Survived to Protect - Post Nuclear War Finland in 1984

[Jukra]

1. Introduction

This thread is inspired by the excellent "Protect and Survive" story and it's various spinoffs. While DrakonFin is already writing an excellent spinoff suiting P&S -scenario I want to explore with my TL a nuclear war, in which my mind, would have been much more likely in 1983. A nuclear war which, by account of many reasons, might well have left Finland virtually intact. Why this happened, will be discovered.

But even more importantly I want to explore a functioning first world society in a post-nuclear war world. What decisions it would take, how would it's society and economy function? Some might say that in a P&S scenario Sweden might take this role but since as a Finn I have somewhat better insight into Finnish affairs and I also think Finland would have had better chances to escape the conflict untouched I'm exploring this route.

First parts are from a TL I tried to write some years ago, don't get stuck on that as it's mainly a background.

2. Preparations for war

During early 1980's due to surprising progress in study of kidney diseases a certain Soviet leader gained a new lease of healthy life, at least for some years.

This new lease of life gave Mr Andropov time to think about mortality of himself and the political system he had served.

Clearly the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics is threatened on multiple fronts. On military front the threat of nuclear attack is acute and will increase dramatically in 1984. This is due to multiple developments, including Trident missiles which can be launched from points beyond Soviet satellite coverage, ALCM's and GLCM's which can use the gaps in Soviet Air Defense and finally due to Pershing IRBM's which can be used for "super swift" first strike.

To make sure that first strike will succeed, Mr Reagan is proposing the Star Wars program to eliminate threat from those Soviet missiles which probably survive the first strike. As capitalist countries are inherently evil and Soviet military machine weaker than it seems, it's clear that they might attack, perhaps masquerading some kind of Mainila shots, erm, Gleiwitz radio station incidents, first to provoke anti-Soviet feelings and finally as casus belli. Alarming intrusions by US submarines and aircraft are just the first steps. In order to safeguard Soviet Union the Operation RYAN is in effect to gather evidence on the date of the final attack.

Even without the existential threat of a nuclear attack the long term prospects for Soviet Empire do not look good at all. Even if oil prices stay high, the oil production will be smaller in the near future. The economy has missed the train of electronics revolution. The reliability of Eastern European vassals, erm, allies, is in doubt due to corruptive Western influences. In case of a large scale unrest in Eastern Europe it's doubtful whether Soviet Army can be used. Use of military force would cut off foreign funding and grain deliveries thus just adding to Soviet problems.

Thus, a way must be found to cure Soviet society of its malaise while diminishing the gap between Soviet and Western industries and making the Soviet Empire strong enough to last as a thousand years empire. Now, to use a possibly nuclear conflict to strengthen economic situation and to "cure" a nation may not sound like a good idea, but as we know, it has bee used before. For Andropov, a good example might be the Great Patriotic War, during which the Empire was spiritially united and territorially expanded, gained much respect and technological modernization. Additionally, a war would justify repression upon population on larger scale.

Andropov had to gain allies, as he's not Stalin and cannot start on course to a war by himself. Thankfully others had seen the threat to Soviet Union. Prime backers of Operation RYAN had been Marshal Ustinov (Minister of Defense, yes, Soviet Union had Minister of Defense) and Marshal Sokolov (Deputy Minister of Defense). A number of contingency plans had been written during the long years of Cold War and it was more of a task between selecting a right mix of them to implement.

In 1904 and 1941 Russia had been surprised. This time Russia would surprise it's enemies.


3. OPPLAN Morskoi Lev

EYES ONLY
From: Minister of Defense
To: Chairman of Politburo

Operational Plan Morskoi Lev - Updated as of 24 November 1983

Introduction

In general, we have overhauled our contingency plans as the older plans have been compromised by actions of enemy spies and signals intelligence, particularly by Colonel Kuklinski and American pirate submarines operating under code-name Ivy Bells.

