Not really. Japan was a homogeneous nation, with the added advantage of having an Emperor. If the Emperor said quit fighting, then quit fighting it was.
Germany likewise was a homogeneous nation. The occupying forces didn't have to worry about the Bavarians trying to blow up the marketplaces of the Saxons.
The true lesson here was the lesson of Vietnam.
Thank you for a post other than looking to blame Bush or Obama for the Iraq failure. They want to see the war in political election terms. This war is a FU mutually supported by both parties voting for it.
Perhaps we are talking about different lessons. In my lesson, neither Japan or Germany would have lasted as the "homogeneous nation" you refer to for more than a few weeks without U.S. occupation. Both were severely strained if not nearly wasted, starving, and in the case of Japan very short on ammunition and incapable of anything more than a suicidal self-defense. Significantly, the very large hungry Russian bear was poised on both doorsteps.
We might agree on the lesson of Vietnam, however, if you concede we stabilized the area but then (via a leftist Democrat Congress) cut off support. Two years later, in 1975 NVN was able to shake off its damage, was finally able to rebuild a combat force and thereupon violated the peace accords.
>> The true lesson here was the lesson of Vietnam <<
Yes, for sure. After Nixon’s ferocious bombing campaign in late 1972/early 1973, we more-or-less won in Vietnam. The north Vietnamese agreed to a peace settlement that left our Saigon allies in reasonably good shape. Maybe we shouldn’t call it a “”victory” — but it was a stalemate that could have lasted indefinitely with a modicum of U.S. assistance.
But then, thanks to Watergate and Nixon’s subsequent disgrace, the libs in Congress (including especaily Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper of Kentucky) were able to forbid all military aid to SVN. We couldn’t even give medical supplies to ARVN, much less tactical air support.
In other words, we didn’t lose SVN. We gave it away, just as President Ø has given Iraq away.
What lesson from Vietnam, to be like Obama and the left?