Stalin was a revolutionary Communist, his aim, which has been well documented, after WWII was to expand his territory well into western Europe and eventually make the whole of Europe communist and part of the soviet empire.
Also at threat was much of Asia, particularly Japan and India, which were seen as "puppets of the west" as he was often heard to say in his speeches. The presence of the US in the region stopped most of the expansion.
There was continuity after his death. That view of world communism persisted through many successive soviet leaders till well into the later part of the 20th century. Had NATO not existed I am sure the Soviet Union would be in control of the whole of Europe and a good slice of Asia as well.
Do you think the former Soviet Union was really a threat to Western Europe after ww2? For example, without Nato would the Soviets invaded or was that just a scare tactic from our Governments as an excuse for military buildup?
sarah
2012/05/22 10:51:53
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Top Opinion
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Jeff Vader 2012/05/22 11:21:56
And lets not forget Cuba.
And sure, 'capitalist' (or what passes for capitalist) countries can be just as guilty, but capitalism needn't rely on jingoism to survive. Socialism/communism MUST.
The Russian revolution was effectively a massive civil war between several different factions.The Bolsheviks incorporated or defeated the other protagonists leaving themseves in a position to determine government. Lenin and Trotsky were intellectuals with allegiance to Karl Marx's ideal of a new system of common ownership.
Stalin was a thug who seized power and ruthlessly turned Russia into his own Dictatorship, run by his Politburo which only payed lip service to the altruistic ideals of Marxism. When the Nazis raised their ugly heads and war was begun, Stalin was perfectly happy to ally himself with Hitler, with each invading Poland from the opposite end. Only for the Germans to turn on the Russians when they met in the middle. Stalin then realised he should now side with the Allies.
One of Stalin's worst kept secrets was the Soviet Union's lack of flexibility, Russia was the largest country in the world and just patrolling its numerous borders (especially with China), was a huge drain on its resources.
Stalin had infused the country ...
The Russian revolution was effectively a massive civil war between several different factions.The Bolsheviks incorporated or defeated the other protagonists leaving themseves in a position to determine government. Lenin and Trotsky were intellectuals with allegiance to Karl Marx's ideal of a new system of common ownership.
Stalin was a thug who seized power and ruthlessly turned Russia into his own Dictatorship, run by his Politburo which only payed lip service to the altruistic ideals of Marxism. When the Nazis raised their ugly heads and war was begun, Stalin was perfectly happy to ally himself with Hitler, with each invading Poland from the opposite end. Only for the Germans to turn on the Russians when they met in the middle. Stalin then realised he should now side with the Allies.
One of Stalin's worst kept secrets was the Soviet Union's lack of flexibility, Russia was the largest country in the world and just patrolling its numerous borders (especially with China), was a huge drain on its resources.
Stalin had infused the country with his own breed of paranoia (just as McCarthy would have done in the USA). The result was that a huge chunk of the soviet budget was tied up in internal security with people watching the people. Not to mention the economic inefficiency of not ensuring production was what the country needed.Thes factors together with rampant corruption by party officials and a booming black market left the Politburo with little to fight with other than their propagandising rhetoric, occasional overt military posturing, sponsoring revolutions in the third world by supplying arms and personnel, and their enthusiasm for cat and mouse espionage.
When it came to invasions they marched into Hungary and Czechoslovakia (both already under their remit), but couldn't manage to stifle Tito in Communist Yugoslavia and got bogged down in Afghanistan.
So, with the luxury of retrospection, I think it possible to say that the Soviet Union was not a threat, but they really wanted us to think they were.
All overrated the threat that was once again the politicians made fools of people still doing it.
Just so you know even though I like the Soviet Union and Stalin to an extent. I wouldn't put it completely past them to take the stupid option. I'm just saying in my personal opinion its highly unlikely they would go that route; at least not right away.
The US was embroiled in the war in the Pacific from 1941 on, then in Europe from 44 to the end. Prior to our entry into the European theater we were busy providing Stalin with materials and weaponry, as well as food and vehicles...and supporting other free countries. Americans were fighting in the military services of other countries long before Pearl Harbor.
You need to remember that Stalin was stupid enough to get suckered by Hitler into signing a non-aggression treaty....which Hitler promptly violated....and invaded.
Besides, Stalin was busy killing off his own people....and he killed off more people in Russia than Hitler did in all of Europe.....
The ONLY reason that the USSR did not attempt to take western Europe was because we and our allies were in the way.
They would have never held on to it though as their monetary reserves were about gone and their mineral wealth remained largely unexploited. Interesting question; well done!
Also at threat was much of Asia, particularly Japan and India, which were seen as "puppets of the west" as he was often heard to say in his speeches. The presence of the US in the region stopped most of the expansion.
There was continuity after his death. That view of world communism persisted through many successive soviet leaders till well into the later part of the 20th century. Had NATO not existed I am sure the Soviet Union would be in control of the whole of Europe and a good slice of Asia as well.
Stalin also supplied pilots and planes to the North Koreans in 1950.there are numerous other documents in the KGB archives that show Stalin's covert support and funding for extremists in western Europe. All as a prelude to what Stalin hoped would be an eventual destabilization and assimilation of the democratic west.
I suggest you read "Stalin: The Myth and the Reality" and the newly released book called "Stalin's Last Crime" It is a compilation of evidence from the KGB archive showing Stalin's psychotic antisemitism, and his desire to invade the West right up until his death 1953.
http://www.harpercollins.com/...