As you know, we have a strategic warning of a impending enemy attack upon our country. It is a our legitimate right to take the appropriate action against threatening enemy forces. In any military operation there's the payoff between surprise and better correlation of forces. In case of defensive counter-attack against enemy forces, it is more important to pay attention into surprise, as succesful surprise start of the operation pays dividends in elimination of enemy weapons of mass destruction, principally nuclear weapons. As an practical example we might cite the Zionist forces in 1967 War.

While the correlation of conventional forces is favorable for us initially, although marginally, we cannot be sure of the stability of the rear within our Eastern European Allies for any length of time, which turns the correlation of conventional forces into our disadvantage.

Some of the plans tested suggested a conventional phase prior to deployment of tactical and theater nuclear weapons but this was to our disadvantage. With massive use of our chemical weapons and tactical and theater nuclear forces we can turn the correlation of conventional forces to our favour, with only using national forces, while similarly eliminating most of the enemy tactical and theater nuclear capabilities. Possible enemy retaliation against our theater nuclear operation will mostly fall upon our allies and thus be of our advantage, as it will motivate them to fight and instill anti-NATO feelings upon populace.

In surprise attack of this scale it is of utmost importance that the preparations remains secure and signal traffic before operation is not compromised. Thus we need preparation time of two weeks during which we can make the necessary preparations without alarming enemy intelligence capabilities. I also suggest that we make the attack during time when Western forces have their holiday period and our forces are still in duty. Thus I suggest that we make our move on 25 December 1983, the Western christmas period, which is also a Sunday.

For nuclear weapons, our new generation weapons such as SS-20 and SS-21 present opportunity to surgically eliminate NATO targets without much collateral damage. It must be also remembered that winter time is the most suitable time for employment of nuclear weapons without much collateral damage.

After this preliminary briefing, I will present you the operational plan Morskoi Lev. One condition which is not discussed in opplan is the stability of the rear which will be under political guidance.

Due to strict timing in a operation like this without co-operation between operations to create stability and actual military operation will be crucial.


OPPLAN MORSKOI LEV

1.) The purpose of the operation is to eliminate threat against Warsaw Pact and Soviet Union by dismantling NATO and eliminating offensive capabilities of the United States and China in Asia.

2.) Purpose of the operation will be achieved by meeting following objectives:

-Elimination of NATO offensive capabilities in Europe via political means in France, conventional means in UK and primarily by nuclear means in rest of the Europe.
-Elimination of US offensive capabilities worldwide outside US territory
-Protection of own naval strategic offensive capabilities
-Preparation to eliminate Chinese and US strategic offensive capabilities if deemed necessary
-Physical occupation of West Germany, Benelux Countries and Denmark
-Physical occupation of Northern Italy
-Forcing Norway, UK, France, Greece, Turkey and Spain into
neutrality
-Forcing Japan into neutrality
-Forcing China into neutrality

3.) Objectives will be met by following measures...

 

[Jukra]

4. Sea Lion Day

25 December 1983

The operation Morskoi Lev started with a subtleness of a sealion.

The first and almost only warning of Soviet strike was the stand-down of the Pact radar equipment just before H-hour. The Soviet initial strike was carried out according to plans and was mostly succesfull. Within period of some twenty minutes most of the NATO's theater firepower was evaporated. All NATO airbases known to host nuclear weapons were hit by nuclear weapons alongside with a number of US Army bases known to host tactical nuclear weapons. Air defense sites were hit by low-kiloton weapons. Within one hour most important targets were hit again by chemical weapons warheads spraying Sarin over airbase crews frantically trying to repair damage.

With total of roughly one hundred targets in Benelux-countries, Western Germany, Spain, Italy and Turkey some 500 nuclear warheads totalling almost 50 megatons were exploded. With exception of a few low-yield warheads all of them were airbursts.

