What if the USSR had attacked Germany in May, 1941

An unmitigated disaster, complete and disastrous. Regardless of how much 'better' they would have done than what historically happened through Barba, politically, it would have been intolerable. Russia signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, and attacking their partner would have gotten them all the same animosity that Germany garnered after it attacked Russia. Russia was seen by many powers as the worse alternative to an at least capitalistic, although fascist, Germany. Would the Russian people + their minorities have tolerated this for long? IMO they would have fought with nowhere near the same elan they did in the original timeline. The 'sense of urgency' would not have been there. It would have been a war of aggression rather than survival. Europe (ex UK) would have united behind Germany for fear of a Red Europe. Spain, Turkey, Sweden, + other still neutrals would have thought twice about staying neutral, for fear of being indiscriminately attacked. Volunteers from occupied countries would have been more forthcoming. A worse decision by Stalin could not have been made.

 

How would the Western allies look at this? Now Stalin looks like the "bad guy" for breaking the treaty. Rosevelt and Churchill now wonder about the spread of communism and still help
with Lend-Lease? Who's side would the Ukrainians now take? Remember they thought they were being liberated by the Germans.

Now Russia faces the same long supply lines that Germany originally did. And without lend-lease trucks.

 

I'd actually even dare say that had the Soviets attacked in 42 the situation wouldn't be all that different. Better, but not much better. I still believe Hitler would have declared war on the USA if Japan attacked, but I am seriously wondering what the US reaction would be to a Soviet invasion of the Reich in 42. What a diplomatic mess that'd all be....

 

I dont see why Britian would take offense with a Soviet attack. Churchill had been hoping for Allies against Germany, and had been warning the USSR about German intent anyway in the hope of changing Stalins attitude.

As for the Soviet peoples, they would be told what to think.

 

Just for a moment the Soviets however unprepared they were for an offensive managed to pull off the military victory of all time and defeated Germany i would say Stalin bouyed by his military victory would order the continuation and wrest control from the rest of Western Europe, The Soviet Union would stretch from the Iberian Peninsula to the Barring Straits, the Soviet Union would end up the Ultimate Superpower even the United States would never match this enormous amount of Power, and i dare say Britain would not stand a chance against Stalin.

 

I'm not the expert on Churchill, but from reading his history of
WWII it seems his attitude was he'd rather have the two fighting each other. In 1941 no one would predict the USSR might end up as strong as it eventually seemed. That was a distant and unpredictable possibility. Churchill clearly understood Britian was not going to win anything on its own any time soon, and might even be defeated, so the USSR jumping in with a premeptive attack would have been most welcome at the moment. Britian situation in 1941 was such that its leaders could afford to waste the effort at wringing their hands over the imorality of a 'Treaty Violation', particularly if it were to their imeadiate benefit.

 

But as history shows in the real world Churchill and Britain was losing out to Stalin and Truman, International politics was now been fasioned by the Soviet Union and USA, as it shows Churchill was a brilliant leader as far as internal politics was concerned but on the international stage he became a bit player, and so i would conclude if Germany was totally defeated by a Soviet Invasion and Britain played no part then even in this alternate historical view point Churchill would be fobbed off by Stalin, Stalin would not stop at ridding the Nazi influence in France, he would invade France to Liberate the nation and instill a strong Communist Government, Stalin would seek revenge of the Republican loss in Spain and he would rid Italy of that fool Mussolini and there is nothing the British and Churchill could do about it communism would be installed across Western Europe.

 

There's nothing that stimulates an economy better, or turns a country into a superpower faster than war, USSR, USA, -both of those achieved that because of war. If England would have capitulated or been defeated than it would have been such a different world with the Soviets controlling all of Europe and possibly England as well. -very, very interesting.