I think Soviet fears were real. And if so, had to be taken serious.
It is correct that Soviet were invaded by US/UK/Japan and that Churchill spoke about 'strangling the communist illness in the cradle'. Stalin did remember this.
The fear was also that a separate peace could have been concluded between the US/UK and Nazi-Germany. That was what Stalin also feared.
On top of, Stalin new perfectly well what Operation Unthinkable entailed: Another invasion of USSR. This time by US/Uk assisted by some 20 divisions of former German soldiers (who all longed for Barbarossa v2.0 (SS troops liberating Poland and Ukraine and Belarus would be welcome of course).
Then comes NATO which was beefed up with the re-creation of the German army. Stalin's fearswere not without reason after all.
USSR were negotiating with US about a massive loan. That was shot down. USSR had to repair itself after its Western areas were totally devastated by nazi-troops.
Stalin pushed the USSR borders as far West as possible to provide a buffer zone in case of another invasion. No deviation in the Eastern countries were tolerated.
So based on all of this: how to prevent the cold war?
It is not just a matter of replacing Stalin I think. Even Beria was also a bit cautious about US/UK intentions.
It is not a matter of Churchill being less 'imperialistic'.
It might go along way if Soviet fears were taken serious and being addressed on that basis.
A controversial 'solution' might have been to create a unified Germany, totally disarmed. That would mean no NATO but there would be a 'buffer' that Stalin might have accepted.
It is correct that Soviet were invaded by US/UK/Japan and that Churchill spoke about 'strangling the communist illness in the cradle'. Stalin did remember this.
The fear was also that a separate peace could have been concluded between the US/UK and Nazi-Germany. That was what Stalin also feared.
On top of, Stalin new perfectly well what Operation Unthinkable entailed: Another invasion of USSR. This time by US/Uk assisted by some 20 divisions of former German soldiers (who all longed for Barbarossa v2.0 (SS troops liberating Poland and Ukraine and Belarus would be welcome of course).
Then comes NATO which was beefed up with the re-creation of the German army. Stalin's fearswere not without reason after all.
USSR were negotiating with US about a massive loan. That was shot down. USSR had to repair itself after its Western areas were totally devastated by nazi-troops.
Stalin pushed the USSR borders as far West as possible to provide a buffer zone in case of another invasion. No deviation in the Eastern countries were tolerated.
So based on all of this: how to prevent the cold war?
It is not just a matter of replacing Stalin I think. Even Beria was also a bit cautious about US/UK intentions.
It is not a matter of Churchill being less 'imperialistic'.
It might go along way if Soviet fears were taken serious and being addressed on that basis.
A controversial 'solution' might have been to create a unified Germany, totally disarmed. That would mean no NATO but there would be a 'buffer' that Stalin might have accepted.