If Stalin didn’t stop at Berlin America would have eaten shit for like a year until they built more nukes which they had a monopoly on at the time.
They would have used them.
I don’t see a path to victory there unless it’s acceptable to be losing like two entire cities a year (I honestly have no idea how many nukes could be built a year at that time, I say two because that’s how many were built for Japan) to a nuclear and bloodthirsty empire in its prime.
I know it’s a meme. But I see it said enough I wanted to hear what people actually thought on the matter memes aside.
Edit: lots of good takes and I’ve learned some stuff, thanks for all the responses.
That’s a good point. you don’t refocus a society to an existential struggle and Not want some peace after.
I could also imagine civilian and military morale would crumble. It's one thing to ask people to give up everything to eliminate an enemy that threatens their existence directly, and a whole different thing to try and justify keeping the war going because it's in the interest of the SU and international communism.
Good point, it’s overly romantic to assume the majority would be willing to sacrifice knowing peace for the greater good.