Germans crashing them in 1941?
The Soviets can't prioritize a war with the Japanese before the threat of Germany is dealt with.Not necessarily. Soviet pre-war army was pretty much crushed in the opening stage of Barbarossa and they still won. Less resources for the Red Army might (or it might not) result in smaller army but one with better quality. Or, in case of Stalin's Soviet Union, probably not.
On the other hand, better and larger Soviet Navy would mean actions of both German Northern AG and Southern AG would be quite different from OTL. And, of course, if priority of resources go to Pacific, then...
And they really don't need a good navy to fight the IJA in Manchuria and Korea, why do they need the fleet?The Soviets can't prioritize a war with the Japanese before the threat of Germany is dealt with.
In theory, any successful war against Japan is going to need to invade the home islands. Furthermore, having a fleet would prevent the Japanese from launching amphibious assaults.And they really don't need a good navy to fight the IJA in Manchuria and Korea, why do they need the fleet?
The Japanese would just bomb and or blockade Vladivostok. I just don't see the Soviets even being capable of equaling the Japanese navy even if they tried it would fail. Then once the fleet is destroyed the Japanese would be free to project power further than before, and Soviets would be less able to prevent it with a weaker army and a second lost war to Japan.In theory, any successful war against Japan is going to need to invade the home islands. Furthermore, having a fleet would prevent the Japanese from launching amphibious assaults.
That said, what we have here is a variation of the Sealion problem. The USSR can't build an army strong enough to withstand Germany (or the capitalist powers, which was another fear of the Soviets) and a navy strong enough to defeat the IJN. The only way to do that is to have a POD well before the Russian Revolution, which would radically change the circumstances of the 1930s. The army is far more important, for the reasons outlined in other posts, so having the navy be the center of focus is implausible. The only difference between this and Sealion is that the Soviets don't need to defeat other powers in order to take on Japan (like Germany does with Britain), so it wouldn't be impossible for them to neglect the army and build a massive navy. It would just be really stupid.
That is an interesting plan, but I don't think something Hitler would approve. Maybe some other leader takes control would do that though.my scenario is always that Germany (and Italy if they could be convinced to join in) encourages, builds, and in any other way possible facilitates a Soviet naval expansion ... the bigger the ships the better https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovetsky_Soyuz-class_battleship ... it is absolutely the biggest waste and mistaken strategy possible for USSR.
Axis could have stockpiled oil and grain far beyond historical, likely none of Soviet ships are completed by time of Barbarossa (if it happens), and it MAY entangle Soviets in war against Japan and/or Allied side.
my scenario is always that Germany (and Italy if they could be convinced to join in) encourages, builds, and in any other way possible facilitates a Soviet naval expansion ... the bigger the ships the better https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovetsky_Soyuz-class_battleship ... it is absolutely the biggest waste and mistaken strategy possible for USSR.
Axis could have stockpiled oil and grain far beyond historical, likely none of Soviet ships are completed by time of Barbarossa (if it happens), and it MAY entangle Soviets in war against Japan and/or Allied side.
That is an interesting plan, but I don't think something Hitler would approve. Maybe some other leader takes control would do that though.
Does Germany have the industrial capabilities to build Soviet ships and do their own re-armament? I honestly don't know.they sold detailed plans to Bismarck-class battleships under logic that (any) Soviet version would only be ready several years into the future so my scenario is only a grandiose version of that?
The Soviets can't prioritize a war with the Japanese before the threat of Germany is dealt with.