Earlier Soviet collapse, how does this effect the politics of Russia, the US and European countries?

Let's say that the Soviets collapse in the 1970s, how does this effect Russian, American and European countries (preferably Eastern European)?
 

thorr97

Banned
Mid-70s?

Non-nuclear? And pretty much along the same lines of the late 80s / early 90s implosion of the Evil Empire©?

Well, if it's at about the same time as the US withdrawal from 'Nam and the North's takeover, the US is gonna be up to its eyeballs with internal distractions. There were a lot of political trends in the US which effectively made it impossible for the US to do much focusing outside of its borders. By the late 70s the military was a "shadow force" due to spending cuts and loss of morale. Some of that would, of course, be changed as the events in the USSR unfurled but the trends would still be there.

Sounds like the West would have a very limited ability to immediately capitalize on the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
 
Thinking about this a little further I think at the 70's the Soviet regime has not yet been fully discredited, in the sense that a coup like the one in the early 90's could succeed. So you may have a surviving Union of some type (likely Russia/the 'Stans/possibly Belarus).

I just don't see a total collapse of Soviet power in the same way as the 90s. The further geopolitical situation is fascinating, if this is before Mao's death he will make hay with this. Tito is alive for another decade barring butterflys.

The US is in an odd position too, it's moral authority sapped by Vietnam, their response will have an effect but do they have the will to intervene strongly?
 
As mentioned above, the actual year is really important. Say it's early 1971. Does Vietnam look a little more rosy for the US? Does the Arab coalition still go to war with Israel without Soviet aid? Does Watergate even happen?
 
... By the late 70s the military was a "shadow force" due to spending cuts and loss of morale. ...


Early 1970s. My service started in 1974 and during 1975 & 76 it was clear the trend was reversing. We received new weapons that were paid for in 1971-74 budgets, training was largely reoriented from tropical warfare of Viet Nam to the NATO environment. The RDF was standing up, a new wave of recruits were replacing the problem beset veterans of the last war years. Despite the handwringing of yellow press & muckraker journalists like Jack Anderson the military was well on its way to recovery from 1975.
 

CaliGuy

Banned
Thinking about this a little further I think at the 70's the Soviet regime has not yet been fully discredited, in the sense that a coup like the one in the early 90's could succeed. So you may have a surviving Union of some type (likely Russia/the 'Stans/possibly Belarus).

I just don't see a total collapse of Soviet power in the same way as the 90s. The further geopolitical situation is fascinating, if this is before Mao's death he will make hay with this. Tito is alive for another decade barring butterflys.

If only the Stans and Belarus are willing to join Russia in a new Union, though, then Russia itself might blow up the Union due to its fear of a Central Asian/Muslim demographic threat.

The US is in an odd position too, it's moral authority sapped by Vietnam, their response will have an effect but do they have the will to intervene strongly?

You mean in Vietnam? If so, No, I don't think so--not after losing almost 60,000 U.S. soldiers' lives in Vietnam.

Early 1970s. My service started in 1974 and during 1975 & 76 it was clear the trend was reversing. We received new weapons that were paid for in 1971-74 budgets, training was largely reoriented from tropical warfare of Viet Nam to the NATO environment. The RDF was standing up, a new wave of recruits were replacing the problem beset veterans of the last war years. Despite the handwringing of yellow press & muckraker journalists like Jack Anderson the military was well on its way to recovery from 1975.

What exactly does RDF stand for?
 
Mid-70s?

Non-nuclear? And pretty much along the same lines of the late 80s / early 90s implosion of the Evil Empire©?

Well, if it's at about the same time as the US withdrawal from 'Nam and the North's takeover, the US is gonna be up to its eyeballs with internal distractions. There were a lot of political trends in the US which effectively made it impossible for the US to do much focusing outside of its borders. By the late 70s the military was a "shadow force" due to spending cuts and loss of morale. Some of that would, of course, be changed as the events in the USSR unfurled but the trends would still be there.

Sounds like the West would have a very limited ability to immediately capitalize on the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
You are so very right about US military weakness after Vietnam. Our military is somewhat similar right now post the Iraq debacle.
 
You are so very right about US military weakness after Vietnam. Our military is somewhat similar right now post the Iraq debacle.
The loss of morale after Iraq and due to the endless 15 year plus war in Afganistan is not entirely dis-similair the the post-Vietnam hangover. I served in the Army and know a bit about this.
 
carl schwamberger said:
Early 1970s. My service started in 1974 and during 1975 & 76 it was clear the trend was reversing. We received new weapons that were paid for in 1971-74 budgets, training was largely reoriented from tropical warfare of Viet Nam to the NATO environment. The RDF was standing up, a new wave of recruits were replacing the problem beset veterans of the last war years. Despite the handwringing of yellow press & muckraker journalists like Jack Anderson the military was well on its way to recovery from 1975.

What exactly does RDF stand for?

Rapid Deployment Force. A 1970s name for the forces that would deploy to the Middle East to protect US interests there. Other than the 18th Airborne Corps I can't recall components. IIRC in the 1980s it was expanded and renamed Central Command.

Having to explain that one makes me feel old.
 
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