# Could the Axis Powers have won WWII?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-axis-powers-have-won-wwii/630891>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 8, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-axis-powers-have-won-wwii/630891 "2012-08-08T19:05:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 7

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-axis-powers-have-won-wwii/630891/121 "2012-08-16T13:11:34Z")

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> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> Because it’s not _plausible_ and the point of an interesting hypothetical is something which is within at least reason and simply not Monday morning quarterbacking at best, or something completely nutty which is what we’re seeing here.  
> The repeated assertion that Japan \*should \*have attacked DEI, because they \*should \*have known it would not have crossed the line into war fails because not only because it’s stupid but also because it can be shown historically that the Japanese had this option and never seriously considered it? Ever wonder why?
> 
> The Japanese felt that attacking DEI would lead to war with the US. That’s simply a fact. Now, if you want to argue that they should have attacked anyway, that’s another argument, and as I wrote above, other posters have said it would have been a terrible strategy. But to continue to simply argue that it was equivalent to materially different situations on the flimsiest of pretense is being deliberately obtuse.

It is plausible. This is a hypothetical.

It isnt stupid and the fact that the Japanese never did it counts as meaningless in a hypothetical.

Finally, many think that by not attacking the USA- by getting it’s OIL from the DEI, Japan could have continued it was in China without any outside interferance.

You seem to confuse what DID happen with a\* hypothetical what could happen. \*

Clearly the \*actual Japanese plan was complete disaster for them. \*There must be some way they might have come out better, and that can pretty well only include not attacking America. Now, maybe the Japanese believed the Americans would react with war if they grabbed the DEI (but note the USA did not react with war after Japan took French Indo-China). But party of a hypothetical includes _maybe they were smarter this time._

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-axis-powers-have-won-wwii/630891/122 "2012-08-16T18:12:02Z")

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> [@TokyoBayer](#):
>
> The Japanese felt that attacking DEI would lead to war with the US. That’s simply a fact. Now, if you want to argue that they should have attacked anyway, that’s another argument

No, that’s what you’re wrong about. It’s not another argument. It’s this argument. That’s the topic of the thread. What if the Axis had made different decisions in the war?

But you keep arguing that Japan did attack Pearl Harbor and explaining why they did it. We all understand that topic. What you apparently don’t understand is that we’re trying to discuss a different topic.

If you don’t want to join us in the topic of this thread, go start another thread.

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