USA stays out of World War 2

[englander1]

The sanctions that did the must damage to Japans economy and drove her to war where the ones imposed by the USA in 1940 in response to the invasion of Indo-China which where a mandatory embargo on the export of arms, munitions, aviation fuel, and other items deemed useful to Japan's war effort. They culminated in Roosevelt's July 25, 1941, order freezing all Japanese assets in the United States, thereby effectively shutting off all trade between the two countries. The major impact of this action on Japan was the immediate loss of virtually all oil imports. At that time 80 percent of Japan's oil came from the United States.

Once this had happened Japan was forced to push south to the East Indies and Malaya to secure the recourses it needed.

Question is would America have intervened in a military way if the Japanese only attacked the British and Dutch Empires?

I dont think they would but obviously the Japs didnt want to take that risk.

 

[bouscher]

Well, a large percent of the population in the US did demand an intervention in the war not to mention the fact that the Americans did send out help for the Allies before they officially joined the war. I do think that at some point the US would have joined the war, but without an event that made it happen faster like Pearl Harbor...it could have taken several more months....

 

[Newblue]

Imperialism would have continued is all...

Assuming Lend-Lease, which pre-dated the American declaration of war, I think the USSR and the Commonwealth would still have defeated Nazi Germany eventually, although more of Europe (all east of the Rhine?) would have been Communist or neutralized like Austria and Finland. As for Japan, they would have had a freer hand until the USSR got its war production into gear. Australia might even have been invaded, which might have stimulated some more war production and industrialization in India. I also assume that all sides would have been working on nuclear weapons as in OTL, so Japan would have eventually been defeated just the same, either by the Commonwealth or the USSR or both.

Net result: more communist satellites, no United Nations, continued imperialism by the USSR, the UK, France, Spain and Portugal.