| Hi
Neither of your examples concerning air power are relevant to the discussion as neither conflicts were of the same nature as this one.
Armed conflict between the USSR and the Allies would have been total war. For the Allies and the USSR, the inevitable conclusions would be as meaningful.
Once the Red Army was trapped, and later consumed in Europe, it would not have been politically possible for the US to simply negotiate an end to conflict just as it was politically undesirable to negotiate with the Axis during WW2.
So, massive air attacks, designed to de-industrialize the empire would have ensued. Again, dent keep mentioning occupation, land invasions, etc, as this war would be very different.
Since the USSR was a slave state and needed all her industrial and military capabilities to not only threaten other states, but to maintain its grip at home, any removal of either one, not to mention both would prompt restive peoples to revolt.
This isn't hard to imagine, as the USSR always relied on force of might to stay in power. Once that was removed either by armed conflict or loss of will as actually did happen in the early '90s , then collapse was inevitable.
Such often is the nature of empires forged against the will of the diverse peoples it wishes to enslave |