I'm writing a story, and wanted to know how possible this was. In 1969, members of the People's Liberation Army ambushed a Soviet patrol, leaving 59 dead. Eventually, the conflict expanded to Zhenbao Island, which basically was a mini war for an island. The reason for the conflict was because the old borders drawn between tsarist Russia and China resulted in the annexation of Chinese territory, but the USSR refused to change it. This caused the above conflict, which gradually diffused, but could've changed the Cold War completely. The USSR started looking at the idea of a US/USSR joint attack on Chinese nuclear weapon depots. So what if that happened, or there was an all-out nuclear war between the USSR and PRC instead of with the US? How would've it affected history?
Plausibility Check: Sino-Soviet Border Conflict Grows
- Thread starter ChaoticBrilliance
- Start date
I've read a story with this premise once before, I think. What the title was, I cannot remember.
Realpolitik
Banned
It's very plausible. The Russians were discussing preemptive nuclear strikes, and the Chinese were gearing the population for war. Evacuating cities, military alert, everything. All the nuclear bunkers in Hubei, Underground City, and such, that was built for nuclear war with the Soviets. They really were preparing for it...
The world doesn't know how close of a shave 1969 was-it might have been closer than Cuba in 1962.
I have to go to class, can't talk right now, but... it would not have been pretty.
Oh crud. Well, when join this late, I guess all the good ideas are already taken.
Guess so. Because of that, it's much easier to deal with niche components of history. Do you have any particular perks of interest? Maybe a Great Leap, a Cultural Revolution TL? I don't think we've seen those much.
Usually wars would be my topic of interest, and I have yet to figure out how to write a TL. Is it like writing a story, or something completely different?
There's different ways of it. Some people literally write timelines, some people make it look like series of newscasts, some people write stories, some people literally write thousands of words per post. It's just dependent on how you want to present it, supposedly.
In terms of wars, there are a lot of interesting ones centred around Asia that were quite plausible(I think). South Korean participation in the First(and Second) Indochina Wars, Taiwanese plan to invade the mainland during the height of the Cultural Revolution, North Korean plan to invade the south after a successful 1.21 assassination of the president, Taiwanese participation in the Vietnam War, etc.
Wow, those are some really interesting ideas. Have you ever thought of doing any of those? And writing a timeline seems simpler than I thought, so if you're not using those, I might use one of them.
Of course, I strongly encourage you to do so. I already have two ongoing ones, and it's very hard to keep them up.Wow, those are some really interesting ideas. Have you ever thought of doing any of those? And writing a timeline seems simpler than I thought, so if you're not using those, I might use one of them.
Of course, I strongly encourage you to do so. I already have two ongoing ones, and it's very hard to keep them up.
Haha, thanks very much! I really appreciate the help!
Oh, and by the way, if I may ask, do you write an outline of events on paper before you type, or do you just post it?Haha, thanks very much! I really appreciate the help!
I have a list of basic items I want to include. So the plot doesn't drag on, tying up loose ends, etc.
US reaction would be neutral. They're just realising there is a Sino-Soviet split, and they would probably take cover - if possible - until the war is over.
What do you mean by 'tying up loose ends?'
simply put,
chapter 1. officer goes to war, darling says final goodbye.
chapter 2. officer lost as POW, darling believes he is dead and becomes very sad.
in this situation, we would "tie up the loose end of the plot" by:
chapter 30. officer survives gulag, comes back to find darling married to another man.
Ah, I see, so basically not leaving another without change... or did I not get it? :/
Only one I've seen around the Ussuri River War which was kinda... Average to be put politely.
I don't know that you got it - and the smiley was supposed to indicate it was a bit of a joke.
That's just one He could have used - the POW could come home and they live happily ever after, he could come home and become president, of a new Russia, he could come home and then tragically die ina car wreck. The tragedy of the wife remarrying might also be because of how Russian literature sometimes is.
When you tie up loose ends, you make sure there is closure on anything. Read your story and ask, "Is there anyone people would want to know 'whatever happened to him'?"
I use a storytelling method where I just describe events, and if you don't write characters and conflict well that might be better for a war, but if you do when putting characters in would really be great. When I write, if I don't bring it up to the present day I like to have a logical ending - an election, in "Created Equal" it was the Centennial, etc..
Wow, those are some really interesting ideas. Have you ever thought of doing any of those? And writing a timeline seems simpler than I thought, so if you're not using those, I might use one of them.
Kosgyin asked Kissinger to sound out the US reaction in the event of a Soviet first strike on China. Kissinger's response was that Nixon had already directed missiles to be pointed at 130 cities in the USSR, and that he won't allow the Eurasian landmass to become a Soviet island.
Whether that was a bluff remains to be seen.