ThePhoenix said:
"Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach" Joseph Stalin
If that doesn't imply that he was all for taking Europe I don't know what would. He was the ultimate opportunist, but imagine if Hitler was bogged down in a war with Britain and America. Stalin would have overrun the rear lines in a flash if he thought he could get away with it. Maybe it wouldn't have been a direct invasion, but Stalin was the knife against Hitler's back, and Hitler was smart enough to know it.
Also Stalin could have overrun the British/American forces in Europe, but it was pretty obvious that Britain wasn't going to fall anytime soon, and his army was in no shape to fight a two front war, with some of their country still occupied (remember the Japanese?). Stalin wasn't crazy, and he knew there was no way to scramble troops to the Middle East fast enough to grab the oil wells (the critical point in the war). The Americans could have launched an invasion from North Africa or the coast of Europe. And Stalin still needed the Middle East's oil wells, he couldn't start a war without those firmly in his grasp. Even drawing up the plans for such an endevor and starting preliminary toop movements would have accounted for the lapse in the time between the Japanese surrender.
Also remember Stalin was an opportunist. Most people figured that the war would be a nasty, brutal island to island battle. Stalin probably wanted to fight after the Americans had spent five or ten years dying and cleaning off islands, were on the wrong side of the ocean, and were tired of war.
Im getting tired of this argument, which you stand no chanse of winning.
"Everyone imposes his own system as far as his army can reach" Joseph Stalin
If that doesn't imply that he was all for taking Europe I don't know what would.
It means nothing, because Stalin said a lot of stuff, and what he says in one quote is often contradicted in another. Not to mention you failed to show what context that quote was made in, he could have been discussing Hitlers invasion of Eastern Europe. No you will have to do far, far better than that.
He was the ultimate opportunist
Which contradicts the idea that he had a plan to conquer all of europe.
but imagine if Hitler was bogged down in a war with Britain and America.
You dont get it do you? Stalin and the USSR had just defeated the hugley powerful Germany practically single handedly, and had crushed Germanys armies long before any allied offesive into europe. Britain and America were small beer compaired to the Germans, Stalin could have brushed them aside, and had T34's rolling through Paris by August if he had wanted to. Britain was near dead from years of blockade and America was never going to involve its self in a war it could never win.
but it was pretty obvious that Britain wasn't going to fall anytime soon,
What are you chatting about? We were on rations for years after the war, and our economy was dead, we had lost our empire and our highly trained but small army had been destroyed 5 years earlier, all we had was conscripted under trained troops who would have been slaughtered by the Red Army in weeks. The British would not have been expecting it and not perpaired for it, and would have been wiped out in weeks if not days.
and his army was in no shape to fight a two front war,
By this time Japan was already in full retreat and posed almost no threat.
Stalin wasn't crazy,
Umm yes he was... he was a raving lunatic, who killed off half his family because he thought they were plotting against him.
Stalin wasn't crazy, and he knew there was no way to scramble troops to the Middle East fast enough to grab the oil wells (the critical point in the war).
But we are talking about European domination, and now your chatting about the middle east, make your mind up, where is Stalin supposted to have been planning to take over now?
The Americans could have launched an invasion from North Africa or the coast of Europe.
With what? The USA's involvment in the war was minimal, I realise that Western history teachers like to exagurate western involvment, but please do not be taken in by it.
And Stalin still needed the Middle East's oil wells, he couldn't start a war without those firmly in his grasp.
Well he'd just managed for the past 6 years OK, using his own Oil reserves, I doubt he would need middle eastern Oil to continue his offensive.
Even drawing up the plans for such an endevor and starting preliminary toop movements would have accounted for the lapse in the time between the Japanese surrender.
Good one, the troops and armies were already mobalised at the East-West border, which negates the need for troop movment, the need for invading the middle east did not exist, and it does not take 3 months to plan a spontanious invasion, hense the reason they call it spontanious. Did you know that Wellington and Blucher planned the march on Paris Following Waterloo in an afternoon at the pup La Belle Alliance (admittedly much planning took place during the campain by letter)? I doubt Stalins remaining generals could have pulled it off in an afternoon but a few weeks certainly.
Also remember Stalin was an opportunist. Most people figured that the war would be a nasty, brutal island to island battle.
Why would that have bothered Stalin? He only Declared war on japan after the fall of Hitler, the Japaneese problem was nne existant had he not wanted it to be.
Stalin probably wanted to fight after the Americans had spent five or ten years dying and cleaning off islands
Like the west did to Russia in the eastern European war?
...Nie feels like nobody reads his posts... 
