the pacific (at least, from a German standpoint).

Furthermore, let us say that, in the absence of other aggressors, the Germans may very well have completed the atomic bomb, which, as we all know, was the primary factor which led to the surrender of the Japanese.

In summary, I would contend that Germany would easily overwhelm the Japanese technologically, numerically, and strategically. Germany lost mainly due to the multiple aggressors, and the regrettable decision to open a two-front war (something Hitler had hoped to avoid, as that was what helped to defeat Germany in World War I), and if the Germans had been able to concentrate all of their efforts on the Japanese, instead of being forced to divide their forces, there is no doubt in my mind that Hitler would have faced a simple victory indeed.

I contend your issue of air supremacy favouring the Germans, Cody. The Japanese were also quite easily advanced with their own fighters, developed separately from German technology, that could have rivaled German fighters. The Japanese Zero is a good example of this.

And, assuming that the geographical locations of Germany and Japan stay the same, Germany would have had a tough time keeping the Luftwaffe supplied, while Japan had many at-hand resources and good coastal and air defenses.

But, you're quite correct about the nuclear bomb aspect.

At 10/24/2009 7:36:06 PM, Volkov wrote:
I contend your issue of air supremacy favouring the Germans, Cody. The Japanese were also quite easily advanced with their own fighters, developed separately from German technology, that could have rivaled German fighters. The Japanese Zero is a good example of this.

And, assuming that the geographical locations of Germany and Japan stay the same, Germany would have had a tough time keeping the Luftwaffe supplied, while Japan had many at-hand resources and good coastal and air defenses.

But, you're quite correct about the nuclear bomb aspect.

The problem is, in their desperation against the Americans, the Japanese had to resort to Kamikaze techniques, due to holes in the efficacy of the Japanese Air Force; it's clear that, with the German War Machine requiring several countries to bring it down, Japan would have been sorely lacking on its own merit.

America could not have brought down the Third Reich on its own, very likely. They took heavy losses during the war, despite entering extremely late in the conflict. On a general scale (at a 1:1 national ratio), Germany>America>Japan. Of the 3 Axis Powers, Germany was clearly the superior.

Furthermore, I've already noted that it would take a bit of time to carve through the Japanese fleet, but that it would be quite possible, especially after the aerial 'softening-up' process, and naval powerhouses like the Bismarck, Tirpitz, and U-Boats. With Germany's naval powers, it wouldn't have been such a difficult matter to keep the Luftwaffe sufficiently supplied. And, even assuming that the Japanese somehow fended off the naval/aerial assault, there's no way that Japan could have beaten Germany, a landlocked country insensitive to naval attack, on its own. It wouldn't have had the resources, the manpower, or any technological advantage. When it comes to ground combat, the Germans would have, for lack of a better term, beaten the bloody sh!t out of the Japanese. You can't fault me there.

And yeah, the atomic weapon would have definitely been a big trump card for Germany.