Meanwhile, the West was largely ignoring events between the other two major blocs, as they were focusing instead on economic matters. This led to advances in air-based technology, meaning that the air forces of Britain, France, and the United States gradually came to inherit fighters and bombers that were far advanced over those of, say, the Soviets or Nazis. The jet engine was quickly developed into a staple technology, and while the Communist and Fascist nations eventually picked up on it, the West retained a large advantage in this area.
Naval power remained fairly evenly split between the three major blocs, the Arab bloc collapsing fairly soon after its formation, leaving nothing of consequence behind. Italy picked up on a German strategy from the Great War some thirty years earlier, and became experts in the areas of dirigibles, particularly their use in warfare. Nazi and Soviet specialties lay in their tank designs, with Nazi battle strategy also proving ridiculously effective in a border dispute with Communist Poland. Japanese and Spanish power lay largely in their navy, mainly in grand battleships.
By the time 1953 rolled around, the major powers were largely all at the same technology and military power level. The Soviet Union had annexed most of Eastern Europe, with a few notable exceptions such as Greece and Turkey. The Nazis and Soviets frequently got up in arms over border disputes, mainly along the former Polish border, which threw the League of Nations into a frenzied effort to stop the fighting, mainly through threats of economic sanction by the wealthier Western countries.
Eventually, though, Japan and China ran against each other, over Burma. China wanted to spread Communism to Burma, while Japan wanted to establish their own control over the country. Neither nation would back down, despite a trade embargo against Japan by the US.
It was only a matter of time....
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