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So the POD is the Communist Party Congress of 1934. In our timeline Sergei Kirov received the least number of votes against him, while Stalin received the most in the Central Committee elections. A group of senior leaders was said to have approached him about replacing Stalin as leader but he declined, less than a year later Kirov was assassinated. So what if Kirov does take this opportunity and becomes Soviet leader? Does Stalin go quietly or does he rally supporters and divide the politburo into rival camps?

Assuming Kirov comes out on top of any leadership battle, what path does the Soviet Union take from then on? perhaps greater emphasis on civilian consumer production, and there are certainly no purges of the army. How does this affect WWII, would Kirov sign the Pact with Hitler as Stalin did, would his more sane leadership prevent the surprise attack or lead to a better defense with all the still living officers? This could go either way however, perhaps without the iron (or steel...) leadership of Stalin, the nation crumbles under the weight of the invasion.

A lot of questions obviously...I think the Red Army would have been the real winners here, surviving the 1930s intact. I'm sure he was by no means a saint, so this is not to suggest the USSR would become a Socialist utopia but I think the people in general would have had a better quality of life with a leader less bloodthirsty and paranoid.
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