The Cuban Missile War Timeline

[truth is life]

Originally Posted by Vaude

Also: about space exploration. As of 1962, only one spacecraft was able to make it within 100,000 kilometers of Venus. Until the space race heats up again with China or some other power between the United States, I think its safe to say that people will still think of Venus as a probable jungle planet, perhaps through the rest of the 20th century.

You taking about Mariner 2? That one proved that Venus was very hot, so no, unless everyone just forgets about it, no jungle Venus (ofc, people knew before the Mars flybys that nothing lived there--probably--and yet there was still speculation. Also, there's always scifi...)

[Ingsoc75]

Would anybody be interested in seeing an interactive timeline map of this alternative Cuban Missile Crisis?

It would be similar to this website about the eastern front in WW2:

POBEDITELI: Soldiers of the Great War

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc75

Would anybody be interested in seeing an interactive timeline map of this alternative Cuban Missile Crisis?

It would be similar to this website about the eastern front in WW2:

POBEDITELI: Soldiers of the Great War

I would be interested.

[Chris S]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc75

Would anybody be interested in seeing an interactive timeline map of this alternative Cuban Missile Crisis?

It would be similar to this website about the eastern front in WW2:

POBEDITELI: Soldiers of the Great War

I would be most interested as well. That eastern front flash website is an amazing resource. If you can do that you could push map-making to the next level on this board.

Please make it.

[Uxi]

Great timeline. I think the Red Army offensive into Europe/Germany is a bit too successful than it should have been, but I love the amount of detail.

[Dan Reilly The Great]

Good TL, dunno if this issue was brought up yet, but I didn't feel like reading 50 pages of posts. The only issue I had was with China being the sole superpower by the late 70's, China probably doesn't open up to the west as soon as OTL, and without a economically well off west to sell cheap consumer goods to I don't see them becoming a superpower decades before they even had the potential IOTL. Honestly I don't think anybody will be a superpower before the end of the century ITTL, not even the US. I just don't see anybody having the economic, military, or industrial ability to project their influence and power around the globe. I think China will be a great power for sure, just not the sole superpower especially not this early.

[truth is life]

Originally Posted by Dan Reilly The Great

Good TL, dunno if this issue was brought up yet, but I didn't feel like reading 50 pages of posts. The only issue I had was with China being the sole superpower by the late 70's, China probably doesn't open up to the west as soon as OTL, and without a economically well off west to sell cheap consumer goods to I don't see them becoming a superpower decades before they even had the potential IOTL. Honestly I don't think anybody will be a superpower before the end of the century ITTL, not even the US. I just don't see anybody having the economic, military, or industrial ability to project their influence and power around the globe. I think China will be a great power for sure, just not the sole superpower especially not this early.

I made just the same point above (though I think the US will come out a little better than you say, particularly with the revised hit list on the later versions of the TL; the military and much of the US industrial base is still intact), only to find out that someone else had made that point on page 2! It's been revised.

[Ingsoc75]

Here is a rough of my interface for the multimedia web version of this timeline. I have not added any controls at the bottom yet. I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas.

[Ingsoc75]

No suggestions or ideas?

[Rekjavik]

The interface itself seems fine, and organising this whole thing and all the additions into a more visual media is certainly very helpful.

I was thinking maybe the text could be beside the picture, instead of behind it, so that more can be fitted into the box. However, that there is more of an idea than anything, a bit of aesthetic feedback rather than a true suggestion.

Anyway, looks very good so far.

[JN1]

...as the Soviets certainly had them targeted (and probably so did the Americans) to stop them being potential powerful enemies post-war. For the Republic of Ireland that means probably Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airport at least, the Swedes would lose Stockholm and some of their ports and military bases (they had a defence agreement with the USA at this time, btw) and the Swiss Zurich and Bern.

Interestingly British war plans would expected the PM to remain in Whitehall, possibly being evacuated at the last minute by helicopter, or being replaced by one of the designated Deputy PMs when he was vapourised. We also now know that BURLINGTON/TURNSTILE would not have been used in the initial evacuation. After the exchange it might be used by surviving PYTHON groups to form a nucleus of a new government.

