I was reading a history of MI6 that I got from the library a few weeks ago and it was mentioned throughout the opening chapters that took place in the aftermath of WWII about British plans to ally themselves with the Germans to fight the Soviet Union.
I've also read various snippets over the years from US sources about how they wished they could have fought the Soviet Union after WWII. My question is was this a prevailing thought among western leaders (Namely FDR and Churchill)? Was it realistic from a practical standpoint (damage done to German military, infrastructure, and morale plus the extensive progress the Soviet Union had already made into Germany)? How close did this get to actually happening?
What you are asking is incredibly complex and has no easy answer (unless someone else can provide all the better than me). Also, I can only speak from the American perspective. Surely after the end of World War II, the Soviets made no friends during their aggressive negotiations as they spread their reaches as far as they could from their victory. To say that the Soviets were a thorn in America and Britain's side is to put it lightly.
The Cold War was a constant game of chicken between the United States and the Soviet Union to the point where there was continual conferences and other countries (i.e. Sweden) was on edge over the frictions. Each would step toward one another and gauge their reactions to see who would be the first to flinch. Outright war, however, was a very difficult concept because it is unlikely that many leaders wanted another war on their hands. It is then that what we call the "iron curtain" was placed down where there was a mad race between the Soviets and the rest of the allies to spread communism or capitalism respectively.
How close were we to war? Within inches, but those inches were blocked by a very hard terrain called "nuclear arms." The concept of mutually ensured destruction is what made the everyone flinch. Many people were afraid that if there was another war, it would lead to massive destruction through nuclear weapons. So close and yet so far, if I may say.
Sorry. I know that this doesn't answer all of your question. I hope someone is able to explain what I said a little better (I feel like I was scatter brained) and answers all of your questions.
The guys at the very top were not very anxious to get into a land war with the USSR. They knew there was no way that the allies could compete with 500+ battle hardened soviet divisions. Even the realization that the US w.as the only nuclear power wasnt enough to risk war. There were powerful men in the Allied camp that wanted to ally with germany and fight the soviets, namely Patton but I dont think it was ever considered seriously by the High Command. The allies werent prepared to accept the casualties that the soviets could in a land war with russia, case in point they dropped 2 atomic bombs on japan to prevent the projected casualties of an invasion of the japanese home Islands. The soviets outnumbered the allies in every facet of warfare except for aircraft carriers (which would be of little use on the eurasian landmass) and heavy bombers which wouldnt be of great use when up against the thousands of soviet fighters and AAA.
This is very arguable and it is such a complex topic that there is no one answer. The political situation was so fluid in the first year or 2 after the war ended that the threat and likelyhood of war changed every day.