I was having a pub conversation the other day with a chap that had an argument that the Soviets were caught in a predicament when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa because they themselves were perched ready to attack Germany. I've done some reading and there does seem to be some circumstantial evidence that the Soviet Union was preparing for an offensive but nothing definitive of course.
Are there any historians from this period that would like to comment on any evidence or even the likelihood of such a scenario?
According to the book "Russian at War" by Alexander Werth, Stalin was never plotting against Hitler. After their joint conquest of Poland, Stalin knew that Hitler was eventually going to attack Russia. This fear was intensified after the Germans smashed through France in 6 weeks. The Soviets then tried to appease the Nazis by send tons of food and material to Germany. Stalin would also slowly prepare the military for a German invasion. So, Stalin never planed an invasion of Germany.