If Stalin invaded Europe in 1941, where would he have quit?

[Depth Charge]

We know that Hitler thwarted an attempted Soviet invasion of western Europe in 1941. This piece of history has been buried. But what would have happened if Stalin had caught the Germans napping in 1941 and had invaded first?

As I understand it, they had planned a dual strike on both Romania and Germany. But why stop there?

On the other side, France is a wreck. Beyond that, Spain is also licking its wounds. Then, why not take Portugal, a potential seaside landing resort for the Americans?

We know that the Soviets had 200 submarines with another 98 in production in 1941. If you've conquered Europe, why are you not going to blockade the British Isles? You have the submarines, you have barges, you have a massive state of the art air force. Surely a Soviet 'Sea Lion' is on the cards?

Why stop? Where next?

[Mortimer]

If Stalin struck first with his Operation Thunderstorm - http://forum.codoh.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=7999 - and managed to subdue Europe I don't think it would have been necessary to invade Britain because they were allies. In his book The Chief Culprit : Stalin's Grand Design To Start World War II Viktor Suvorov shows how the British government had worked out an alliance with the USSR before Operation Barbarossa even began. Therefore it didn't matter if hostilities were started by Germany or the Soviet Union thanks to Churchill Britain was still going to support Stalin either way. The soviets would have concentrated on subduing Europe and not risking their gains by taking on the British Empire.
Stalin spoke of a "united communist Europe". This meant the Balkans, central and western Europe, the Mediterranean and Spain/Portugal as well as Scandinavia - Suvorov writes that the soviets intended to invade Finland again to take all the country as well as Sweden.
If Operation Thunderstorm was successful and Europe was under Stalinist domination I think the USSR would have turned its attention to China to help Mao Zedong as they were the largest group of communists outside of the Soviet Union.

[Depth Charge]

I've read Suvorov's book, it's necessary reading for all revisionists. Although I find his postulation of the Winter War being a disinformation campaign to be a bit much, the quote from Goering he lifted seemed to be an off the cuff remark too.

However I disagree that Britain would've been left alone. I think that would be naive to say that. Britain, while not the antithesis to the USSR that National Socialist Germany was, was still a capitalist outpost, it would quickly be treated as an enemy and an unwelcome menace at the head of communist Europe. There is do doubt in my mind that they would, and could have, blockaded Britain, or even invaded it. Possibly entering through Ireland first.

From there I think they would have seized the colonies in North Africa and moved towards Iraq. Rommel fantasized about this, the only difference was that Germany didn't have the resources that the USSR did. They had 25,000 tanks, they would have had more than 30,000 after booty is collected. Moral would've been at an all time high too. And why stop there with your 'world revolution'? I bet they would have had renewed aspirations to sew discontent in Mexico.

Stalin even had (admittedly outrageous) plans drawn up to invade Alaska in the late '40s.

I think that it would have played out with the USSR invading Germany and Romania. Then citing a security threat from German troops still in France, they'd invade France too. All the while, they'd surely be trying to reignite the Spanish problem by proxy, ultimately coming to the 'aid' of the communists there. Another invasion.

There is a further upset that could be thrown into the mix however. I firmly believe that the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan were of German origin, captured technology. At least, the critical components. Now if the USSR conquered Europe in 1941/2, then this means that nuclear weapons would probably not be deployable in 1945. Worse, they may have put the German nuclear scientists to work and be the first and possibly only country (for a long time) to have these weapons.

[Kingfisher]

I firmly believe that the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan were of German origin, captured technology. At least, the critical components.

Do you have any evidence for this somewhat unusual conviction?

[Depth Charge]

I firmly believe that the nuclear bombs dropped in Japan were of German origin, captured technology. At least, the critical components.

Do you have any evidence for this somewhat unusual conviction?

No. Only conjecture.

[Hektor]

We know that Hitler thwarted an attempted Soviet invasion of western Europe in 1941. This piece of history has been buried. But what would have happened if Stalin had caught the Germans napping in 1941 and had invaded first?

As I understand it, they had planned a dual strike on both Romania and Germany. But why stop there?

On the other side, France is a wreck. Beyond that, Spain is also licking its wounds. Then, why not take Portugal, a potential seaside landing resort for the Americans?

We know that the Soviets had 200 submarines with another 98 in production in 1941. If you've conquered Europe, why are you not going to blockade the British Isles? You have the submarines, you have barges, you have a massive state of the art air force. Surely a Soviet 'Sea Lion' is on the cards?

Why stop? Where next?

I'd not say they'd invaded Britain at least not in the initial advance.
But after defeating Romania, cutting off Germany from the oil supply, the German armed forces would have faced a very difficult mobility problem. So I assume, while that still would have been a bloody battle, they'd defeated Germany. After that it would have been peanuts invading, the occupied countries, Scandinavia. Italy the Iberian peninsula. So at minimum Europe, with perhaps the exception of the British Isles would have gotten invaded.

The submarines would be used to fend off counter offensives and cut off the trade and supplies that may go against the Soviet agenda.