Stalin has a stroke during Winter War, lingers on like Lenin

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Deleted member 1487

What if Stalin has a Lenin-like stroke during the course of the Winter War, say late 1939-early 1940 and lingers on for a while maimed by it. What happens within the USSR then?
 
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What if Stalin has a Lenin-like stroke during the course of the Winter War, say late 1939-early 1940 and lingers on for a while maimed by it. What happens within the USSR then?

Not a whole lot. At this point everybody is scared shitless of Stalin and they will fear this is a ploy to test their loyalty. They will fear that Stalin will turn against anyone who tries to govern in his place, leaving the USSR paralyzed. That's the kind of atmosphere of fear Stalin has created at this point. Everybody would be better off if the stroke just killed him.
 
I would think that someone would would work up the courage to kill him at some point. But I guess it depends on how debilitating his stroke was, if it's not a major one he might be afraid of someone offing him there could be a new round of purges.
 
I suspect that Stalin dies from complications very quickly--VERY quickly. I bet that a 7.62 mm brain hemorrhage is the most likely complication; I bet you didn't know that was a likely side effect of a stroke.
BIG fight over who gets power, of course.
 
I would surmise that people around him would assume actual power, with Stalin remaining as a prop figure head. Frankly, he may never really be allowed to "die", insofar as after he has died, they may pretend he is still alive and ruling the nation.
 
What if Stalin has a Lenin-like stroke during the course of the Winter War, say late 1939-early 1940 and lingers on for a while maimed by it. What happens within the USSR then?

very interesting point for Stalin to be incapacitated. are you envisioning him being able to say yes or no to peace treaty?

whatever group running the government is going to want Winter War over, possible Allied entry, mistrust of Germany, no neutrality pact with Japan yet?
 

Deleted member 1487

very interesting point for Stalin to be incapacitated. are you envisioning him being able to say yes or no to peace treaty?

whatever group running the government is going to want Winter War over, possible Allied entry, mistrust of Germany, no neutrality pact with Japan yet?
That's my question: who is in charge, is Stalin even allowed to linger on, and whomever is in charge how do they handle the international situation?
 
The Soviet leadership might very well press on against Finland, regardless what the Finns offer, in order to install their puppet government, as that was the last thing Stalin ordered, and everyone would be too scared to do otherwise.
 

Deleted member 1487

The Soviet leadership might very well press on against Finland, regardless what the Finns offer, in order to install their puppet government, as that was the last thing Stalin ordered, and everyone would be too scared to do otherwise.
If he is unable to actually conduct business, would they really be afraid of him? Though might Beria start a purge of his own to puppetize Stalin like Stalin did to Lenin?
 
If he is unable to actually conduct business, would they really be afraid of him? Though might Beria start a purge of his own to puppetize Stalin like Stalin did to Lenin?

Who else is there? Molotov maybe? Everyone else has been purged.

Tensions might normalize with Japan a little faster (though they were on that way anyways), a lot of people seem to think that Stalin was heavily involved in instigating the Manchurian border clashes.
 
So when Molotov comes to Berlin November 1940 to talk what happens then?
Does The Soviet Union press Romania in June 40 as in OTL, do they take Buknovia too"


The Soviet leadership might very well press on against Finland, regardless what the Finns offer, in order to install their puppet government, as that was the last thing Stalin ordered, and everyone would be too scared to do otherwise.

That seems like a good thing for the Soviet Union, worth a TL in itself however I wonder if that hurts Allied/Soviet relations to the point that Lend Lease is reduced? If the Germans liberate parts do they create their own puppet government?
 

Deleted member 1487

So when Molotov comes to Berlin November 1940 to talk what happens then?
Does The Soviet Union press Romania in June 40 as in OTL, do they take Buknovia too"
Does Molotov even get dispatched? Perhaps they are willing to make a reasonable offer that doesn't piss off Hitler and the Axis pact actually happens. IOTL Hitler was convinced by Stalin's offer via Molotov that the Soviets were just going to backstab him at first chance; who knows how things change.

Who else is there? Molotov maybe? Everyone else has been purged.

Tensions might normalize with Japan a little faster (though they were on that way anyways), a lot of people seem to think that Stalin was heavily involved in instigating the Manchurian border clashes.
There were several people on Stalin's council at that point, can't remember the names ATM.

Not sure what anyone else might do against Japan.
 
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