Russian Civil War during WWII

Stalin must go. Perhaps he gets deposed right after Barbarossa and then things get interesting between NKVD and the Red Army.

Still, for this to work, a faction would have to cooperate with the invaders and I can't imagine who could be still available after 1937.
 
Mass German air attack sending literally the entirery of the Lufftwaffe with the sole intent of razing the Kremlin and killing Stalin?

Is such a thing theoretically possible?
 
Maybe if Leningrad falls early during Barbarossa and the Soviet counterattack is a costly failure Stalin overreacts and starts purging Stavka, prompting a cabal of generals to assassinate him and take over. With the leadership in disarray a power struggle ensues between the Red Army generals and the state security apparatus led by Beria just as the Germans arrive at the gates of Moscow.
 
If you are allowing for something within OTL WWII then I think various decisions of the Germans could have influenced nationalist sentiments in the Ukraine, Baltics, and the Caucuses that would see large factions (with our without direct German assistance) spring up into something resembling a civil war. Of course, given this takes place along side a German invasion I'm not sure that qualifies as a purely civil war.

If you are strictly asking about some kind of pre WW2 civil war, that's more difficult after Stalin consolidates power. It would be stretching, but perhaps some of the starvation tactics of the Soviets in the Ukraine push some peasant revolts into more widespread revolts with local militias. If this managed to spread into other regions, I'm not confident the Red Army wouldn't do more harm than good if deployed this close after or within the purges. Many high ranking commanders might see the writing on the wall and decide opposition to Stalin is more survivable than just waiting your day in Kangaroo court. Even with these uprising, I'm not sure where their support comes from since German isn't likely to isolate the source of various military and resources agreements mutually helping both regimes at this point. Poland might like the chance to avenge some of the angst of the 1920's conflict but wouldn't dare openly support even a neighboring Ukrainian uprising. Something would have to stir up the large Soviet urban centers, to the point where the Red Army splits and the country again falls into White versus Red factions.

But lets present a Russian Civil war ongoing around OTL WW2. So in 1939, German still wants Russian resources but doesn't fear a two front war. The Western allies also couldn't wager on Russian support at all, versus some hope of this in OTL prior to the non-aggression pact. Does this embolden them to make a stand sooner, or potentially the opposite and not make a stand when Germany invades Poland? Maybe everyone is focused on the Russian civil war during the late 30's to the extent that Hitler's plans are put on hold as the powers funnel support into the conflict. The UK surely would try to help the whites, and the French would follow suite. Maybe Germany would try for a third nationalist faction ala Spanish Franco, versus such open cooperation with Britain and France. Then again, he seemed to crave British approval so perhaps he would welcome a chance to lure the West into some kind of lend-lease volunteer pact to 'Crush bolshevism in Europe once and for all'.
 
Mass German air attack sending literally the entirery of the Lufftwaffe with the sole intent of razing the Kremlin and killing Stalin?

Is such a thing theoretically possible?

Moscow had a extensive bomb shelter system. A group of undergrond fortresses as it were. This included the subway system which connected the shelters. Elevators and stair wells in the Kremlin led straight to the shelter entries.
 
If you are allowing for something within OTL WWII then I think various decisions of the Germans could have influenced nationalist sentiments in the Ukraine, Baltics, and the Caucuses that would see large factions (with our without direct German assistance) spring up into something resembling a civil war. Of course, given this takes place along side a German invasion I'm not sure that qualifies as a purely civil war.

This would require the Nazis to not be genocidal maniacs intent on exterminating the peoples who live in those countries, so not likely unfortunately.

If you are strictly asking about some kind of pre WW2 civil war, that's more difficult after Stalin consolidates power. It would be stretching, but perhaps some of the starvation tactics of the Soviets in the Ukraine push some peasant revolts into more widespread revolts with local militias.

There were minor revolts and disorganized banditry during the Great Famine but unfortunately all the peasants are disarmed and starving while the state security apparatus controls all the guns and food.
 
This would require the Nazis to not be genocidal maniacs intent on exterminating the peoples who live in those countries, so not likely unfortunately.



There were minor revolts and disorganized banditry during the Great Famine but unfortunately all the peasants are disarmed and starving while the state security apparatus controls all the guns and food.

Well true enough, but there is the suggestion that foresight or perhaps strategic prioritization could have changed some overarching policy to have an effect. Obviously, the decisions taken by the German's in the East versus West were conscious decision, albeit despicable racial ones in regards to the annihilation tactics employed as they moved through Poland, then Russia. Brutality was never to be avoided, but I think it feasible that if a strategic objective could have been reached through a more tolerant if not a false liberation type campaign was undertaken. By the end of the OTL war, German manpower shortages had caused all kind of compromises to their doctrines and millions of Russian pows were put into service. If the right motivations were there, in which strategic victory was much more likely through this 'kindler gentler' approach I think it at least within the realm of possibility. Politically look at the outright betrayal of ideology they made with the M-R non-aggression pact. They put aside their racial stupidity for the larger strategic goal at hand. Its amazing the level of OTL cooperation (forced and unforced) they were able to attain given their maniacal rape and pillage tactics, I have to imagine even slightly less brutal, let alone (again temporary or even staged) leniency toward the soviet populations they overran early in Barbarossa wouldn't' have been even more eager to use the Germans to fight and toss out the soviet regime.

As for a pre-war scenario I largely agree. External help is needed, and unlikely given the time period.
 
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