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This was covered somewhat in a more general discussion on no WWII, but I wanted to run this by the board more generally:

What would become of Stalinism and the Soviet Union's regime in general if it hadn't become embroiled in a war in Europe? In the linked discussion, we cover a lot of very good things that happen for Russia -- much more people alive, the next Five Year Plan looking to boost consumer goods, etc -- but yesterday, I came across another idea entirely. From Iron Curtain, by Anne Applebaum:
But by the late 1930's, Stalinism was in crisis too. Standards of living were not improving as fast as the party had promised. Poorly planned investments were beginning to backfire. Mass starvation in the Ukraine and Southern Russia in the early 1930's, while of some political utility to the regime, had created fear rather than admiration... [The Great Terror] caused profound disquiet at home and among communists abroad. In due course, the Great Terror might have led to real disillusion. But Stalinism -- and Stalin -- was fortuitously rescued by the Second World War.
Does this analysis make sense? If so, does that mean a TL without WWII in Europe could see Stalinism, and possibly the communism itself, collapse in the USSR earlier than OTL?
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