WI: World War II in the Late 1940s-Early 1950s

What if World War II never took place between 1939-1945, and instead took place sometime between the late 1940s to early 1950s? Wasn't Mussolini's hold fragile, and close to collapsing? Who would become President of the United States after Harry Truman? Probably not Dwight D. Eisenhower. With later Japanese Invasions of Manchuria and China, would the KMT have defeated the CCP by now?
 

Deleted member 1487

What if World War II never took place between 1939-1945, and instead took place sometime between the late 1940s to early 1950s? Wasn't Mussolini's hold fragile, and close to collapsing? Who would become President of the United States after Harry Truman? Probably not Dwight D. Eisenhower. With later Japanese Invasions of Manchuria and China, would the KMT have defeated the CCP by now?
What's the POD?
 
Japan’s so nutty at this time, they’re guaranteed to spark at least a Pacific War.

Germany maybe if there’s a NOPE at the Rhineland and Hitler becomes just another strongman.

Stalin’s patient enough it could work, and the steamroller triggers.
 
Another decade of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet’s idiotic leadership mismanaging their economies would probably help a lot.

Everyone gets a chance to recover from the depression making militarization less stressful for the democracies, Austria gets a chance to recover which could kill support for Anschluss, Poland probably outgrows Germany by a good deal, Italy wastes money holding down Ethiopia, China gets a chance to kill the Communists and unify.

I’m sure a WWII could still happen, but I doubt the OTL Axis could last 6-8 years again without getting creative. It’s more likely they get crushed if they somehow hung on for that long.
 
Another decade of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet’s idiotic leadership mismanaging their economies would probably help a lot.

Everyone gets a chance to recover from the depression making militarization less stressful for the democracies, Austria gets a chance to recover which could kill support for Anschluss, Poland probably outgrows Germany by a good deal, Italy wastes money holding down Ethiopia, China gets a chance to kill the Communists and unify.

I’m sure a WWII could still happen, but I doubt the OTL Axis could last 6-8 years again without getting creative. It’s more likely they get crushed if they somehow hung on for that long.

It could end up being a Red/LibDem WWII after Nazi Germany collapses under its own economic weight and the Soviet Union sees an opening to loot resources to prop up its own failing economy...
 
Another decade of Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Soviet’s idiotic leadership mismanaging their economies would probably help a lot.
The Soviet Union's economy didn't start stagnating till the 60s my man. They were doing incredibly well for a country that had essentially been in world war I for 8 years (since there was basically no reprieve between it and the civil war). With the extra twenty million people not dying as they did in OTL they'd be in an even stronger position in this timeline.


Anyways this is a non-starter, because without the conquest of it's neighbors there is no way the Third Reich makes it past 1939 without their economy imploding.
 

Deleted member 1487

The Soviet Union's economy didn't start stagnating till the 60s my man. They were doing incredibly well for a country that had essentially been in world war I for 8 years (since there was basically no reprieve between it and the civil war). With the extra twenty million people not dying as they did in OTL they'd be in an even stronger position in this timeline.


Anyways this is a non-starter, because without the conquest of it's neighbors there is no way the Third Reich makes it past 1939 without their economy imploding.
There is a question of how well the USSR was actually doing, as it was discovered that the official and even lower CIA estimates of Soviet economic output were much too high. Plus Stalin's ongoing purges weren't helping.
 
I think that if WW2 is not going happen by early 1940's it probably not happen all. That all was perfectly on hands of two men who wanted the war and France and UK allowed that happen. If we assume that Hitler not on some reason attack Poland on September 1939 there would be total collapse of German economy and Nazis not last long. Stalin or Mussolini aren't going start WW2 alone and they don't ally with each others. You would need POD at least 1920's before you get WW2 being delayed to 1950's.
 
A good POD could be that: during Great Purge, fearing Stalin's paranoid massacres, Party members and armed forces commanders remove and execute Stalin for "crimes against Revolution", forming a Soviet Junta based on collective leadership's principle after Stalin's strongman posture. Ideally this junta could be based on a five members committee, two for Party (Molotov and Kaganovich), two for Armed Forces (Voroshilov and Tuchavesky) and one for secret police (Yezhov).
The new Soviet leadership refuse to sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop Treaty and so Hitler, after annexing Austria and Czechoslovakia, doesn't dare risk a war with Soviet Union when he is not ready and doesn't invade Poland.
The new Soviet leadership decide to take a tougher approach to Khalin Ghol Undeclared War, tiring to show strongness after the coup: Japan doesn't want to launch itself in militaristic adventures with a Soviet menace over its Chinese territories and find a way to appease temporarily US (as they falsely did in HL, promising peace to Hull shortly before bombing Pearl Harbour).
Roosevelt retires after two terms, then his successor Cordell Hull retires die health issues after one term. His successor (one between McNutt, Kennedy Sr, Douglas, Lucas, Barkley, Byrnes and Truman) loses in 1948 against Harold Stassen. Stassen reinstates Stimson in State Department and relationship with Japan soures.
In Europe Hitler becomes increasingly crazy and dies in 1947, leaving Goering in power as President and Goebbels as Chancellor. The latter allies himself with Himmler and manipulates Goering to search a militar victory to consolidate his regime.
In Great Britain Lord Halifax succeedes to Chamberlein and pushes to continue appeasement with Nazis.
Meanwhile an incident (due their mistaken projects) of Nazi nuclear program reveals their plans about nuclear weapons's creation and starts a nuclear race.
In 1949 the war is about to begin.
 
German economy collapses due to no conquests in the early to mid 40s maybe earlier without soviet resource agreements. They had thrown everything into rearming and believed the purpose of the economy was to fuel the war machine to extract resources and territory. Without conquest, Germany has a bloated army and little else. They certainly don't have a functioning nuclear program for a myriad of reasons ie no money, distrust of "jew physics", anti intellectualism etc.

By the 40s Britain and France are well out of the depression and will be very formidable the USSR has reformed its military and reinstated a component officers class. Germany is going to be in a really bad way in a war with either the old Entente or the Soviets.

Japan might get out of this one assuming they don't do something really stupid and the USA turns off the oil tap, but if they go balls deep in China that might come up and they will face war or economic collapse from no oil.
 
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