In Mediterranean the task to eliminate US Navy carrier groups was easier than expected, thanks to carrier battle groups of USS John F Kennedy and USS Independence being tied to support US troops in Lebanon. USS Independence was vaporized by nuclear torpedo, while USS John F Kennedy escaped only with damage just to be finished by lucky shot of three 150kt warheads from a specially tasked SS-20.

Numerous high-yield nuclear weapons were exploded in airbursts over sea within vicinity of some of the major Japanese population centers.

All over the world a nuclear conflict was erupting in the depths of major oceans as both US and Soviet submarines received authorization to use nuclear weapons against each other.

However, it was not yet time for the ultimately most destructive phase of the war which would require a number of decisions on both sides. As for the first hours, neither Mrs Prime Minister or Mr President had decided how to carry on retaliation and deep inside a reserve HQ Mr Andropov was excpecting the next move. No NATO capital city was hit yet. No western nuclear weapons at all, except for a single nuclear depth charge, had been exploded yet.

This was nuclear war in all it's madness.

 

[Jukra]

5. Escalation

During the Cold War a number of escalation theories had been written by leading scientists and analysts of the Western World. Whether escalation ladders or spirals they mostly expected the conflict to advance in stages. This was best illustrated in various NATO exercises which, after a period of conventional warfare, escalated into a nuclear phase in which a few tactical nuclear weapons were used in neat, preplanned order.

In Soviet Union the nuclear weapons were seen as weapons of war with no ultimate distinction between conventional and nuclear warfare.

What happened on 25th December 1983 can be intellectually seen as a lethal mix of both these views - escalation and use as a weapon in a planned war.

What had happened was the scenario for which the GLCM Tomahawk and Pershing II -missile deployment had been planned for - and had already been underway. Unfortunately for NATO war plans most of the nuclear retaliatory firepower had been largely eliminated in a suprise attack, as had been feared.

It has been speculated that Andropov, Ustinov and Sokolov who had probably eliminated or isolated rest of the politburo at this point, had been prepared for a limited retaliation. Surviving orders certainly indicate this. Orders also stress for discipline of use for nuclear firepower.

In effect the Soviet communications network was probably overwhelmed in handling the amount of information available in actual nuclear war. Records by Finnish Institute of Seismology coupled by French signals intelligence records seem to indicate a progression of events in which launch of NATO tasked US Poseidon submarine USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN-644) resulted in launch of Soviet missiles into United Kingdom.

From that on the following events are scetchy and unclear. Whether it was counterstrike of aptly named HMS Revenge which plunged Soviet Rocket forces into massive anti-ICBM strike or sheer panic after losing cities in Soviet main territory the result was the orgy of destruction, Black Christmas. The major exchange took just ten hours while spasmodic fighting continued for two weeks.

Even as horrible as the results were, they were not as bad as they might have been due to nature of start of the war, a Soviet surprise attack. In addition to elimination of the much of NATO's operational and tactical nuclear firepower the both sides managed to eliminate their respective bomber forces which would have created a proportionally large part of destruction.

As the war had been prepared in secret by members of Soviet Politburo neither Soviets or the US were truly fully prepared for the war. A number of powerful US nuclear weapons were in maintenance. A large part of Soviet SSBN force was at port waiting to be surged.

Most importantly the targets which were actually hit were the ones associated with warfighting capabilities rather than those retarding rebuilding. While this did not help much countries like Britain or Hungary it meant a large parts and entire countries escaped unhurt.

 

[Dunois]

Very good stuff so far!

Since the intent of the Soviets was to turn France and Britain into neutrals, I would adventure to say that large parts of both Britain and France have escaped relatively unscathed. If both London and Paris have survived (somewhat unlikely) then frankly everything else will be manageable and reconstruction won't be too much of a problem.
I expect France in fact to weather the storm relatively well courtesy of its geography. Most of the industrial capability will be intact and the loss of a few airbases will have a minor impact.

