Theoretically how could the Soviet Union have collapsed or withdrawn from its puppet states (with a POD no earlier than Stalin's death) before 1991? What kind of effect would it have on American foreign policy and international relations generally throughout the 70's or 80's if the Soviets had been forced out of Eastern Europe or returned to isolationism? If they did just pull back instead of collapsing outright would the west seek to "finish the job" or just ignore them?Would left-wing politics in the present day be hurt because a major left-wing state had lasted less than 50 years or helped because memories of it would be more distant?