So, thanks to the popular vote, an Axis Soviet Union was the most popular choice.
Here is the first part to the scenario: What if, because of different circumstances, Operation Pike was carried out and made the Soviets join the Axis?
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Chapter 1
When the Second World War came to a close on June 2nd of 1946, the world let out a sigh of relief as the war in Europe that had taken the lives of millions finally stopped.
The war was nothing like anyone had expected. The Second World War, unlike the First World War, was filled with unexpected turn of events, questionable alliances, and betrayals that made the course of the war confusing and fluid. There was no fine line between good and evil, all countries that participated in the war made mistakes and promoted their own agenda. It is widely recognized that the United States was, perhaps, the least of the evil during the war, never officially declaring war on anyone first and making fewer mistakes than her allies in Europe and Asia.
Perhaps the most controversial mistake made by America's allies Britain and France was Western Air Plan 106, or better known as "Operation Pike", a joint French-Anglo operation to cripple the Soviet oil industry by bombing Baku and an attempt to slow down the German offensives in Europe by cutting their oil flow. At first, both the French and British government were reluctant on carrying out an operation to anger the Soviets, as Germany alone proved to be a headache. Despite the insistence of the bomber command that the strategy would hurt the Soviets badly for some time (indeed, the bombings did significantly damage to oil wells and slashed around 10% of total Soviet oil production_, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of Britain and President Albert LeBrun of France did not want to shove the Russian Bear closer to the Nazis. The two leaders believed that the Soviet Union was merely neighbors that supplied Germany, not an actual reliable ally of the Third Reich. That belief ended with the Winter War, which saw the end of the democratic Finland. Despite numerous pleas of the Finnish government to sue for peace, the Soviets rejected any attempts at negotiations, even avoiding back door diplomacy, and marched towards Helsinki after the Mannerheim Line shattered on March 1st (This was mainly because Stalin was furious that a small nation such as Finland had defied the Soviets for so long and caused thousands of deaths. As a result, Stalin ordered for the Soviet troops to break the Finnish completely and put pressure on the Finnish government for total capitulation). By the time Stalin opened talks for peace on March 12th, the Red Army occupied the city of Kotka, which was around 65 kilometers east of the Finnish capital. However, the capital was virtually undefended, as most of the Finnish forces were deployed on the Mannerheim Line, and the road between Kotka and Helsinki had no major obstacles or fortifications. And with the Soviets marching towards Helsinki just before the negotiations began, Finland got the message.
The formal treaty that ended the Winter War was signed on March 15th in Moscow. The terms were harsh, but with Sweden and Norway refusing Britain and France to transit their troops to assist Finland, the Finnish government saw little choice but to comply with the Soviets. It is rumored that Stalin himself dictated the terms to make sure that the Finns paid dearly for breaking the Red Army. The treaty, dubbed the "Treacherous Treaty" in Finland, basically handed Finland to the Soviet Union on a silver platter. The nation became a puppet of Moscow, forming the Finnish Democratic Republic, the first communist nations in Europe outside of the Soviet Union. Through the treaty and already planned procedures, Finland actually gained land in the east and barely lost any territory in the south. However, the independence and sovereignty the Finns held dear were taken away from them. Ruled by the ruthless Otto Ville Kuusinen, Finland would be forced to help its "ally," the USSR, during the Soviet offensive into the Middle East and the Russian defense from Nazi Germany by sending "volunteers." An exile government would be formed in London, along with a division's worth of Finnish troops that fought for the freedom of their homeland. Though the Finnish troops fought bravely, many would not live to see the liberation of their homeland from the clutches of the Soviets.
The hostile takeover of Finland convinced the British and French leadership that the Soviets were just as aggressive and dangerous as the Nazis themselves. As the result, the leaders gave the green light for their air force to bomb the Soviets to deter their aggression and slow down the Nazis should they invade France. Air fields in Syria were given top priority and armament shipments were sent early to speed up the process, as it was becoming evident that the Germans were gearing up for a possible offensive. On May 9th, through amazing efforts by Britain and France, the bombers were loaded and ready to fly. British and French bombers in Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq flew off toward Baku, with the intent of damaging the facilities as much as possible. The first raids were done in day time, with the bombers flying from the sea directly towards the production facilities. The Soviets were caught completely flat footed and the first round of raids managed to knock out several facilities, though it was far fewer than many had hoped. At this time, the Soviets were very confused about the attack, believing that it was a possible Nazi attack or an accidental attack on by the Allies (as several soldiers on the ground did manage to get glimpses of the planes). However, the following week was followed with several more bombings, setting fire to oil wells and flattening oil facilities. It became clear to Stalin that the raids were no accident, but a deliberate plot to sabotage the USSR. Furious, Stalin ordered the Soviet Air Force to counter these bombers and the anti-air craft guns to shoot the French and British out of the sky. Despite being on alert, the Soviet Air Force proved to be woefully slow and inept due to the lack of radar and the large amount of space the air force was forced to cover. In addition to this, the flak that the Soviet Union had were unable to shoot down the bombers that flew in high altitude. By the time the Soviets actually manage to form a coherent defense plan, the oil fields Caucasus were damaged and the oil facilities more so. The bombings didn't completely halt the flow of Soviet oil production, mainly because "strategic" bombing wasn't as accurate in 1940 as it was in 1945. But the deed was done, and the results were mixed. Normal explosives and armor piercing bombs did damage facilities, but they were repaired within months and didn't hamper production as much as expected. However, the incendiaries used by the French and British caused several oil fires that were uncontrollable due to poor oil fire fighting equipment at the time. As a result, various oil wells would be torched and the fire would go on for months on end. With the loss of 5 Bristol Blenheim bombers, 8 Martin Maryland bombers, and 1 Farman F-22 bomber, the French and British partially "completed" their objective. In fact, at the time, the French and British governments believed the damage to be more significant than it actually was, which convinced them to believe that the attack was worth it and would slow down Germany and economically drag down the Soviet Union.
But the biggest question was, what now?
Great Britain and the Third French Republic would get their answer soon afterwards. On May 21st, while France was being invaded, the Soviet Union declared that a state of war existed between the USSR and France/Britain. That very day, the USSR committed to a de-facto alliance with the Third Reich, though no troops from Russia poured into France to assist the Germans. The act was mainly a political one to show that the Soviet Union would not allow itself to be beaten around and only increased Soviet aid to Germany, mainly for Stalin to buy time to rebuild the damaged oil facilities and increase his forces. The captured documents showing the planning for Operation Pike just before the fall of France only cemented the relationship between the USSR and Germany, as both showed large disdain for France and Britain, giving proper justifications to declare war on both.
However, the declaration of war did lead to a new front. On June 28th, just a few days after the "fall of northern France, the Soviet Union rumbled south and declared war on Turkey and Iran, intent on taking revenge on the two nations for allowing the British and French to use their air bases. And with that, the USSR, unlikely as it was, joined the Axis and began a new chapter for the Second World War.