[tonycavanagh]

I think that it would of been a very hit and miss operation, with limited benefits

Rear area security would of been a problem for both the Western Allies and Russia, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish nationalists on one side and Communist resistance on the other side.

Both sides would of been able to recruit German Troops, the Western allies could of used the remnants of the Russian Liberation Army to build a Russian army to fight on the Western side.

I cant see the Population of the West supporting another European war so soon after the defeat of Germany, and with the details of the holocaust coming out there would of been a revulsion at the thought of dealing with the Germans as allies.

Britain could of lost the Empire a lot quicker as troops ear marked for empire duties in the Middle East far East and Africa, would instead be needed on the new Front. The NKVD and SMERSH forerunners of the KGB and GRU would of been used to formant wars of revelation and liberation across the globe.

Also such a war would of further bankrupt Europe as money that was earmarked for national reconstruction such as the Marshal plan would instead be needed to maintain the armies needed to fight.

I think it was too much of a risk.

Even if we had beaten Russia what then there would still of been wars to fight in Africa, the Middle East and far East, Europe would be in a worse shape than after the Second World war. And with communism gone you would still get liberation movements accept they would be nationalist or religious

Tony

[Wallace T.]

Did Churchill veto the proposal because of the potential difficulties or because Washington would not have cooperated? British intelligence was likely aware of Communist infiltration in the State Department; President Truman and his advisors were not anti-Soviet at this time. Remember that British and American troops were constrained from advancing eastward into Berlin, Vienna, and Prague in order to let the Soviets claim the honor of taking these capitals. Had Patton taken Prague and Montgomery captured Berlin, Germany would not have been divided, and at least Bohemia would have escaped the Communist clutches. Because of the treason of bureaucrats like Alger Hiss and the naivete of leaders like Harry Truman and Dean Acheson, I suspect Churchill realized that this Operation Impossible was indeed impossible.