Stalin Dies July 1st, 1942
- Thread starter Commissar
- Start date
Beria is the most likely. Maybe the army if Zhukov can get the support. Then again the army and NKVD may throw Russia back into a civil war. But my Money would be on Beria.
On how this effects the warI couldn't even guess.
On how this effects the warI couldn't even guess.
The most likely result:
The rest of the Politburo, realising that infighting would disrupt the war effort and thus be dangerous, would jointly rule until Germany is defeated. Anyone who does try to initiate a power-struggle would be ganged up on and executed as a traitor. The Army is too busy fighting the Germans and the NKVD is too busy keeping an eye on the army.
The rest of the Politburo, realising that infighting would disrupt the war effort and thus be dangerous, would jointly rule until Germany is defeated. Anyone who does try to initiate a power-struggle would be ganged up on and executed as a traitor. The Army is too busy fighting the Germans and the NKVD is too busy keeping an eye on the army.
Molotov is underused in alternate history.
With him in charge, the USSR might be like Yugoslavia, under the same man for decades and then rapidly coming apart once he dies.
I'll go with Beria as well. In 1942 the NKVD was powerful enough to simply disappear anyone who opposed him.
In 1942 Molotov was still well-connected with the Party bureaucracy, but I don't think he had either the charisma or raw political power to have grabbed the top seat and held it.
> Molotov is underused
Yes. Stalin made some bad decisions, then blamed Molotov for carrying them out to the letter. After Stalin died the Presidium found it convenient to blame Molotov for various blunders in diplomacy during the war.
Still, had things been a bit different... Molotov was a shrewd judge of character, a successful negotiator, and on a first-name basis with most of the USSR's friends and not a few of their enemies. As far as I can tell he successfully carried out every task he was assigned, even whoppers like making an alliance with Nazi Germany. Even now, that sounds like a ridiculously unlikely scenario...
In 1942 Molotov was still well-connected with the Party bureaucracy, but I don't think he had either the charisma or raw political power to have grabbed the top seat and held it.
> Molotov is underused
Yes. Stalin made some bad decisions, then blamed Molotov for carrying them out to the letter. After Stalin died the Presidium found it convenient to blame Molotov for various blunders in diplomacy during the war.
Still, had things been a bit different... Molotov was a shrewd judge of character, a successful negotiator, and on a first-name basis with most of the USSR's friends and not a few of their enemies. As far as I can tell he successfully carried out every task he was assigned, even whoppers like making an alliance with Nazi Germany. Even now, that sounds like a ridiculously unlikely scenario...
Which is why after Stalin's death, he was swiftly pushed from power.
It'll be Molotov. And the combination of--well, being him--and being in charge when they win WWII means that ol' Ironass is going to be there a long, long time.
Daffy Duck
Banned
My vote...he'd leave the fighting to the generals so he could spend more time with his favorite hobby, kidnapping young girls off the street...
Rule by committee? During a war?
Politically, yes. Militarily, they would probably let STAVKA do its thing and just make sure they are in the loop so the Army doesn't plot rebellion and be able to overrule any decision the Party doesn't like.
And I agree that Molotov is the most likely candidate to be the de-jure (and later de-facto, since he'll get some of the cred) head of the troika. Without Stalin, Beria is a very dead man...
Indeed people vastly overate the power of the NKVD. Assuming it's a monolith of sinister power and forgetting what an utter snake-pit it was, Beria in 1942 had rivals who'd be eager to replace him. And it should be kept in mind that every NKVD man after the 1920's up until just after Stalin death were purged, shot then replaced as soon as they were no longer ''useful''.
Like other posters, I feel that Molotov is the most likely to be head of a collective leadership during the war. Whatever power-stuggles take place laterin the Politburo will be long after the Thrid Reich is drowned in it's own blood.
I doubt that Stalin's death would have as much of an impact as many would think despite his cult, the U.S.S.R was never realient on one man to exist. Unlike say Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany.