AANW - Stalemate

[John Dusk]

Though the treaty with the Reich is horrific, what else could Molotov and the Politburo plausibly do that wouldn't end in their deaths and massive reprisals against Soviet cities behind the Urals by the Luftwaffe?

Not really a stalemate on the Soviet Unions part, as they will decrease in population drastically over the next 20 years or so.

In terms of active combat it is a stalemate since the only fighting the Rump USSR was involved in was dealing with partisans along the frontier. The depopulation was a result of genocide and not warfare.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Hmm... without the Germans in North Africa whatever happened to Lloyd Fredendall? For some reason I thought his fingerprints would be on Spider. But seeing Clark and Montgomery's career dead ended I can live with that.

I'm still at a lost to how the rapist known as Beria even thought he could take over the Soviet Union.

 

[Asp]

Well that was some Game of Thrones stuff.

Can't imagine what the mood must have been like in that Moscow conference room. Half jubilant and half as depressed as human beings can be without dementors being involved

 

[John Dusk]

What official did the Reich send to Moscow to sign the treaty?

 

[Ryan]

What official did the Reich send to Moscow to sign the treaty?

Ribbentrop would be cruelly ironic.

 

[SsgtC]

Ribbentrop would be cruelly ironic.

Something tells me, that is exactly who Hitler would send. Just for that final, extra bit of cruelty

 

[Whiteshore]

Did any prominent Soviet generals and/or politicians commit suicide after the signing of the treaty (either to avoid being handed over to the Germans or due to the disgrace of losing so badly (or both))?

 

[Asp]

Something tells me, that is exactly who Hitler would send. Just for that final, extra bit of cruelty

Be a pretty natural extension of what he did in France, getting the exact rail car the Treaty of Versailles was signed in and using that.

 

[SsgtC]

Be a pretty natural extension of what he did in France, getting the exact rail car the Treaty of Versailles was signed in and using that.

Exactly. And people call the US petty. Hitler could give lessons on the subject

 

[Donald Reaver]

Though the treaty with the Reich is horrific, what else could Molotov and the Politburo plausibly do that wouldn't end in their deaths and massive reprisals against Soviet cities behind the Urals by the Luftwaffe?

In terms of active combat it is a stalemate since the only fighting the Rump USSR was involved in was dealing with partisans along the frontier. The depopulation was a result of genocide and not warfare.

Genocide is war, without one side being able to fight back.

 

[pieman97405]

I'm still at a lost to how the rapist known as Beria even thought he could take over the Soviet Union.

Ego is a heck of a thing.

Anywho, enjoyed the update.

 

[wcv215]

I kinda thought there was a bit more of a civil war in the USSR, or is that still coming?

 

[GDIS Pathe]

I'm still at a lost to how the rapist known as Beria even thought he could take over the Soviet Union.

In the absolute chaos that resulted in wake of uncle Joe's death he probably had a shot at winning just not a very good one

 

[galveston bay]

Happy to see this and I am looking forward to more

 

[CalBear]

Hmm... without the Germans in North Africa whatever happened to Lloyd Fredendall? For some reason I thought his fingerprints would be on Spider. But seeing Clark and Montgomery's career dead ended I can live with that.

I'm still at a lost to how the rapist known as Beria even thought he could take over the Soviet Union.

Well, IOTL he was pretty close to pulling it off. After Stalin's death Malekov was named Premier with Beria named Deputy Premier (not exactly a heartbeat from the Premiership, but close). That suited Beria just fine because he could get Malekov to do just about anything that popped into Beria's head (Malekov survived all that time close to Stalin because he was never seen as a threat by "the Boss").

Ironically, what took Beria out wasn't his perversions, it was his willingness to talk to the West. He was in favor of trading territory for economic aid (call it a delayed start Marshall Plan), telling aides that returning Kaliningrad to Germany, even allowing German reunification and allowing the Baltic States independence (at least as independent as Poland and Hungary) and effectively ending the Cold War in return for a massive sustained aid package would be in the Soviet Union's best interests. That was what got him arrested and executed for treason.

 

[CalBear]

I kinda thought there was a bit more of a civil war in the USSR, or is that still coming?

The Civil War itself was fairly late, although there will be a section on the breakdown of control along the new frontier.

 

[galveston bay]

Ironically, what took Beria out wasn't his perversions, it was his willingness to talk to the West. He was in favor of trading territory for economic aid (call it a delayed start Marshall Plan), telling aides that returning Kaliningrad to Germany, even allowing German reunification and allowing the Baltic States independence (at least as independent as Poland and Hungary) and effectively ending the Cold War in return for a massive sustained aid package would be in the Soviet Union's best interests. That was what got him arrested and executed for treason.

I was unaware of all that, I had thought it was reasonable unmitigated fear. interesting.

 

[Jim Smitty]

Still I kind of want to know what happened to Fredendall?

 

[CalBear]

Still I kind of want to know what happened to Fredendall?

He's sitting in Casablanca having a coffee.

 

[Whiteshore]

Did any prominent Soviet generals and/or politicians commit suicide after the signing of the treaty (either to avoid being handed over to the Germans or due to the disgrace of losing so badly (or both))?

Answer to this, @CalBear?