What Comes After A Third World War in 1948?

kernals12

Banned
Let's imagine that the Berlin Blockade escalates into World War 3. There's a lot of disagreement on this site about how it would go. I personally am in the Allied Victory camp because nukes. I think a more interesting question is what happens next once the Soviet Empire is reduced to a heap of radioactive ash?
 

A. Danov

Banned
50? Make that 100, at least. At the end of ww2, the US controlled something like 2/3 of the world's industrial capacity. If Stalin went full stupid in 1947, expect that figure to hit 80%+ by the time the A-bombs stop falling.
 

kernals12

Banned
50? Make that 100, at least. At the end of ww2, the US controlled something like 2/3 of the world's industrial capacity. If Stalin went full stupid in 1947, expect that figure to hit 80%+ by the time the A-bombs stop falling.
If China grows as fast as Taiwan did iotl, it would be less than 40.
 

Deleted member 94680

Let's imagine that the Berlin Blockade escalates into World War 3. There's a lot of disagreement on this site about how it would go. I personally am in the Allied Victory camp because nukes. I think a more interesting question is what happens next once the Soviet Empire is reduced to a heap of radioactive ash?

Not if the Soviets start the war.

Depends on the level of retaliation and the respective numbers of dead. The Soviets may have started it, but if the nutters like LeMay get to decide where the bombs fall, in years to come it won’t be too hard to see the rest of the world thinking America might have gone too far.
 

kernals12

Banned
Depends on the level of retaliation and the respective numbers of dead. The Soviets may have started it, but if the nutters like LeMay get to decide where the bombs fall, in years to come it won’t be too hard to see the rest of the world thinking America might have gone too far.
The point is not retaliation, it's to wipe out the Soviets' ability to wage war.
 

kernals12

Banned
So what border changes would occur? I think Finland would get Karelia, and China would get eastern Manchuria and the Uli Valley back. And it goes without saying that all the Soviet Republics would be given independence.
 

kernals12

Banned
And since in 3 global wars in as many decades, Liberal Democracy will have crushed Monarchism, Fascism, and now Communism, we will be as close as we can get to Francis Fukuyama's End of History. There will be a belief in a manifest destiny to impose Liberal Democracy all over the world. I think the UN would be made into the world governing body that was originally envisioned IOTL.
 
I don't see China getting anything, at least if Mao is running things. If the USSR ends up getting curbstomped with lots of mushrooms, the Chinese Communists are all alone in the world. Chiang is crap, but I can see him getting enough support to have a divided China. Certainly the USA is not going to let the Chinese Communist get any gains at Russia's expense once that is over. Frankly having used Mr Atom to rearrange Russian geography, against Mao & co. who will have no way to stop a B-29 from going anywhere to drop an egg, it's likely back to Yunan for him. As a side effect, the Kim dynasty in North Korea simply ceases to exist. Absent Soviet and Chinese support sooner or later the ROK folks will tidy up that little problem.
 

kernals12

Banned
I don't see China getting anything, at least if Mao is running things. If the USSR ends up getting curbstomped with lots of mushrooms, the Chinese Communists are all alone in the world. Chiang is crap, but I can see him getting enough support to have a divided China. Certainly the USA is not going to let the Chinese Communist get any gains at Russia's expense once that is over. Frankly having used Mr Atom to rearrange Russian geography, against Mao & co. who will have no way to stop a B-29 from going anywhere to drop an egg, it's likely back to Yunan for him. As a side effect, the Kim dynasty in North Korea simply ceases to exist. Absent Soviet and Chinese support sooner or later the ROK folks will tidy up that little problem.
It's 1947, China is still in Nationalist hands. Once the war starts, the Allies will fight tooth and nail to make sure it stays that way.
 
Well in 1947, things are not going well for Chiang...however after the big show is over, no communist anywhere is going to be allowed to run a country
 

kernals12

Banned
Well in 1947, things are not going well for Chiang...however after the big show is over, no communist anywhere is going to be allowed to run a country
I believe it wasn't until midway through 1948 IOTL when it became clear he was going to lose.
 

xsampa

Banned
What would be a triumphant US' attitudes towards decolonization? IOTL, we pressured the Europeans to give up their empires in part because we wanted their colonies to become our pawns in the Cold War. But with a US busy managing the former Russia, China and other communist states and seeing less need to give in to domestic forces that favor decolonization since they "won history", would Europe be left to manage a slower withdrawal?
 

kernals12

Banned
What would be a triumphant US' attitudes towards decolonization? IOTL, we pressured the Europeans to give up their empires in part because we wanted their colonies to become our pawns in the Cold War. But with a US busy managing the former Russia, China and other communist states and seeing less need to give in to domestic forces that favor decolonization since they "won history", would Europe be left to manage a slower withdrawal?
The world became all about self-determination after 1945, so Decolonization was going to happen one way or another.
 
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