Qymaen

Probably would have saved us from the ****load of trouble that was the 1950s to 1990.

sturm

The costs would have been even worse. USSR as you perfectly know had a considarable amount of troops and machines at the end of the war. They still had the power to inflict enourmous damage on the allies.
Besides defeating USSR, wouldn't necesserily mean that China for example, won't be a communist country, and wouldn't support other countries like North Korea.

Qymaen

True, but the very reason for the Cold War would have been avoided. No nation would have had the power, resources, and money to build Atomic weapons without US help or information. Sure the USSR did it by 1948 (1949?), but if they were involved in a war with the Allies I doubt they would have had the time, or the experienced scientists (many of whom were captured Nazis), to work on the great project.

sturm

Yes USSR wouldn't have had the ability to construct a nuclear weapon that fast if the union was attacked by the allies after the defeat of Nazi Germany.
However, the allies after the defeat of Nazi Germany still had Japan to deal with. Yes it was clear to everybody by that time that Japan will be defeated, but it was not entirely clear when. So the idea to use nukes, and by that force Japan to submission was passed. If those nukes were used on USSR, would USSR capitulate? Would Japan surrender? Bare in mind that USSR was like three times bigger in territory then USA.
There are many questions, but what im talking about is that the land forces of the allies in Europe, would have to make advance in East, where they would have meet the rather huge Soviet army, an army which would be also with high moral since the victory over Germany.

Qymaen

We shall have to continue this conversation after I get back from school. One of the perks of being 15.

sturm

With pleasure Qymaen, i will await your reply, have a nice school time (if it can be nice )

tjadams

Don't forget. The USSR was able to do what they did in concert
with the Allies taking on the Axis too. The USSR benefitted from Ally
support in war material as well. Take away all that, and fighting
up to three armies, and the Soviets have to rethink their options.

Qymaen

Would you mind if we continued this on Saturday? We'll have more time to fi- debate.

Good point.

plutoboyz

one shot wonders... like Simo Hayha you mean?

sturm

Yes of course without the help of the Allies USSR most likely wouldn't have been able to defeat the Germans, but this isn't the point. At the end of the war in 1945 USSR have rised a considarable amount of newer troops, and more military machines.
Only for the battle of Berlin the Soviet army used 2,5 milion men, over 6,000 tanks, and above 7,000 airplanes. However we put it, that isn't a small army, and it wasn't there whole army.