Western Allies tell Stalin they will not allow anything other than Russia to be claimed by the USSR

Deleted member 92121

The only moment later in the war where i could see the allies trying to stop the soviets would be Valkyre. After a succesful Valkyre, the Allies, fearing the rise of the Soviet Union as a global power accept a peace deal.

By July 1944 the soviets were entering poland, the Allies were still at Normandy and southern Italy, having faced relatively a small percentage of the german forces. At this point, with a non-Nazi(best case scenario a very anti-Nazi) regime in Germany, the Allies could possibly force the Germans to rennounce any claims to conquered territories(perhaps some land consessions to them?), in exchange for their nation being preserved. Now, the Allies know that Stalin isn't just going to stop his advance at this point, so they turn on him. Really the best possible moment to do so(and that isnt saying much).

The problem is, the Allies have just landed at Normandy. The most iconic moment in the war for the western allies(specially the americans, excluding Iwo Jima perhaps) just occured. For years now the Germans have been the bad guys, and for the Brits and french there isnt even a discussion. Would the american, the Brit, the Canadian, Australian, Indian, New Zeelander, and whatever just be ok with "Hitler was killed, we are friends with the germans now, don't worry they arent nazis. Now we got to go to Poland and fight the Russians. Yes the same Russians that have been fighting for years now and gone through hell and worst and come out strong. Don't worry about the germans really, they are nice now, they will punish all the nazis trust me".

So yeah, by July 1944, with succesful Valkyre, Germans accepting a best case scenario proposal, the Allies by some miracle actually being ok with fighting with the germans against the soviets and a lot of luck on the battlefield, maybe they could beat the USSR back to Russia. The bomb would certainly help.
 
The problem is, the Allies have just landed at Normandy. The most iconic moment in the war for the western allies(specially the americans, excluding Iwo Jima perhaps) just occured. For years now the Germans have been the bad guys, and for the Brits and french there isnt even a discussion. Would the american, the Brit, the Canadian, Australian, Indian, New Zeelander, and whatever just be ok with "Hitler was killed, we are friends with the germans now, don't worry they arent nazis. Now we got to go to Poland and fight the Russians. Yes the same Russians that have been fighting for years now and gone through hell and worst and come out strong. Don't worry about the germans really, they are nice now, they will punish all the nazis trust me".

Exactly. The Western leadership would be extremely unlikely to try to say this to their constituencies. Churchill, if he tried, would lose the support of Attlee, Bevin and their party, which he couldn't afford.

That said, it's not a given at all that the emerging new German leadership can come to terms in a short time with the Western Allies. They had entirely unrealistic ideas as to what their "reasonable" demands should be. The negotiations wouldn't be easy at all.

The above point is a certainty. As an additional risk, add that the Germans, even if they are now portrayed as being staunch anti-Communists, might very well consider encouraging a "bidding war": contacting the Soviets and negotiating on two tables. Which, if it becomes known, destroys their already shaky standing.
 
Assuming no outside support from any higher level commands? Probably favors the US battalion.

Definitely. If we look at official TO&Es and we round down the numbers of men slightly, we're looking at
800 men versus 500,
27 BARs, 14 MMGs and 5 HMGs versus 24 LMGs and 12 MMGs,
6 81mm and 6 60mm mortars versus 9 81mm mortars,
3 57mm ATGs and 27 bazookas versus 2 45mm ATGs and 9 ATRs,
plenty of motorized transport versus carts and wagons,
and, most importantly, significant communications capabilities versus runners and one radio or field telephone link to regimental HQ.

Add that the average Soviet battalion would be much more depleted than that, counting maybe 300 men; the average US one might be around 600.

All that said...

I find such 1:1 comparisons are rather fascile though, since in reality no sun-unit, unit, or formation would be operating in isolation like that even if we ignore air power.

...exactly.
 
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