Quote:
Originally Posted by Méo
Well I don't think it's a valuable argument to compare Japan with other western societies (even Germany of that time).
Among all the Japanese military (and even the civilian) there was the Bushidō spirit (which is a hard thing to understand but it was part of their culture). Many (if not most) of their military leaders who saw their country on the way to defeat wanted to create a huge Seppuku (or harakiri) for the whole Japanese people.
Some are gonna say that Germans were as radical as the Japanese but I don't think so. The German society of that time (altough not as revolutionary as the French) were still a western society (they were not all SS). So I think that the effect of few nuclear attacks on Germany would have been greater.
Even then, I'm not sure if it's worth to speculate on which island or place they could have invaded or what U.S. would not be able to do. There are just so many imponderables.
I agree with you in some case, a competent German leadership has prove itself in defeating France. IMHO, this competent leadership could have win the war in western Europe with quick campaigns, but I don't see how they could have conquered the whole world.
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The Allied bombing of Germany was much more devastating than a few of the early A-Bombs could be, yet the Germans still fought on. The difference between dropping such weapons on an enemy that has been defeated militarily and is on the brink of collapse and an enemy that is victorious elsewhere (Short of dropping so many of them that it will completely destroy their ability to fight), is that a defeated enemy will be pushed over to surrender, while an undefeated one would just be galvanized to keep fighting in order to avenge their countrymen and defeat those that bombed them.
Speculating on which island could've been invaded and what the US wouldn't be able to do is perfectly worthy. The question was whether Germany could win the war, they could. Of course nothing is certain in war.
Note that I said they could win the war
to some extent. Conquering the world would be highly unlikely, but gaining a final, favourable peace was IMO within their power had they been led properly.