Post World War III: Red Storm Rising

[Matt Wiser]

One thing about Red Storm Rising is that the postwar world isn't set up very much, mainly because Clancy intended it to be a one-off novel. So, any ideas about how the postwar world starts to develop? One thing that may happen: A Soviet division or Army commander comes home with a Soviet version of the "stab in the back" a la WW I in Germany, perhaps? There is one parallel: the army is defeated, and yet still occupies enemy territory at the time of the cease-fire. One can also assume that the Warsaw Pact fell apart soon after, and the Soviets decided to go home from Eastern Europe for good. But would the strain of the war, a wrecked Soviet economy, and no doubt restlesss nationalities in the USSR lead to civil strife at the very least? Maybe full-blown civil war in some locales, a la Hackett's Third World War? Have at it, folks, because Clancy sure won't.

[TheMann]

Another question might be looking at how to rebuild the damage done in Germany, and the results of other actions, particularly stuff like the cruise liner in the Med hit by a SLCM, and rebuilding the losses of the allied Navies and armies. There would be a problem with demographics with the number of dead from that war.

[lukedalton]

Originally Posted by TheMann

Another question might be looking at how to rebuild the damage done in Germany, and the results of other actions, particularly stuff like the cruise liner in the Med hit by a SLCM, and rebuilding the losses of the allied Navies and armies. There would be a problem with demographics with the number of dead from that war.

IRC the war was not so long to cause so much damage in demographiscs term (at least paragonated to WWI and WWII), IMHO what will cause the real death toll will be the winter.
The URSS has basically lost the war, spent a lot of men, tank, oil, treasure and all to be back at square one in the end, with still the problem of oil production. So in a eery mix of rage for the lost war and the death toll and hardship for the cold and food scarcity an armed revolution or a civil war with a lot of ethnic strife is on schedule.

[Color-Copycat]

With the Soviets having lost a good chunk of their best divisions in the European conflict, they might have difficulty suppressing Islamic uprisings in their Central Asian republics.

[TheMann]

Originally Posted by lukedalton

IRC the war was not so long to cause so much damage in demographiscs term (at least paragonated to WWI and WWII), IMHO what will cause the real death toll will be the winter.
The URSS has basically lost the war, spent a lot of men, tank, oil, treasure and all to be back at square one in the end, with still the problem of oil production. So in a eery mix of rage for the lost war and the death toll and hardship for the cold and food scarcity an armed revolution or a civil war with a lot of ethnic strife is on schedule.

I don't think armed revolutions are gonna be on the cards, even with a badly weakened Red Army. The lost war problem will be handled by the undoubtedly very showy trials that the new government would set up just to show that they are different from the old guard. Nobody will want a civil war and that concern will be real, so one can expect oil shipments to the USSR to ensure nobody freezes to death.

[Life In Black]

Another upside, if you can call it that, is the chance to reform the military into a small, highly professional force, rather than a bloated army ready to oppose the West.

[lukedalton]

Originally Posted by TheMann

I don't think armed revolutions are gonna be on the cards, even with a badly weakened Red Army. The lost war problem will be handled by the undoubtedly very showy trials that the new government would set up just to show that they are different from the old guard. Nobody will want a civil war and that concern will be real, so one can expect oil shipments to the USSR to ensure nobody freezes to death.

Probably the West can't sent all the oil needed, because of the disruption of the line of transport, of the ships needed and the need of reconstruction, secondly probably there are a few people in Europe who frankly don't give a damn if the Soviets starve or freeze to death after this little stunt, so all the aid given will probably be the equivalent of a bandaid on a tumor.
Plus there are the plucky sidekick aka the rest of the Warsaw Pact who can use the situation to dislodge themselfs from the tight embrace of Moscow expecially now that a military invasion ala Hungary is not a given

[Matt Wiser]

Maybe no armed revolts in European Russia or the Far East, but the 'stans, perhaps? And the Transcaucusus region....the whole Armenia-Azeri thing might get started earlier-and there'd be plenty of combat veterans coming home that are angry, frustrated, and looking for someone to vent on. Not just in those regions, but elsewhere in the USSR, too.

And the Warsaw Pact countries have their own problems, with a USSR unwilling to intervene on the side of the Communist governments. German reunification probably within a year to 18 months, for example.