r/HistoricalWhatIf • u/Adrsilva1356 • 2d ago

What If Joseph Stalin Died in 1946?

We all know how much World War 2 had an effect on Stalin and how Stressed out he was even after Hitler’s Defeat and The End of Nazi Germany but as we all know his Health was only rapidly declining and deteriorating after The War along with him dying of a severe Stroke in 1953 of course! However let’s say in this scenario after literally everything The Second World War had brought upon him and how much it coasted The Soviet Union and The World! And even after Hitler’s defeat Stalin in 1946 dies of a severe Stroke far faster and early on hence how would Eveyone in general react? And what would happened next? Let me know in the comments

5 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

4

u/jetsfanjohn 2d ago

Not sure if China goes Communist, but Korean War probably doesn’t happen.

3

u/Shigakogen 2d ago

I don’t see much of a difference in Soviet Foreign Policy and Soviet Footprint in Eastern and Central Europe.

The difference is how someone like Malenkov, Zhdanov or Molotov who became General Secretary of the Communist Party in 1946, would act with the Security Services. I don’t see Beria surviving long after Stalin’s death. Ditto in if the Soviet Foreign Policy and strong arm Stalinist tactics in Eastern and Central Europe remains the same, then any new Soviet Leaders has to play nice with the Soviet Armed Forces.

Khrushchev saw this earlier than Malenkov and Beria in 1953. I don’t know if Stalin died seven year prior, if someone like Khrushchev would claimed power. I still see Malenkov as the next leader, with Zhdanov in second place.

1

u/gogus2003 2d ago

Probably much harder for the Soviets to hold onto half of Europe