WI Operation Long Jump succeeds

was it even a real thing?

Result: nowt. The war would have carried on to it's conclusion with the victims replaced by their deputies.
 
Wh would replace Stalin actually? Never really thought about that... Malenkov?

Tough to predict in the long haul. Initially there'd be some sort of ambigious group of several senior Politburo members. Similar to 1953 when Stalin died. After a few months of frantic political manuvering and back stabbing we'd have a winner.
 

Deleted member 1487

Wh would replace Stalin actually? Never really thought about that... Malenkov?
I'm thinking Molotov as a figurehead with Beria being the real power behind the throne considering the power balance within Stalin's team at the time. Molotov was recognizable and AFAIK in good stead with the public and more importantly with their Allies abroad, which is probably the more important point during the war. Since Beria had enormous power as head of the internal police, he'd probably dominate as he did IOTL after Stalin's death, which until in the 1950s probably won't lead to him being purged any time soon if at all given that he wouldn't have made the same faux pas with the rest of the team by that time, nor would he have given up his role in the NKVD yet, while Doctor's Plot wouldn't have happened and damaged his standing. I don't think him not being as yet a full member of the Politburo would impact the 'real politik' power within the USSR at war, especially given his critical importance in several areas of the conduct of the war.
 
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