AHC: Anglo-Soviet special relationship

Here's an interesting idea. Have the postwar British Empire and the Soviet Union have close diplomatic, economic ties, and military, and have this close relationship continue even under Conservative governments. The basic idea is to have the USSR tacitly supporting the British Empire (and maybe also the French) as a counterweight to the USA. Such an alliance would appeal to both radical socialists as well as conservatives worried about Britain's declining influence on the world stage and hoping to encourage the Soviet Union to tone down their support for anti-colonial movements.

The whole colonies and imperialism thing might be a bit of an issue, but it's not as if the USSR, especially under Stalin, wasn't capable of some spectacular ideological U-turns when Realpolitik was concerned. It wouldn't be too hard to bastardise some of the things Marx said about India to justify a "progressive imperialism" view of the colonies, although that's likely to upset a lot of radical leftists, and would probably be seen as a betrayal by 3rd world Communists (the Trotskyists would also likely have a field day).

One possible PoD might be a Labour or Lib-Lab government in 1935 willing to take Bevan's calls for an Anglo-Soviet pact to contain fascism seriously.
 
This could only happen with a common enemy and that would be Germany, especially of the Nazi variety in OTL 1930's.

Other pre-conditions:

  • No Stalin or Trotsky as Soviet leader
  • Isolationist America
  • Earlier abandonment of appeasement by UK
 
Lol at the Conservatives going along with this.

On the Labour side, the Attlee administration did actually consider closer ties with the USSR, using the slogan "left can talk to left." Nothing came of it.
 
Even somehow ignoring ideology, Russian/Soviet geopolitical ambitions are in direct conflict with the Anglo-French own interest in maintaining the security of their empires (and, later on, access former empires' resources). So it just doesn't work on several levels...

A temporary alliance in the 30s/40s to contain and/or destroy a revanchist Germany and/or expansionist Japan are certainly possible, but once those threats are subdued the alliance is going to come apart.
 
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Even somehow ignoring ideology, Russian/Soviet geopolitical ambitions are in direct conflict with the Anglo-French own interest in maintaining the security of their Empire (and, later on, access former Empire's resources). So it just doesn't work on several levels...

A temporary alliance in the 30s/40s to contain and/or destroy a revanchist Germany and/or expansionist Japan are certainly possible, but once those threats are subdued the alliance is going to come apart.

Of course, once Germany is no longer a threat, then alliance will have no reason to exist.
 
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