What I see happening however in France and in a lot of other places which have been relatively unharmed, is a desire not to let the Soviet Union get away with what it has done. The Soviet Union has clearly been the aggressor here, so I don't see the French Comunist party having a good tile. In fact a low level civil war against them, probably coupled with their outright banning could lead to political troubles in France. Troubles which the government would win, with Mitterand assuming full powers like De Gaulle did in 1961. The man had his flaws but he was not a tender pushover so any forces hampering reconstruction will be crushed and crushed hard. The guillotine will make a comeback at the very least ...

If whatever is left of France and Britain are in a position to rearm a few years down the line, they will do so and the latter many even denouce its links with America for having been "betrayed".

 

[Jukra]

If whatever is left of France and Britain are in a position to rearm a few years down the line, they will do so and the latter many even denouce its links with America for having been "betrayed".

This was the idea, however, the neat limited nuclear war turned into wholesome conflict very rapidly whose implications will be seen in following posts. Why I did not put this into P&S verse, which, excellent in it's own sense, is that I think that a nuclear war due to long term escalation and then launched on a mistake is IMHO less likely than one started on purpose and by using the surprise. Anyway, in long term France will be the most powerful country in Europe and one of the strongest in the world.

 

[Jukra]

6. Devastation

For almost thirty years the possibility of the world ending in a nuclear holocaust had been considered a possibility. For most of the Finns this day - which was not the end of the world but end of the world they knew - came in very different forms.

The first Soviet strike on NATO occurred on 0300 Finnish Time.

For those unfortunate conscripts not on Christmas leave the orders came just some thirty minutes after reports of nuclear explosions in Europe came. Live ammunition distributed, all gear packed and on back of a lorry to some point, most usually port or airfield, as peacetime forces were first to guard mobilization in case of coup d'etat, main fear of Finnish Military during years before Cold War turned Hot.

For the President and members of the Cabinet the emergency plan was similar as in a Coup d'etat attempt - evacuation to a leadership bunker underneath Helsinki, which had a maze of tunnels, guarder by a MP Company from Guards Jaeger Battalion.

For inhabitants in major cities the defining moment was 0345 when sirens ailed all over Finland followed by special news bulletins from 0430 forward.

For Soviet Ambassador the defining moment was when he could not reach Moscow from 0430 onwards. Five minutes later there was a sound of a single gun shot from KGB officer Vladimirov's room.

Finally, the inhabitants of Taivalkoski, in Northern Finland, were the only ones to share the Euro-American experience of a nuclear war. For some odd reason the Finnish Air Force early warning radar was a target of an American missile, most likely a Minuteman II ICBM. 1.2 megaton warhead obliterated the small village. SIOP plan had had it's oddities.

By 2000 Finnish time the Air Force Signals Research Detachment (the Finnish Radio Intelligence) reported that both radio and radar transmissions in Western Soviet Union had virtually ceased.

 

[Jukra]

7. Information

For the first day after the President, the Cabinet (or those few members who could reach Helsinki during Christmas Day), Defence Command and various other departments were virtually acting on autopilot. Full scale mobilization was ordered, various Emergency Decrees were enabled just like in some exercise during Defence Course, which every leading politician and official had gone through but mostly viewed being an important place for networking rather than actually exercising for something unlikely. If there ever was a nuclear war, it would be useless, anyway?

That now the situation had changed entirely became clear very quicky. Two key questions, what to answer to Soviet requests to FCMA treaty activation and how to react to Western flight intrusion became simply irrelevant. Nobody came out of Soviet Embassy to ask those questions. After Taivalkoski radar getting off the net any overflights were not detected.

By late night as the routine decisions were being implemented, it had became clear that Finland had entered a world of new uncertainties. Foreign Ministry instituted a roll call for it's embassies on it's own global HF net. Although static was heavy one thing was certain. No embassies in Europe could be reached, although contact was made, among other sites, with Canberra in Australia.

Foreign embassies were instructed and to be helped to contact their home countries. Unfortunately those two countries that mattered most reported no contact with their home countries. Soviet Embassy, in fact, did not answer the call for assistance at all.

