Lenin Lives Longer

Tetsu

What if Vladimir Lenin's health had been much better than in our timeline? Let's say he survives until 1946, and dies of old age at the age of 76. What effect might this have on the USSR's [and indeed the world's] history?
 

DoleScum

I think I agree with George Orwell who said that Lenin would have turned it Stalin anyway. But...
1. Perhaps he would have been more keen to surrender to the Germans in 1941. After having negotiated the Brest Letovsk treaty he might have sued for peace and again signed away the Ukraine, Belorussia, the Crimea and the Baltic states to Germany.
2. Trotsky would have retained a much greater influence in the government of the USSR, so presumably we would see much more commintern activity, which may have embroiled Russia in another war between 1919 and 1939.
 

mishery

Continuation of NEP? Possible long term economic benefits for USSR?

No purges of the Army, better military situation on outbreak of war with Germany? Of course whether there would be a war and when is up for grabs.

Collectivization of agriculture? Probably something like it still happens but maybe not so drastic and badly done?

Nationalities policy? More independence for union republics?

Role of Trotsky - interesting...yes possibly more comintern activity and possible wars destabilising the USSR. Ends up with communist military dictatorship with NEP type economics?
 

Wozza

In one of Michael Moorcock's books Lenin is alive in 1973!

Lenin was hardly a repressed liberal just waiting to break out of his wheelchair and hug kulaks.

What would have been removed was Stalin breaking the golden rule and turning on the other Old Bolsheviks.

I imagine there would still be collectivisation and SOME purges. It is unclear whether he would have turned on the military.
 

Count Dearborn

Stalin would forced out of the party, as would Trotsky. Khrushchev comes to power sooner. Most likely leading to a much shorter Cold War, and a USSR with a better infrastructure.
 

Smuz

POD: Lenin recovers from strokes.

Possibly Lenin recovers only to find that half the Party has purged the other half in the power struggle, and he has to either hurriedly fall in line and become a puppet for Stalin, or openly side with either the Left (Trotsky) or the Right (Bukharin) of the party to stop Stalin. My guess would be an attempt to rally the older intelligentsia of the party, followed by a removal to a secure hospital (or a generic soviet "auto accident") and the same Stalin. If Lenin was to stay in power, he'd need to recover when there was at least one non-Stalin branch left. So he'd be pressured into following something along their interpretation- possibly no socialism in one country, possibly gentle persuasion of the peasantry with a longer period of NEP.

Of course, I do tend to socio-economic history and trends rather than great men. What am I doing answering this? At 2 in the morning?
 
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