How far could a surviving Anglo-Japanese alliance change or delay the Second World War?
Short answerIt depends on which survival route occurs: Japan may remain within a cooperative order, while an early Jutland victory could transform Germany's postwar settlement and its explanation for defeat.
NotesA stronger Four-Power guarantee could give Japanese leaders more reason to accept naval limits and remain aligned with Britain, France, and the United States. An earlier end to the First World War would also change Versailles, German politics, and the memory of military failure. If Germany blamed its naval challenge and blockade rather than civilian betrayal, later strategy might avoid another direct contest with Britain. These variables do not support a single new date or outcome for the Second World War. The conflict's Asian component also begins in 1937, before the usual Eurocentric starting point of 1939. Fighting in China from 1937 also left Japan less prepared for its later war.