Stalin's Doppelganger

I’ve been mulling over an idea inspired by this thread:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=171404

Stalin hid out in his dacha when the Nazis invaded. POD When the delegation from the government comes to ask him to take over, he thinks they’re there to arrest him so he shoots himself (unlikely I know, but there it is). The potential successors (I’m thinking Molotov/Beria but I don’t know for sure) decide that the country needs Stalin so they decide to use a double (did exist, but slightly later) and carry on as if nothing’s changed, at least until the immediate crisis is over. ‘Stalin’ can always request honourable retirement/die valiantly leading the glorious Red Army/just plain die when he’s outlived his usefulness. Reaction? The workers of the Soviet Union will of course believe the plain truth as given to them by their trustworthy government. Other countries are run by fascist butchers or lying imperialist oppressors so obviously their lies about Comrade Stalin won’t be believed.

Where are the holes in this idea? They must be there. I’ve been thinking it over but can’t find any that I don’t think can’t be dealt with.
 
The military is the biggest hole as anyone who has met Stalin before will soon know its not him, and the generals/marshals aren't going to fall into line so easily as party apparatchiks and Beria's buddies

Best regards
Grey Wolf
 
The military, mmm, yes. What if they're part of the scheme? You know, "Comrades! We hang together or we hang seperately. If everyone knows Stalin's gone, the country will implode, the Germans will win and you're all out of a job and probably life too."
 
Stalin hid out in his dacha when the Nazis invaded. POD When the delegation from the government comes to ask him to take over, he thinks they’re there to arrest him so he shoots himself
Instead of shooting himself he might have a stroke brought on by
the stress. Alternatively someone might have managed to poison his
food (or drink) by indirect methods.
 
A stroke at a moment of high stress is possible. He was really paranoid, but poison's a possibility too, if a low one.
But what about after, with the doppelganger? What/who could stuff it up for the puppeteers?
 
He was really paranoid
Sometimes the schemes paranoids implement to beef up their personal safety are so extreme that they start to work backwards.. enhancing their risks . Kinda like the exaggerated precautions hypochondriacs use to implement...
 
The military, mmm, yes. What if they're part of the scheme? You know, "Comrades! We hang together or we hang seperately. If everyone knows Stalin's gone, the country will implode, the Germans will win and you're all out of a job and probably life too."

Yes, the senior leadership would have to be involved.

I can see them cutting a deal with Molotov & Beria easily enough: You stop shooting our officers (up to and including marshals) for reporting anything less than total success and we'll win the war for you. After the war... is after the war. We'll deal with that then.

The post war power struggle would be... interesting.

If the Allies knew Stalin was no longer in control (impossible to hide it from them for long; say a year tops), would Lend-Lease to the USSR be impacted?
 
I was thinking the double would only have to last six-twelve months. After that the country should stay together with "new" leadership.
As to foreign governments, I think the British are stuck. They'll HAVE to support this arrangement or their only big ally stands a good chance of disintegrating. Once they've signed up,they're part of the secret and have to keep the charade going. The first "Stalin" meeting post-invasion with British diplomats would be interesting (August, I think)
"Molotov, we know he's not Stalin!"
"And, Mr Ambassador? What are you going to do about it? And where's our supplies? Do you want us to cut a deal with Hitler?"
".....!!??"
Lend-Lease, I'm not sure. If the charade holds together long enough, I think the US will similarly have to support "Stalin" in case the USSR signs a cease-fire with Germany.

I'm thinking the problem is going to be who tries to take over and when. As soon as ONE of the main players believes the country will beat Germany, there's going to be a nasty power struggle. Late 1942 is my best guess, but anyone got a better idea?
 
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