The Battle of Midway was a great thing, but don’t think there was any question about who was going to win the war. The Japs had a great front line, but they had no depth.
Yamamoto speculating on the results of an attack on Pearl Harbor: “In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success.”
He was right, it was six months.
Churchill reflecting on having heard of the attack on Pearl Harbor: “Now at this very moment I knew that the United States was in the war .... So we had won after all! ... Hitler’s fate was sealed. Mussolini’s fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to a powder. All the rest was merely the proper application of overwhelming force.”
He was right, it was overwhelming force.
“He was right, it was overwhelming force.”
*
You’re right. But, it’s beneficial to keep a few things in mind.
*if not for the bombs (little boy, fat man) we would have been faced with a couple of unfavorable alternatives; invade with the probability of as many as 500,000 casualties or more. Or, accept a negotiated peace.
*in the European Theatre; we were the arsenal for the allies and the Soviets provided the troops. They were the meat grinder that chewed up German troops, about 20M. Not to belittle American sacrifices, I lost an uncle and older cousin, but our 400,000 casualties in both theaters is small when compared to Soviet losses. However, without us the Nazis would have conquered Europe and forced the UK to capitulate and accept some sort of negotiated settlement which Hitler would have violated at first opportunity for sure. So, I’m not minimizing the US role.
The manufacturing capabilities between Japan and the USA were night and day.
The war started with the Japanese having 15 “carriers” (some were really seaplane tenders). They only built two new carrier during the entire Pacific war, the IJN Taiho and the IJN Shinano. They lost them ALL.
Meanwhile, the USA had 7 major carriers (CVs) by Dec 1941.
We lost 5 major carriers in the war (one to the Germans, a sub attack off the Canaries).
By August 1945, we had over 50(!) carriers.
Again, during the same time period, Japan made two.