Input on This World War II/World War III Scenario?

Delta Force

Banned
Suppose the Manhattan Project fails to produce an atomic bomb in time for World War II (perhaps even suffering a major setback such as a meltdown at Hanford and/or Oak Ridge), and the Commonwealth and United States go ahead with Operation Downfall. Massive casualties ensue, and the balance of political power shifts in the United Kingdom and United States. There is still an insurgency in Japan tying down troops, but otherwise the forces are demobilizing. Then something like the Korean War occurs. What happens next? Would it be realistic for the Soviet Union to try to take advantage of the situation, perhaps even launching an invasion of Western Europe or attempting to provoke revolution there?
 
If the Bomb failed, there was no real need for Downfall to be executed. Japan was going to surrender shortly in any case. Between famine, winter, bombing, blockade, & the Sovs, it was over. The question was, how many Japanese had to die before the High Command got the message.:eek:
 
Greater WALLY casualties during the invasion of Japan would leave East Asia far more vulnerable to expansion by communist forces out of Russia or China.
Korea would have been a total loss for WALLIES.
France would have lost control of Indo-China several years earlier.
Dutch would have lost control of Indonesia earlier.
 

Delta Force

Banned
Would it be more realistic for there to be more isolationism in the United States and more of a willingness for the Soviet Union to go on the offensive in the early years of the Cold War under these conditions?
 
Would it be more realistic for there to be more isolationism in the United States and more of a willingness for the Soviet Union to go on the offensive in the early years of the Cold War under these conditions?

Not for "the early years of the Cold War". Stalin's main pre-occupation at this time was consolidating his gains, rebuilding the war-torn Soviet Union, and preparing the USSR for the possibility of conflict with the west (like pursuing the atom bomb and such). Now later on, a more isolationist US could lead to more aggressive Soviet expansionism...

If you couple the OP's PoD with a less-devastating Barbarossa then you wind up with a more powerful USSR which may feel like throwing it's weight around sooner.
 
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