In our own studies of targets in the UK the government believed that a lot of targets in Scotland would have been hit. We certainly would have lost places like Faslane and Rosyth, which impacts on Glasgow and Edinburgh. There were also a lot of V-bomber dispersal airfields in Scotland which the Soviets would have tried to get.
IMVHO the Central Belt, which was full of industry, would be a mess post-strike. Remote parts of the Highlands might survive, but would be at risk from fall-out.

[Grimm Reaper]

It isn't so certain that the Soviets would target neutrals, or even that they could target neutrals outside Europe and Asia.

For instance, Venezuela coming through intact pretty much ensures the US will have sufficient fuel in a few years but given the small number of Soviet missles capable of hitting the US, can you imagine them diverting a few of that small number to a South American country?

[Chris S]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc75

No suggestions or ideas?

Excellent sample so far. Will the entire thing be shown at that scale or will it zoom into Cuba or other spots as required? Plus will it show borders at some points in the TL?

[Ingsoc75]

Thanks for responding guys.

Originally Posted by Rekjavik

The interface itself seems fine, and organising this whole thing and all the additions into a more visual media is certainly very helpful.

I was thinking maybe the text could be beside the picture, instead of behind it, so that more can be fitted into the box. However, that there is more of an idea than anything, a bit of aesthetic feedback rather than a true suggestion.

Anyway, looks very good so far.

You mean the text in the box? This brings up a good point. Should this multimedia piece display ALL the text for each event or a summary?

Originally Posted by Chris S

Excellent sample so far. Will the entire thing be shown at that scale or will it zoom into Cuba or other spots as required? Plus will it show borders at some points in the TL?

Yeah I was going to create a vector map in Flash so that I could zoom in and out to the appropriate geographic spots for each event.

[JN1]

Originally Posted by Grimm Reaper

It isn't so certain that the Soviets would target neutrals, or even that they could target neutrals outside Europe and Asia.

For instance, Venezuela coming through intact pretty much ensures the US will have sufficient fuel in a few years but given the small number of Soviet missiles capable of hitting the US, can you imagine them diverting a few of that small number to a South American country?

The targeting of neutrals is something that has come out post-Cold War. It's been discussed over at HP&CA. The European neutrals would, I think, certainly have taken hits, they're in IRBM and bomber range after all.

If I were the Soviets I might think I might station a couple of subs off Venezuela and shoot nuclear torpedoes into their ports.

[area11]

This is a great time line I would like to see this multimedia presentation

[truth is life]

Originally Posted by JN1

The targeting of neutrals is something that has come out post-Cold War. It's been discussed over at HP&CA. The European neutrals would, I think, certainly have taken hits, they're in IRBM and bomber range after all.

If I were the Soviets I might think I might station a couple of subs off Venezuela and shoot nuclear torpedoes into their ports.

Remember, at this point in time the USSR does not have so many nukes. Therefore, they need to prioritize, meaning they hit only critical targets, ie. no neutrals.

[Lurksalot]

15 years later and the people in Aiken, S.C. and Augusta, Ga. still scratching their heads and debating theories on why the Soviets spared the "bomb" plant(Savannah River Site). They also give a big sigh of relief on occasion.

[clintonforever]

Originally Posted by Amerigo Vespucci

Saturday, October 27, 1962

5:59 PM -- Anatoly Dobrynin arrives at the White House to meet with President Kennedy. A heated exhange follows, and Dobrynin leaves the White House fifteen minutes later, almost at a run. This fact is observed by reporters who have been watching the comings-and-goings at the building since the beginning of the crisis. Dobrynin's car speeds away in the direction of the Soviet Embassy. In his haste, Dobrynin fails to call ahead to the Embassy.

What difference would it have made if Dobrynin had called the Soviet Embassy before leaving the White House?

[Archangel]

Originally Posted by Ingsoc75

Here is a rough of my interface for the multimedia web version of this timeline. I have not added any controls at the bottom yet. I look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas.

Good sample.