Finnish merchant ships outside Baltic were instructed to wait for orders from Finnish Maritime Adminstration as per pre-war plans, those in Baltic were instructed to proceed for Finnish or Swedish ports as fast as possible.

Thanks to pre-planned co-operation Swedish authorities could be reached but the damage they had experienced was far more severe than a loss of a trivial village. Apparently after the initial onslaught had not hit Sweden on the second round Sweden was considered a Western Allied state and thus heavily hit upon air defence and some industrial / political targets.

By afternoon the first fallout predictions from Finnish Meteorlogical Office for fallout were also arriving...

 

[Jukra]

8. What to do when there is nothing you can do?

Oulu

At every Monday at 1200 the alert sirens sound, in order to test them for public safety. They sound just for once after which they die out quickly. This has been the routine for decades. But this was very early Sunday, and Christmas day, for that.

Most of those who heard the sirens thought there had been an accident in one of the local factories. The pulp mill announced itself many days by it's foul smell, and everyone over 25 remembered the industrial explosion in Typpi Oy factory in an early winter morning not unlike this. Many did not wake up as they had boozed on Christmas Eve. Many of those living in the city were not in their apartments but were in cottages or visiting relatives in surrounding countryside.

Thus those who woke up and turned on the radios expected to hear news on the issue. Instead there was a very clear, very calm low voice giving instructions on closing windows and ventilation and announcing that official news would follow soon.

No one who heard the news broadcast on 0430 could forget it, nor could anyone remember it's details. The details of the news were made much more vivid as around 0445 there was a blinding light coming from the east followed by a loud bang some six minutes later. Inhabitants of Oulu did not know it was the only nuclear weapon to explode on Finnish soil.

What followed was a mixture of reactions as people prepared for the inevitable end. Few priests drove to their respective churches and opened the church doors for sermons which gathered a much larger flock than normally, even though they were started around 0500 on Christmas Day.

This was despite the curfew which was announced. Also, despite curfew, every ALKO (State owned alcohol monopoly) store was robbed. The police did not punish the offenders. After all, they all would be incinerated anyway. The day the world ended and Finns watched it on TV. The initial mobilization calls were issued on the afternoon with number of absentees being quite small.

There was also every other reaction imaginable from few unfortunate suicides to spike in births nine months later, but what many seem to recall later on is either turning to God, or whatever spiritual values or hedonism, whether in ways seen to outwards or just keeping it to themselves. The Black Christmas was the day the world ended and it was also a day when the world was reborn.

 

[Petike]

Nice to see another modern Finnish timeline. How is it related to the P&S series ? Is it its own thing ?

 

[Jukra]

Nice to see another modern Finnish timeline. How is it related to the P&S series ? Is it its own thing ?

I'm inspired by it, but it's independent effort built upon somewhat different premises.

 

[Jukra]

9. The Day After

SECRET
Approved for distribution to Finnish Defence Command

26/01/83

Swedish Defence Command Report

1. Enemy action

No enemy warships or airplanes reported after midnight. Co-operation of naval, aerial and signals intelligence should continue. Mobile bases and surveillance equipment in action.

2. Damage to major population centers

Reports indicate heavy damage to Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Tröllhattan, Linköping, Lysekil, Nynäshamn and Karlskoga after enemy nuclear attack. Rescue efforts in progress, we request assistance in any form Finland can provide.

3. Contact with neighbouring states

a) No contact with Danish authorities. In Norway at least Oslo, Trondheim and Bergen hit by nuclear attack. In contact with a number of Norwegian sub-commands.

b) Joint reconnaissance effort should be started in co-operation between our Air Forces and surviving civilian air organizations. Liaison officers to be exchanged today.

