Here's an interesting Alternate History Challenge: Have Russia and the US cooperate in establishing a liberal world older in the mid- and late 20th century and beyond with a PoD of January 1, 1914 or later. I mean doing things such as spreading liberal democracy worldwide and whatnot. In real life, the Soviet Union was certainly a fan of decolonization, but it was not a fan of spreading liberal democracy and whatnot. And FWIW, the form that Russia takes in this scenario doesn't actually have to be Communist.

On Tuesday, July 27, 2021 at 3:13:14 PM UTC-4, WolfBear wrote:
> Here's an interesting Alternate History Challenge: Have Russia and the US cooperate in establishing a liberal world older in the mid- and late 20th century and beyond with a PoD of January 1, 1914 or later. I mean doing things such as spreading liberal democracy worldwide and whatnot. In real life, the Soviet Union was certainly a fan of decolonization, but it was not a fan of spreading liberal democracy and whatnot. And FWIW, the form that Russia takes in this scenario doesn't actually have to be Communist.

On the face of it, the USSR was a fan of "Western" decolonization. Realistically, the USSR had no problem adding colonies of their own, such as eastern Europe and the Central Asian countries as well as clients such as Cuba.

On 7/27/21 2:13 PM, WolfBear wrote:
> > Here's an interesting Alternate History Challenge: Have Russia and the
> US cooperate in establishing a liberal world older in the mid- and late
> 20th century and beyond with a PoD of January 1, 1914 or later. I mean
> doing things such as spreading liberal democracy worldwide and whatnot.
> In real life, the Soviet Union was certainly a fan of decolonization,
> but it was not a fan of spreading liberal democracy and whatnot. And
> FWIW, the form that Russia takes in this scenario doesn't actually have
> to be Communist.

Some incident forces FDR to disclaim any US protection
for the British and Dutch colonies in SE Asia, in August
1941. Lacking this, Britain and the Dutch break the oil
embargo.

Japan cancels plans for the Southern Operation. Instead
Japan decides to dogpile on the apparently collapsing USSR.
Japan invades the USSR in October, at the time of the Moscow
Panic. This causes the Panic to get out of control, and
Moscow falls to the Germans.

The Germans defeat the later Soviet counterattack. (Japan
occupies everything E and NE of Manchuria.)

Meanwhile, during CRUSADER, a Lend-Lease P-40
strafes Rommel's command wagon, killing him.
The Panzer Armee Afrika falls apart. Hitler gives
up on North Africa, and Tripoli falls to the Allies
in June 1942.

With Japan now an overt Nazi ally, FDR reinstates
US protection for the East Indies in October. The oil
embargo also resumes. Japan attacks Pearl Harbor in
March 1942 (and loses 200+ aircraft and two carriers;
the US loses four BB and LEXINGTON).

What with Allied reinforcements and preparations,
Singapore holds out for four months, and Japan
fails to capture Java, Burma, and Rabaul.

In 1942, Axis forces attack toward the Caucasus,
being stopped at the mountains by British and US
forces from the Middle East. The big Soviet
counterattack around Stalingrad fails badly.

With Lend-Lease food cut off, Soviet morale plummets.
Stalin orders a new Great Purge, to include all
unsuccessful generals and the Stavka. This triggers
an attempted coup by terrified generals. Stalin and
and Beria are killed, but their pre-planned
counterstroke decapitates the army as well. In the
subsequent chaos, German forces advance 400 km east
from Moscow. Soviet President Kalinin forms a new
government which capitulates (equivalent to Vichy
France).

Soviet forces in the Caucasus become "Free Russia"
(comparable to "Free France").

The Allies eventually defeat the Axis powers. US and
some "Free Russia" troops take Kamchatka and eastern
Siberia from Japan (and discover the horrors of the
GULAG). Allied troops liberate most of
European Russia and Ukraine. "Free Russia" gets
Moscow. An internal coup overthrows the Kalinin
regime and the rest of the former USSR submits to
"Free Russia". The US/UK install a democratic
government in "Russia".

This new government cooperates with the US (the
uncontested world hegemon, as Britain retreats from
its empire) in the "liberal world order".

--
Nous sommes dans une pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdés.
--- General Auguste-Alexandre Ducrot at Sedan, 1870.