In the last months of 1942 and early 1943, a heated debate started to take place at the top levels of the Soviet Government. The big question was: Now what?
With Germany neutralized by Soviet force and a new order established in Europe, Stalin did not want to lose momentum. However, the Father of the Peoples was not sure which side to direct that momentum.
To the East stood Japan and it's plan for a
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, which already included China, growing stronger by the day. When or where The Empire itself would move on to the next phase of the plan, that no-one could tell.
To the West were the Capitalists. Britain, France and their likely ally the United States of America. While Stalin had no doubt all these bourgeoisie governments hated the USSR, he also knew the public opinions were mostly favorable to him, still seen as a Great Liberator.
Espionage Reports helped little. They showed an anemic UK, a US with great Naval Power but little infantry, and a Japan that was strong in both areas. Worse still, the Imperial Japanese Army could count on China's support. All three powers were investing in their Armadas, and France once again eluded the Russian spies.
Based on the above, two distinct camps formed. The Army favored a "Japan First" doctrine, alarmed as it was with the potential of China. The Navy claimed that the Pacific Fleet wasn't ready for that battle, but the Atlantic and Black Sea fleets had a decent chance of defeating the British.
Strategic discussions didn't halt the work of the Red Fleet though, and Commissar Kuznetsov had managed to guarantee the continuation of naval arms building efforts at War levels. No small task, considering the massive update requests of the army.
But the Admiral knew the time of such massive buildups would likely not last, and he looked for the technological departments at his disposal for future solutions. Firstly, by going back to a weapon the USSR had lately disregarded: the submarine. Inadequate to fight massive naval battles, these stealthy killers would be ideal in any fight against colonial powers, or countries otherwise dependent on ocean supply lines.
These hopes for technological solutions for the problems posed by limited resources would not last long, however. In a decision that seemed to reveal Stalin's opinion regarding the Big Discussion, work on the Indirect Approach Doctrine and the new Naval Bomber was finished with success, but without a follow-up. The resources previously granted to the Fleet were now being used for Civil and Army projects.
Then a lid was put on the whole affair, not by Stalin directly, but by an external event. The British kicked outspoken anti-communist Churchill and elected the Labour party instead. This was taken as a sign of weakness by Stalin, and thus the discussions ended.
The most dangerous enemy had to be dealt with first. That was Japan.