We suppose following tasks to be fulfilled jointly:

i) Visual reconnaissance of major population centers in Baltic States and Leningrad Region

ii)Discovery of active major enemy units west and north of Archangel Yaroslavl-Moscow-Minsk-Warsaw-Berlin-Hamburg through use of SIGINT aircraft

iii) Visual reconnaissance over major cities of Western Europe

Following tasks could be achieved by division of labour

iv) Visual reconnaissance of military bases in Kola Peninsula (Finland)
v) Visual reconnaissance of military bases in Karelian Isthmus and
Leningrad (Sweden)
vi) Visual reconnaissance of cities in Norway and Denmark (Sweden)

4. Co-operation in field of communications...

 

[Dunois]

This was the idea, however, the neat limited nuclear war turned into wholesome conflict very rapidly whose implications will be seen in following posts. Why I did not put this into P&S verse, which, excellent in it's own sense, is that I think that a nuclear war due to long term escalation and then launched on a mistake is IMHO less likely than one started on purpose and by using the surprise. Anyway, in long term France will be the most powerful country in Europe and one of the strongest in the world.

Sounds like 2300AD if France becomes on of the strongest countries in the world. It already is one anyways .

But count me if if this becomes a Franco-Finnish conspiracy to take over what is left of Europe. We will provide the wine, but you guys on the other hand have to provde the gorgeous blonde maidens that happen to live in your country .

Britain won't be hammered as badly as in P&S either so recovery there should somewhat prompter. Southern Britain will survive mucb better than the north which is full of bomber bases and defense facilities.
Even in P&S there is a lot of key infrastructure such as refining surviving ...

 

[Jukra]

10. St. Stephans Day

The President of the Republic did not have to sleep in two person rooms like members of the Cabinet. He had his single cell. Once, one year ago, he had seen a nightmare of a nuclear conflict in which he would be slowly suffocated to death in this grey room below Helsinki. Yesterday it had seemed reality but then he had had to cope with reality. It was something he had seen when he had fought under Captain Törni during Continuation War. There were simply things which had to be done.

Seismological Institute had not reported any major explosions after late afternoon yesterday. The war was over and like so many had predicted, nobody had won. The Meteorlogical office was doing it's best to provide fallout predictions but with meteorlogical data coming out just from Finland and Sweden it was not easy. Nevertheless, there would be limitations in going outside for two weeks but it could be handled. It was Christmas holiday time after all and people had stockpiled themselves voluntarily.

It was to be seen if predictions of Carl Sagan were right and everything was over anyway. Koivisto put a mental note to form some kind of scientific committee to answer to all sorts of unpredictable problems.

But as a President of the Republic he could not act on prediction everything was going to end. Not that he was sure about it, but it would not hurt to prepare for some kind of a future.

Ironically the situation between Sweden and Finland seemed to be at odds for what he remembered some forty years ago. War ravaged Finland had been the little brother for rich Sweden, a point of embarassment. Swedish Defence Command seemed to operate far too independently, perhaps because Palme was dead or missing and Carlsson was perhaps not on the grip yet.
¨
Other two major powers of Finnish history, Germany and Russia, had seemingly turned into ash. That would be made sure by reconnaissance program General Valtanen had promoted to do together with Swedes. Finland could have Karelia back for sure, turning AKS dreams to reality but would it be worth anything?

Economist as he was he wondered about fate of Finnish export industries. What to do when all major export markets were at ruins? As for imports, where could Finland import anything? The Foreign Ministry said they had contact with Australia and Argentine among others.

Even though he did not like public speeches he simply knew he would have to make one, soon. But not today, one would have to get a good night's sleep before making a speech which would be even more important than those he had heard from wartime presidents.

 

[RandomChance]

Sounds like 2300AD if France becomes on of the strongest countries in the world. It already is one anyways .

Wow! That takes me back. French Empire and war against the dubiously named Kafers....

 

[Jukra]

Sounds like 2300AD if France becomes on of the strongest countries in the world. It already is one anyways .

But count me if if this becomes a Franco-Finnish conspiracy to take over what is left of Europe. We will provide the wine, but you guys on the other hand have to provde the gorgeous blonde maidens that happen to live in your country .

