Pre-ww2 soviet borders with a defeated Germany.

[Saladan]

Out of curiosity is there any way for the USSR to keep it's prewar borders and not have lost ww2? Basically Poland, the Baltic states, and East Prussia remain unchanged or at least don't lose any territory to the Soviet Union. along with the Soviets staying out of Eastern Europe (by force if necessary).
I could Imagine that Stalin has to never have come to power or at least died.
Also if this does happen then what are the effects?

[yourworstnightmare]

If there was no Operation Barbarossa, or if the Soviet army had not been able to drive out the Germans, and the Western Front become more important. All these are pretty close to ASB though.

[stevep]

Originally Posted by Saladan

Out of curiosity is there any way for the USSR to keep it's prewar borders and not have lost ww2? Basically Poland, the Baltic states, and East Prussia remain unchanged or at least don't lose any territory to the Soviet Union. along with the Soviets staying out of Eastern Europe (by force if necessary).
I could Imagine that Stalin has to never have come to power or at least died.
Also if this does happen then what are the effects?

Saladan

Only way I could see would be if Russia was either defeated or suffered far worse and the Germans were still deep in Russia when the allies end the war with a series of nuclear strikes. If say there is enough strength and cohesion in the Communist state plus it has sympathy for its struggle against the Nazis that it can regain most or all its pre-war borders. [Probably pre-39 rather than pre-41].

Anything with a conventional victory in Europe almost certainly needs a dominant Russia in the east, which means their sphere of control and almost certainly their borders will move significantly westwards.

Steve