WWII what-ifs

**Ironduke** · 19 Apr 18,, 11:40

Originally Posted by gunnut

Wow seriously? That's pretty awesome, and a serious post too, not one of my hijacking posts.

Yup, check out the link. :-)

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/sho...00#post1000000

**Albany Rifles** · 19 Apr 18,, 14:18

Originally Posted by gunnut

I remember reading about a scenario in which the Red Army didn't stop at Berlin, but continued to march west.

I probably have asked this before but what would have happened?

Red Army attacking the western allies in Germany in 1945. Western armies were not German forces Red Army was used to fight. Western armies would be well supplied and had firepower an order of magnitude greater than German army. US artillery may not be big but they show up fast and accurate. US tanks weren't the beasts like Tigers but there were thousands more and they didn't break down trying to make a right turn. USAAF ruled the skies and fielded thousands of advanced fighters piloted by experienced flyers operating in teams. West's bomber force was something the Red Army had never seen before.

Western allies defending against the Red Army would face a humongous artillery barrage followed by waves of large and capable tanks plus hordes of infantry. The individual training might not be as good as German soldiers but the continued pounding at the same point on the line would break it.

There would be an initial shock, followed by confusion, and then retreat west. How far would the Red Army get? Could the western allies form a cohesive defensive line before they get pushed into the ocean? Would this line be in France? Germany? Rhine?

I see the biggest problem for the Red Army would be that they could not mass forces to prepare a major offensive like they did against the Germans. Any troop concentration would invite thousands of bombers. They would not be able to move anything in daylight. Supply depots would be identified and bombed. The supply line into central Europe would be juicy targets. Soviet fighters would be ineffective after they use up high octane avgas from the Americans. Once the Soviet fighter force is gone, the ground forces would be open game for allied air power. But would that be in time before the Red Army pushed the Anglo-American army into the Atlantic?

What would happen to Japan without August Storm?

This scenario just popped into my head when I was taking a shower after my hockey game. I do a lot of thinking in the shower. Probably because the hot water is very relaxing.

In a word, they'd have gotten smoked. For many of the reasons you stated, yes. And that would have happened quickly. Also by November 45 the US had sufficient atomic bombs to start using against USSR.

The Soviet Union got most of what it wanted by occupying Eastern Europe and then politically...at first. The Comintern had infiltrated much of the Western European resistance movements as well as the trade unions. The Marshal Plan was as much to forestall the latter effects more than a desire to restore Europe.

It'd be bloody but in the long run the Soviet Union probably wouldn't exist west of the Urals, North Korea never would have come to exist, and Curtis Lemay would have been unleashed on the USSR.

**astralis** · 19 Apr 18,, 14:49

pretty sure in that scenario there wouldn't be a Soviet Union at all!

Stalin never took big risky gambles the way Hitler did.

by the way, welcome back gunnut. who knew the lure of the millionth post would get our resident threadjacker back doing what he does best!