Britain won't be hammered as badly as in P&S either so recovery there should somewhat prompter. Southern Britain will survive mucb better than the north which is full of bomber bases and defense facilities.
Even in P&S there is a lot of key infrastructure such as refining surviving ...

Thanks! I'm not counting on Franco-Finnish conspiracy as even a surviving Finland is in long term smaller than mauled European major countries. But it's a surviving country with nonexistant damage which will make it an important ally to look for and provide some unexpected possibilities for it's population.

2300AD actually was a game I played intensively during my early teenage years, but I'm not aiming for the scenario

Btw, personally I think French dark-haired beauties are more preferable for me, as they're exotic looking here

 

[Jukra]

11. Closing doors

If there is one thing the Finnish Defence Forces has been good at it's starving people. Altogether, the previous experience in 1918 when starving Reds and 1941-1942 when starving Soviet prisoners of war had perhaps built an institutional memory which was easy to employ after the War. Provocative? Yes. But for a reason.

Now, almost thirty years later, it is easy to condemn the decisions made during that winter not only in Finland but even more so in countries which were hit by nuclear weapons and were forced to use euthanasia in large scale. Finnish problems were minor but it is important to bring them into discussion as there has been an unwelcome tendency of individual Finns and Finnish institutions to treat those from damaged countries (except nationals of France) as being ethically tainted. After all, unlike almost all the countries which were severely hit Finland did not spend the Cold War pumping funds for military might but used them for social security and development.

How does that change the fact that after the War the Government DID make some decisions quite similar to horror stories from UK and the US not to mention those places we won't never hear?

When one looks into statistics of so-called Refugee Relocation program, which were made public just last year, few things become very clear. The refugees which were accepted from Russia were handled in a triage process just as in damaged countries. The only thing we did not do was the euthanasia like proper triage does according to nowadays UN regulations. We simply left them to die. Second, after all talk of tolerance and peace we accepted just Finnish speakers, so called ethnic refugees. It is too late to ask, but we may formulate that President Koivisto was behind this decision just as he was in annexing the Development Territories in Karelia and Kola Peninsula.

Third, the people were clearly valuated in some kind of point system. How on earth otherwise the people let in would have had so good education, for example?

I'm not saying we did nothing worse than any other country in the Grim Days. But we were certainly no saints. We do need to cope with that. In post-war world we were not just onlookers, we were actors as well. That means we cannot treat foreign workers from damaged countries just like shit.

(Column in Uusi Suomi newspaper 1 August 2013 by journalist...)

 

[DrakonFin]

I want to explore with my TL a nuclear war, in which my mind, would have been much more likely in 1983. A nuclear war which, by account of many reasons, might well have left Finland virtually intact.

It is great to see you writing this.

Not only because (I think we can both agree) the forum could benefit from more Finnish TLs, but also because you are handling a similar scenario in a similar timeframe (even if starting from different basic assumptions) as P&S and my humble spinoff. A more optimist take on post-nuclear Finland than the nightmare I have been writing, if you may. This TL allows some nice comparison of the events, the conditions and the decisions of the powers-that-be. And you definitely have the knowledge of Finnish conditions to pull off what you have set out to do.

This is a very good start, keep at it.

 

[Jukra]

12. Diplomacy

2 January 1984

On the runway of Helsinki-Vantaa airport a DC-10-30F was starting it's take-off run. Minister Max Jakobson, an experienced diplomat, was the most important passenger onboard. He was slated to be the new ambassador to the United States. Where, in the United States, he did not know. The flight plan was to take them first to Roanoke, Virginia, after which the plane would take off for Brazil where Leif Fagernäs, young lawyer sitting on by his left, would take the ambassadors position to Brazil as the resident ambassador had been on leave to Rome when all the hell appeared. In long term the position of ambassador to Brazil would be far more important than ambassador to United States, Jakobson thought.

