SkunkyArt | RvBOMally — Poland is Not Yet Lost

The PoD is the Poles seeing the writing on the wall when Austria is annexed by the Nazis, and moving their assets to Switzerland in case of Soviet attack. While history is somewhat different, complete with more distrust between the Germans and the Allies after the alt-Munich Agreement, World War II still starts with a German invasion of Poland in 1939. The Soviet invasion happens two days later, making it clear to the world that the two sides made a secret deal. Operation Barbarossa still happens, although under slightly different circumstances (mostly stemming from Stalin not purging as many of his generals) that sees fewer German gains earlier on.

The Spanish Civil War ends with a Nationalist victory, but the leadership was different. Primo de Rivera survived to lead the Nationalists, so the Nationalist Spain that emerged was more ideologically fascist than OTL's. While it was neutral during WWII, it did emerge as a "Third Position" during the Cold War, attracting a few rogue nationalist states here and there. However, most anti-communist dictators were still backed by America, and Arab nationalists gravitated towards the Soviet Union.

The Germans do worse in the Eastern Front, which leads to the Soviets overrunning Germany by 1945, while the Western Allies were fighting towards the Rhine. Germany is entirely occupied by the Soviet Union, which divides Germany into three pieces, to keep a united Germany from ever threatening the Soviet Union ever again.

Seeing Mao as a threat, the Soviets have him killed, on the basis that the Long March threatened the Chinese communist movement. More Soviet-aligned communists, and hardline Stalinists, take over. The Chinese Civil War takes longer, and by the time the Korean War starts in 1950, the Chinese communists are still fighting Nationalist forces in the west.

Increased tensions between the Allies and the Soviets, stemming from the division of Poland, lead to the Allies continuing to support the Second Republic.

Tensions between the Allies and Soviets worsen when the North Koreans invade South Korea. The North Koreans devastate South Korea, before the Americans swoop in and push to the Yalu. China, still weakened by its civil war and with its leaders in disarray, cannot respond, and the Soviets were not about to start World War III over Korea. With complete American support as the bulwark against communism in the East, the Republic of Korea becomes a highly nationalistic, totalitarian state that has a cult of personality revolving around Syngman Rhee and Douglas MacArthur, who used his victory in Korea to launch a political career and was President of the United States instead of Eisenhower. Modern Korea is a bit of an embarrassment for the West, but they continue to back it because it is useful to keep a rabid dog around to scare the neighbors.

After Stalin's death, a rather ineffectual troika of Molotov, Malenkov and Kaganovich takes power. None of the three men have enough political clout to challenge Stalin's cult of personality like Khrushchev did, and it was clear that, while none of them particularly liked the cult of personality, any who deviated from it would be opportunistically purged by the other two as a traitor. Thus, Stalin's cult of personality persisted, transforming from a figure of fear to a figure of unity and victory. This extended throughout the communist world, particularly China and Yugoslavia, who had their more independent communist figures killed by the NKVD.

In Bavaria, de-Nazification wasn't as rigorously pursued, as the Soviet occupation forces there believed they could be put to good use. More left-wing, neo-Strasserist Nazis were put in charge, later becoming fanatical adherents of National Bolshevism. Today, they are still the most fanatical of the Stalin cultists, and have vague dreams of creating a National Bolshevist "Eurasia."

America is more staunchly anti-communist and conservative than OTL, with anti-communist laws still in place; anyone who is an open Marxist can expect to get fired immediately. Segregation has ended, but it took longer and the Civil Rights Act is more watered down.

Many South American states are dictatorships openly backed by the United States; no "Pink Wave" or anything like Venezuela ITTL.

South Africa, still a dominion, still practices apartheid. This is not as big an issue in the West as it was IOTL, as greater communist gains early on led to more acceptance of anti-communists worldwide, no matter how unpleasant. South Africa does have its critics and its increasingly brutal policies in its African wars leads it to wanting to create its own bloc, or even join up with the Spanish.

India is a far-left but still democratic state. Rather than being purely non-aligned, it is rather openly pro-Soviet but has no official alliance with it.