How might the experience of the Soviet Union after world war 1 have affected its policies after world war 2?

Answer 1

After WWI, the Soviet Union (once it had been established) observed much political and social turmoil in the west with increasingly strong communist parties as well as social revolution in Germany, France (to some extent) Spain. It also saw empires becoming increalingly weak, espcially the French and the British. The conclusions, in accordence with the theories of Lenin and Marx, wars would lead to further social turmoil and the inevitable proletarian revolution, proved by the Soviet example itself! Once WWII had been fought, Stalin predicted that the same pattern would be repeated, only much more powerful, and with a strong Soviet Union to support Communist Revolutions (Spainsh Civil War being another example). All Stalin and the Soviet Union had to do, according to Stalin, was to sit back and watch the revolution sweep across the world, the Soviet Union being its beacon. However, Stalin was wrong, as he (an Lenin and Marx) didn't forsee the Marshall plan, and it's increasing support of the middle class. The Marshall Plan did much to enlarge the middle class - petty bourgeois in Stalins terms - a class that wasn't interested in revolution or communism. If the Soviet Union was to see revolution across the world, they themselves had to start it. However, when the Soviet Union came to this conclusion, lulled by events in China, it's army had deteriorated and it lost much of it's potential. Along with the advent of Nuclear Weapons and MAD - mutually assured destruction - military aggression would have to be obfuscated, as happened in Korea, Cuba and Vietnam, and thus much less effective.

Answer 2

After WWI, the Soviet Union (once it had been established) observed much political and social turmoil in the west with increasingly strong communist parties as well as social revolution in Germany, France (to some extent) Spain. It also saw empires becoming increalingly weak, espcially the French and the British. The conclusions, in accordence with the theories of Lenin and Marx, wars would lead to further social turmoil and the inevitable proletarian revolution, proved by the Soviet example itself! Once WWII had been fought, Stalin predicted that the same pattern would be repeated, only much more powerful, and with a strong Soviet Union to support Communist Revolutions (Spainsh Civil War being another example). All Stalin and the Soviet Union had to do, according to Stalin, was to sit back and watch the revolution sweep across the world, the Soviet Union being its beacon. However, Stalin was wrong, as he (an Lenin and Marx) didn't forsee the Marshall plan, and it's increasing support of the middle class. The Marshall Plan did much to enlarge the middle class - petty bourgeois in Stalins terms - a class that wasn't interested in revolution or communism. If the Soviet Union was to see revolution across the world, they themselves had to start it. However, when the Soviet Union came to this conclusion, lulled by events in China, it's army had deteriorated and it lost much of it's potential. Along with the advent of Nuclear Weapons and MAD - mutually assured destruction - military aggression would have to be obfuscated, as happened in Korea, Cuba and Vietnam, and thus much less effective.