AHC: USSR and USA as allies?

Would it be possible to get the USSR and the USA to become long term allies in global politics (without having a communist USA)? I doubt the US could play well with Stalin for very long, but lots of things can happen to Stalin. Obviously, if the US and the USSR are the only majr powers they will be in competition, is there any chane of a third power arising to challenge them? Perhaps a stronger, more hostile British Empire or united Europe? Or is this ASB?
 
This is a long shot, but perhaps an isolationist America lets Japan run rampant in the Pacific. The Japanese Empire claims northern China's natural resources by some method or other, thus the Japanese now pose a threat to both the USA and USSR.

But after Japan's out, they'd go back to being enemies.
 
If Stalin dies shortly before or after the end of WWII, it's entirely plausible that the Soviet government cooperates more extensively with the US in setting up the postwar world. There was immense gratitude to the US for Lend Lease and respect for its industrial might and wealth. A lot of Soviets hoped the postwar period would be better than the Stalinist one prior to the war. From 1945-1947, Stalin kept beating up his own diplomats for agreeing with the US so much and kept pushing them to not agree with American proposals.

Any Soviet official would want some kind of arrangement in Central Europe that afforded them protection and got some kind of loot, but without Stalin, it's entirely possible some arrangement could be worked out.

If Soviets allow the Polish government in exile to come back and allow free elections in Europe, agree to participate in Bretton woods and other postwar institutions, and the US makes available some economic aid and famine relief, then a beneficial relationship might develop.

Stalin needs to be dead though, and the sooner the better (even going back into 1941).
 
If Stalin dies shortly before or after the end of WWII, it's entirely plausible that the Soviet government cooperates more extensively with the US in setting up the postwar world. There was immense gratitude to the US for Lend Lease and respect for its industrial might and wealth. A lot of Soviets hoped the postwar period would be better than the Stalinist one prior to the war. From 1945-1947, Stalin kept beating up his own diplomats for agreeing with the US so much and kept pushing them to not agree with American proposals.

Any Soviet official would want some kind of arrangement in Central Europe that afforded them protection and got some kind of loot, but without Stalin, it's entirely possible some arrangement could be worked out.

If Soviets allow the Polish government in exile to come back and allow free elections in Europe, agree to participate in Bretton woods and other postwar institutions, and the US makes available some economic aid and famine relief, then a beneficial relationship might develop.

Stalin needs to be dead though, and the sooner the better (even going back into 1941).

I agree with this overall, but disagree with the last sentence on the sooner, the better. IMO, the later the better should be the catchphrase with Stalin's death. If you have Stalin die in the darkest days of 1941, the power struggle that breaks out will probably collapse the Soviet Union. I think the best best is to have him die either in 1944 or early 1945 when the Soviets are basically guaranteed victory. That way, the power struggle doesn't turn into an existential threat and a military junta probably has the best chance of taking power (or Molotov, perhaps?) From what I understand, Beria was a dead duck as soon as Stalin died, but I could be wrong there.
 
Stalin dies... The western allies get dirtier in their fight against anti-colonial militants... Possibly resulting in the nuking or gassing of several colonial cities or committing congo style genocides across the world.

Basically the cold war is fought between the soviet-american alliance vs Western europe and their overseas possessions.
 
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