Clarke disputes Bellamy's confidence in the proposed coalition by considering what a Soviet alliance would change. Germany would need a use for troops otherwise committed to Barbarossa. Reinforcing North Africa or concentrating the bombing campaign on Britain are possible alternatives, with uncertain results. German weapons development would also change: experience against the T-34 helped shape the Panther, and the King Tiger is included in the same counterfactual comparison. If the Soviet Union remained an enemy when nuclear weapons became available, nuclear attack is proposed as a way its opponents might seek peace without invading Russia. The eventual political outcome remains unknowable.
Notable Point · 2:13:46-2:15:54
How Soviet Axis membership could change the war
A hypothetical Soviet entry into the Axis raises questions about Germany's next campaign, tank development, and the Soviet Union's eventual exposure to nuclear attack.