What if: Stalin sends a Soviet Expeditionary Force to Italy in 1943

How do they get there?

    They would need considerable support from the western allies, as they would have to supply the shipping and the vast bulk of the supplies for the Soviet forces involved.  Also you would have the problems of co-ordinating between western and Soviet forces in terms of language, doctrine etc.  As well as questions of who would those Soviet commanders take orders from?  It would be risky to have all commands to the Soviet forces having to wait for approval from Moscow but would any Soviet commander in Italy dare do something Stalin might not approve of?

  The other problem might be that while Stalin might like the idea of spreading Soviet influence and gaining big propaganda points by such an action any gains won by the Soviet detachment are still going to be basically for western forces rather than the Soviets.  Even more so given that Soviet citizens taken as slave labourers by the Nazis were often sent straight to Soviet camps when they came into their hands at the end of the war would Stalin trust troops exposed to western influence and resources?  Seeing what freedoms the western troops and the civilians in occupied territories have and also the wealth of resources available to them I can see a serious shock for the Soviet troops involved and questions about life under Stalin, which is a problem that Stalin would be well aware of.

  Steve

  That would increase Soviet influence in Italy, albeit possibly negatively given Soviet occupation policies.   However it wouldn't resolve the other points.  It would further increase the amount of supplies and support the western powers had to supply, which might mean some reduction in L-L to Soviet forces in Russia itself.  Furthermore it would greatly increase the number of Soviet forces exposed to 'infection' by the west.

  Also at this time, with Kursk yet to be fought, the Soviets aren't yet that confident as to how quickly or surely they would be about driving the Germans and their allies from the Soviet Union itself.  This would be a much higher priority and even the Red Army leadership would be likely to warn Stalin that sending a 'very big' SEF to Italy when those troops and their armour and other equipment might be needed very badly in Russia itself if things still went wrong on the eastern front.

  No because the Italian army was sending forces to Russia when they looked far more secure than Russia looked in 43 and because they were also indebted to Germany for the latter's support.  [The latter is true for the Soviets and western aid but markedly less so than for Italy and the western forces were never really interested in obtaining such support from the Soviets.  They were quite happy with the Red Army tying up the bulk of the German army fighting in the east.].  Also its far easier providing that sort of support overland than via a much longer route including at least one sea leg. 

  Its theoretically possible to send a small Soviet force to Italy but the costs for both Stalin and the western allies make it a losing proposition.  Also such a small force, between the nature of both the type of fighting in Italy with closed mountainous terrain and Soviet frontal attack styles is likely to be exhausted pretty damned quickly.

  A better option than a large ground force but I suspect it still causes too many problems for all sides.  The western powers have to provide the a/c and also work on getting the Soviet pilots integrated with their air-forces.  Matters like language, doctrine, discipline, behaviour on the ground etc.  While Stalin will still be very untrusting of any such pilots that survive the experience given their exposure to western ideas.

  Not that single reason but its a big one for Stalin.  Also as I say logistical and doctrine issues in terms of getting the SEF working with the western allies effectively.  Not to mention how the Soviet forces might react to a former enemy territory [Italy] and its people and how the western allies would feel about that.

That makes me wonder could the Soviet Union have entered into Italy before the end of the war, like true Yugoslavia.