How would Beria handle the Great Patriotic War?

[redjirachi]

Foreward: I am aware that while not impossible/ASB, Beria succeeding Stalin at all feels unlikely. I am also aware that if anyone in Stalinist Russia is more evil than the man himself, it's Beria. This is more asking what would he do in a certain situation/what if someone replaced Stalin. Let's say that shortly before the end of Operation Barbarossa, Christmas 1941 to be exact, Stalin feels like celebrating but after he's had one too many vodkas he somehow has a heart attack and dies. Lavrentiy Beria someone manages to succeed Stalin. How would he deal with the rest of WWII compared to Stalin? What would he try to accomplish with the eventual victory?

 

[Captain Homicide]

Considering Stalin briefly considered making a peace deal of sorts with the Reich after Barbarossa it wouldn’t surprise me if Beria did the same and sought terms like Molotov in AANW.

 

[tonsofun]

I imagine it would be handled worse than Stalin. Instead of reportedly doing nothing while Germany invades like Stalin did, we'll find out that Beria was more concerned with hiding the body of his latest victim to worry about the Germans invading.

 

[Cudymcar]

Beria was a minor figure until 1946. He was never Stalin's confidant, contrary to what the Beria Myth (created by pissed old bolsheviks) tells us.

 

[HelloThere]

Beria wasn't a major figure during the war. He only rose to prominence after it. So my guess would be: He would handle the Great Patriotic War six feet under.

 

[BlackDragon98]

Mr Pedo Rapist Secret Police Chief would be destroyed by the German invasion.

He was nobody until he wormed his way into Stalin's confidence after the war.

It's like the equivalent of having Himmler as commander in chief of the Wehrmacht and SS.

Complete collapse.

 

[MickCz]

Beria wasn't a major figure during the war. He only rose to prominence after it. So my guess would be: He would handle the Great Patriotic War six feet under.

I don't think this is correct.
According to Wikipedia, Beria was in charge of wartime production of armaments, aircraft and aircraft engines, thereafter he was in charge of the Soviet atomic bomb programme.
Whilst he was an appalling human being, he was a superb organiser who "got things done", at great cost to others but done they were.
I think it unlikely he would have tried to direct military operations himself, but would have got the best man for the job; effectively no change.
I don't think he would have sought peace terms from Germany...too dangerous politically.
So...not much change from Stalin for some time.
Once the Soviet Union is winning and Beria is a figure on the world stage of Great Power games he would probably seek substantial reparations from Germany which would be unified and neutral.

 

[jamesownz]

Didn't they accuse Beria of trying to push Stalin to make a deal with Hitler right before they shot him? Lol