I was so disgusted in class yesterday (the lesson) I nearly puked (REALLY)

[Sarge]

umm yeah but by that time the Soviets had already kicked the ass of Germany, Europe's strongest, most industrialized nation

The Russo Japanese was was in 1903 or 04. The Russians got their asses handed to them, badly

[rincewind]

The Russo Japanese was was in 1903 or 04. The Russians got their asses handed to them, badly

Yep. I believe it was 1904-05. The Russian navy got the **** kicked out of like they didn't realize was even possible. Russia also lost some land (along with a lot of face) over the fiasco - it was the first time an Eastern country had defeated a Western country in the modern era.

[DCSaints_fan]

AS a whole, I don't think the Japanese were to worried about the Soviets. Read up a bit on the Russo-Japan War, the first time an Asian power kicked the ass of a European power

http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm

As other posters mentioned, the Japs got their buts whipped courtesy of Zhukov in '39, so I think that more recent experience would be more relevant.

However, that was fought totally on land, so I'm not sure how much the IJA respected Russian amphibious naval, aerial and amphibious capability. It would seem that the power that already proved they could beat them even on their "sacred soil" (Iwo Jima, Okinawa) would be the more feared one

[Tastes Like Chicken]

If you want a biased opinion of the Japs, ask an older chinese guy what he thinks of them. You will see some serious hate.

Did you know that 'Japs' is a term that is considered offensive to those of Japanese descent?

[PCS]

To help emphasize the above comment, I direct those who may use that term to search it out and realize just what it means. It's not about PC. That's relatively new phenomenon. The term has been considered a slur for quite some time now. Something to think about.

[Koolblue13]

I just thought it was a reduction of sorts, slang. I didn't (nor do I understand why) know it was offensive. Sorry y'all.

[Prosperity]

The Russo Japanese was was in 1903 or 04. The Russians got their asses handed to them, badly

I realize that, but it was 40+ years before we are talking about. Around the time of Japanese surrender Russia had already beaten the crap out of Germany which was the strongest European country before WW2.