Comments by "Steve Valley" (@stevevalley7835) on "HMS Berwick - Guide 217" video.

  1. In 1898, the US took the Philippines and Guam from Spain, but left the balance of the Marianas and Carolines in Spanish hands. In 1899, Spain sold the Marianas and Carolines to Germany. During WWI, Japan took the Marianas and Carolines away from Germany, and held them trough the interwar years under a League of Nations mandate. What if the US, in 1898, had perceived that having the islands astride supply lines from Hawaii to the Philippines in the hands of potentially hostile powers was dangerous, and demanded Spain hand over the Marianas and Carolines to the US, giving the US control of points of interest such as Saipan, Tinian and Truk. While the Japanese could overrun any island in those areas as easily as Guam or Wake, it would take time and resources, possibly inhibiting other operations. How would the US controlling such a wide swath of the western Pacific impact the situation in 1942?
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