Voroshilov's Russia, an alternate history of the USSR

[joespaniel]

The Spaso House
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Early in 1934, after the United States established diplomatic relations with Moscow the previous year, the first American Ambassador to the Soviet Union, William C. Bullitt moved into Spaso House, now the official US embassy to the USSR.

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Bullitt's parties at Spaso House became legendary. The Spaso House Christmas party of 1934, held in the Chandelier Room, featured three performing seals from the Moscow Zoo, who came into the room balancing a Christmas tree, a tray of glasses, and a bottle of champagne. When the performance ended, the seal's trainer, who had been drinking, passed out, and the seals galloped free throughout the house.

The Spring Festival of 1935
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Of all the social events held in Spaso House, the most famous was the Spring Festival hosted by Ambassador Bullitt on April 24, 1935. Bullitt instructed his staff to create an event that would surpass every other Embassy party in Moscow's history. The decorations included a forest of ten young birch trees in the chandelier room, a dining room table covered with Finnish tulips, a lawn made of chicory grown on wet felt; an aviary made from fishnet filled with pheasants, parakeets, and one hundred zebra finches, on loan from the Moscow Zoo; and a menagerie of several mountain goats, a dozen white roosters, and a baby bear.

The four hundred guests at the festival included Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov, Defense Minister Kliment Voroshilov, Communist Party luminaries Nikolai Bukharin, Lazar Kaganovich, and Karl Radek, Soviet Marshals Alexsandr Yegerov, Mikhail Tukhachevsky, and Semyon Budyonny, and the writer Mikhail Bulgakov who was so inspired by the Spring Festival that it became one of the episodes of his novel The Master and Margarita. The festival lasted until the early hours of the morning. The bear became drunk on champagne given to him by Karl Radek, and in the early morning hours the zebra finches escaped from the aviary and perched below the ceilings around the house.

Stalin was not scheduled to attend, but made a surprise last minute appearance to the delight of party goers after being urged to show up by Marshal Voroshilov who argued that the appearance of friendly relations with the United States could potentially deter future aggressive moves by Adolf Hitler's rising Germany.

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Stalin warmly embraced Ambassador Bullitt and proposed a roaring toast to the growing respect between the United States and the Soviet Republics. Stalin, Voroshilov and Bullitt retired to the upper floor for a private meeting that lasted nearly two hours. Then disaster stuck. Returning to the main floor festivities Stalin appeared to lose his balance at the top of the staircase and proceeded to violently tumble down to the bottom where he lay motionless. Amidst the startled screams and shouts of horrified party guests dozens rushed to his aid but it was of no use. Joespeh Stalin was dead. His neck broken.

 

[Alizon]

Subs!

 

[darthkommandant]

So subbed

 

[joespaniel]

The Nation Mourns

May 1st, 1935

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[Lunarc]

Subbed!

 

[HIMDogson]

And here, folks, we see an interesting idea in the wild!

 

[General Awesome1234]

subbed.

 

[Skyhascheese]

I am subbed, ofcourse!
So this is going to be an more warmongering soviet union than the historical one?

 

[germandjinn]

subbed

 

[joespaniel]

So this is going to be an more warmongering soviet union than the historical one?

You might very well think that, I couldn't possibly comment.

 

[joespaniel]

Five Days in April​

Upon the death of former General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Ioseph Stalin, two candidates immediately emerged in the contest for successor.

April 26, 1935 - Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (Premier) Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov secures the allegiance of Mikhail Kalinin, the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

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Molotov also cuts a deal with People's Commissar for Internal Affairs Genrikh Yagoda.

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April 27th, 1935 - In a public speech widely circulated in print and by radio, Molotov "formally welcomes and gives thanks for the support of The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army", but in actuality he has made no overtures, neither public nor behind the scenes, to the Red Army leadership. This is rightly seen by generals of the RKKA as a backhanded political maneuver against the man many consider to be Stalin's natural heir, People's Commissar of Defence and veteran Bolshevik Kliment Voroshilov.

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April 28th, 1935 - Four of the RKKA's highest ranking generals, Tukhachevsky, Budyonny, Blyukher and Yegorov throw their support behind Voroshilov who has considerable popularity and hero status among the Soviet people.

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April 29th, 1935 - Voroshilov, Tukhachevsky and GRU Chief Yan Berzin secretly meet with Narkom "Iron" Lazar Kaganovich and his protégé, Nikita Khrushchev, to discuss a partnership. It is agreed that Kaganovich will become Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and Khrushchev will replace Yagoda as People's Commissar for Internal Affairs.

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April 30th, 1935 - Pravda publishes the obituary of Ioseph Stalin one day before his State Funeral.

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[DKM]

subbed

 

[Franz92]

subbed!

 

[Asalto]

Very interesting concept, point of departure caused by simple incident at well-described party instead of being result of some complex plot. I'll be following that, already looks really promising!

 

[_Leo]

A world without Stalin is something I haven't seen,subbed.

 

[Mkoll13]

Chance was the one thing Stalin could not exile to Siberia

 

[joespaniel]

Appreciate the comments, thank you. I hope you all enjoy the story.

Edited previous update to include events of April 29th.

 

[darthkommandant]

Gets better and better. Love the intrigue following Stalins death.

 

[OnFire]

subbed

 

[joespaniel]

May Day
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May 1st, 1935 - Immediately following Stalin's funeral, Voroshilov and Kaganovich requested Molotov and Kalininn to attend a formal lunch meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace. The atmosphere was initially tense but as the champagne and caviar course was served Voroshilov began making toasts to The Late Ioseph Stalin and the conversation evolved into cordial discourse as everyone in turn related stories of the former General Secretary. Lunch was served late.

The Grand Kremlin Palace

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Simultaneously, Berzin and Khrushchev arrived outside Lubyanka Prison at the head of a military convoy composed of GRU Officers and Pavel Batov's 3rd Regiment of the 1st Moscow Proletarian Rifle Division. Power and phone lines to Lubyanka were cut by GRU opratives just minutes before. Without firing a shot the NKVD headquarters was occupied. The NKVD Dzerzhinsky Motor Rifle Division did not intervene, remaining in it's barracks as per arrangement between Khrushchev and the division commander.

Lubyanka Prison "The Tallest Building in Moscow" (because you can see Siberia from the basement)
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Yagoda, Beria and Yhezov were arrested and jailed in the very same building that had been their own headquarters just moments before. Their imprisonment was however very short...

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Cigars were passed out after lunch at The Grand Kremlin Palace. A uniformed messenger entered and whispered the codeword "Felix" to Voroshilov who simply nodded to Kaganovich, then informed Molotov and Kalinin that they were relieved of office and would be escorted to their homes where they would remain under house arrest.

Soviet Russia now belonged to Kliment Y. Voroshilov.