I have to write an essay on the Polish-Soviet War, and, during my research, I came along something that struck me as a possible POD; the Battle of Lwow (today's Lviv), in which the Soviet 1st Cavalry Army and assorted other forces fought a Polish defensive force over a month-long period before managing to cross the Bug River and actually besiege the city. This prolonged cross-river battle effectively destroyed the 1st Cavalry Army. While the battle itself was significant, what I'd really be aiming at is to preserve the 1st Cavalry Army.
So, POD and general outline: The weather is much better in mid-June, 1920, allowing the 1st Cavalry Army to make better time towards Lwow In consequence, the Poles have only two (compared to the original four) regiments raised by the time Budyonny's forces arrive, allowing him to cross the river after a week of fighting. Reinforced by Red Cossack detachments in mid-July, Budyonny takes the city by the end of the month, allowing him to move north to reinforce Tukhachevsky's forces at Warsaw (incidentally, Stalin is discredited for his ineffectuality in the face of one of his sub-commander's success). With the 1st Cavalry Army intact, the Battle of Warsaw is won by the Soviets, forcing Poland to surrender after a few more months of determined fighting. A rump Poland is established, leaving the Soviet Union in a much better situation logistically and politically. However, as OTL, both nations are exhausted by war, and on the downside, an even more powerful Red Scare sweeps the industrialized world.
The discredited Stalin is eventually purged (as in, he has his card taken away, not as in he's killed) from the Party after Lenin's death, leading to a fractious, highly divided Politburo that nevertheless is slightly tilted in favor of the Right Communists. Trotsky is eventually exiled politically and is replaced as War Commissar by Tukhachevsky, keeping the Left Communists not weak, but less strong than the Right Communists. The USSR industrializes with depth and at a much gentler pace, while retaining a superior officer corps in the Red Army. Communism (a much lighter and softer form than OTL Stalinism, though still fairly authoritarian and occasionally extremely unpleasant) spreads into Eastern Europe slowly, sponsored by the Soviet Union. At the same time, however, Fascism grows quickly in southern and central Europe, leading the democratic world powers to eye the two ideologies with great unease and sponsor politically-fractious and authoritarian, but essentially republican, Germany against both. Will feature an early Space Race and an earlier, if rather strange, development of computers.
So....anybody interested?
So, POD and general outline: The weather is much better in mid-June, 1920, allowing the 1st Cavalry Army to make better time towards Lwow In consequence, the Poles have only two (compared to the original four) regiments raised by the time Budyonny's forces arrive, allowing him to cross the river after a week of fighting. Reinforced by Red Cossack detachments in mid-July, Budyonny takes the city by the end of the month, allowing him to move north to reinforce Tukhachevsky's forces at Warsaw (incidentally, Stalin is discredited for his ineffectuality in the face of one of his sub-commander's success). With the 1st Cavalry Army intact, the Battle of Warsaw is won by the Soviets, forcing Poland to surrender after a few more months of determined fighting. A rump Poland is established, leaving the Soviet Union in a much better situation logistically and politically. However, as OTL, both nations are exhausted by war, and on the downside, an even more powerful Red Scare sweeps the industrialized world.
The discredited Stalin is eventually purged (as in, he has his card taken away, not as in he's killed) from the Party after Lenin's death, leading to a fractious, highly divided Politburo that nevertheless is slightly tilted in favor of the Right Communists. Trotsky is eventually exiled politically and is replaced as War Commissar by Tukhachevsky, keeping the Left Communists not weak, but less strong than the Right Communists. The USSR industrializes with depth and at a much gentler pace, while retaining a superior officer corps in the Red Army. Communism (a much lighter and softer form than OTL Stalinism, though still fairly authoritarian and occasionally extremely unpleasant) spreads into Eastern Europe slowly, sponsored by the Soviet Union. At the same time, however, Fascism grows quickly in southern and central Europe, leading the democratic world powers to eye the two ideologies with great unease and sponsor politically-fractious and authoritarian, but essentially republican, Germany against both. Will feature an early Space Race and an earlier, if rather strange, development of computers.
So....anybody interested?