An answer on Quora asserted that if the USA had not dropped the a-bomb on Japan that Stalin would've invaded France and not stopped to meet the rest of the allies in Germany?
Is there any evidence to support this assertion?
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4I think you'd need some evidence that Stalin seriously contemplated invading France (and thus engaging the forces of the other allies) before considering the need for a deterrent.– Steve BirdCommented Dec 6, 2022 at 19:41
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This question has the same defect as history.stackexchange.com/questions/66811/…– Ne MoCommented Dec 7, 2022 at 10:36
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Namely - even absent A-bomb - attacking the Allies after defeating the Nazis was politically impossible for Stalin; for the same reasons that attacking the Soviets was impossible for the Allies. Stalin didn't have to worry about public opinion so much (!) but even a totalitarian regime can only push people so far before they buck. Infrastructure-wise, the USSR was in an even worse condition than most Europe. Against the Nazis, the fortitude of Soviet soldiers would have availed nothing without Western weapons - obviously not an option while invading Western Europe.– Ne MoCommented Dec 7, 2022 at 10:40
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There is a hidden - but critical - incorrect assumption in the question. There was no deterrent effect for the Hiroshima bomb, because everyone knew the theory (if not yet the engineering, albeit fairly straightforward) of an atomic bomb. SF writers were even discussing them. The deterrent came from the Nagasaki bomb, a few days later, announcing for all and sundry: "We solved the Uranium enrichment bottle neck." No-one expected that.– Pieter GeerkensCommented Dec 7, 2022 at 16:38
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Stalin stopped his troops in May. Hiroshima was bombed in August.– DevSolarCommented Dec 9, 2022 at 7:37
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2 Answers
What were Joseph Stalin's reactions to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Stalin knew all about the Manhattan project thanks to his spies. He was, however, rather surprised by the deployment of the atomic bomb and its effect. He had in fact planned to attack the Anglo Americans and not stop until he reached the English channel. The use of the atomic bomb and the belief that the US was mass producing them led him to cancel those plans.
That has always been claimed, but never proven.
One can certainly assume that had the Normandy invasion failed they would have continued on to the English channel.
The war in Europe came to an end 3 months before the use of the atomic bomb.
Stalin was realistic enough to know that at this point of time (May 1945) a direct conflict with the US was not feasible, since it was the US that supplied most of the Red Army at that point.
answered Dec 6, 2022 at 20:16
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5A much more plausible claim would be that the a-bomb prevented further Soviet encroachment on Western Europe in the 1946-50 period. (It pretty clearly prevented WW III from breaking out at one point or another.) Commented Dec 6, 2022 at 23:50
I think that the answer to this question lies in a lack of precision: "Deterred Stalin" of what?. What was the actions that the USA thought Stalin would not do because of the A-Bomb being demonstrated?
The possible actions form a very large span if you don't precise the objective of the USA and/or Stalin:
- Attacking the USA?
- Attacking Tchang Kai Chek?
- Conquering Japan?
- Attacking Western Europe?
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I believe this is answered in the question, ". . . invaded France and not stopped to meet the rest of the allies in Germany?"– MCW ♦Commented Dec 7, 2022 at 16:27
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1@MCW Indeed, but this sentence is anachronic with the A-bomb since the war ended in Europe months before the A-Bomb was reveled to the world and dropped Commented Dec 7, 2022 at 16:29