From Roanoke they would be transported to whatever position US Government would be able to offer. Exact location of the new US President was naturally a secret as there was nothing to make sure a rogue Soviet submarine or ICBM base would not be operational. The new president had not been chosen in a democratic election. Whether the old man had perished in the war, despite American precautions, or had just collapsed under the strain the new president was the Vice-President Bush.

CEO of Finnair had been damn sure that Finnair's flagship would show the best Finland had. This was important. Finland would not show itself as a war torn nation but as a nation where business was conducted as usual.The flight attendants were best looking Jakobson had ever seen with professionalmake up. Flight menu was made in co-operation with best chefs in Helsinki. Bar was stocked with Finlandia.

The mission was a joint one with Swedes, but President Koivisto had reminded that this wasn't the old times anymore. Swedish damage had been extensive and one should not forget that despite joint nature of the mission Finland should keep the premier position. Sweden was, for time being, a damaged nation as Koivisto had said.

United States was, despite the untold destruction, a continent wide damaged nation. Neither Finland or Sweden were global powers and had no means of assessing the scale of destruction United States had suffered. Was it a nuclear wasteland of sci-fi stories or just suffering destruction on scale Germany or Japan had forty years ago? Even if 90% of it's population had been killed there would be still, what, 20 million Americans? Whatever the damage it had suffered, it had still Federal Government which functioned in a level it could send out emissaries.

More importantly, both General Valtanen and Koivisto's military aide General Sutela were in agreement that United States still possessed more than enough nuclear weapons to implement a nuclear holocaust all over the world if it wanted to. A former global power destroyed could be dangerous as it surely might be more than paranoid about it's safety. On the way back the aircraft would carry liaison officers in order to co-operate with operations in former Soviet Union to determine status of it's strategic weapons. When contacts had been made two days ago with the US government the proposal for joining forces had been accepted immediately. President Koivisto had felt there had been simply no other option.

Cargo hold of aircraft, a Finnair DC-10-30F, was full of light cargo, something not too different from the old days of just week ago but seemingly centuries away. Medical supplies, some of the best Orion, Medipolar and Instrumentointi could offer. And morphine. Quite a lot of it. Like in tales of rich and developed white men bringing gifts to poor, uncivilized American Indians in books he had read during his childhood. Trinkets and glass beads for barbarians. Hopefully the natives in North America would treat him well.

 

[Jukra]

This is a very good start, keep at it.

Thanks! Although you're writing a very good Finnish dystopia I have to remind that I'm not writing an exactly best case scenario here - even with Finland escaping practically without damage the conditions in the world outside have their impact upon Finland.

 

[Jukra]

13. The End of VCR wars

Tuesday, 3 January 1984, Oulu

When the stores had opened on 2 January 1984 Heikki knew what he would do. Thanks to spinal condition he had not received a mobilization notice yet and he was sure not to as the war seemed to be over anyway. Instead, there would be time for business opportunities. Trying to purchase more food than allowed by ration cards was for amateurs. Prices would be high now but would settle down later. It would be lucrative but only after connections with countryside relatives could be used. City was no good place to try to hoard food. Sure, there would be lack of exotic foods. Although in President's New Year Speech, in which he had stated the world outside Northern Hemisphere still existed and Finland had received a gift of grace, being a nation which had survived to protect those hurt, Heikki was fairly sure the arrival rate of bananas to K-Iikka store in Heinäpää would be rather slower than last winter.

But, without doubt, after time taste would accept more domestic berries. And after some months or years cellulose would be sent from Nuottasaari port to overseas destinations and those banana and coffee ships would arrive. What was more important was to think what would be lost forever or would be at least very hard to get. Sony. Grundig. Akai. 20th Century Pictures. Arnold Schwartzenegger. Linda Lovelace. Dallas. Der Alte. Twisted Sister. Bob Dylan.

Thus Heikki had bought every tape he could get until his money ran out. Unbelievably while old men and women were focused on food, younger women on clothes and young men (those who were not mobilized) on gasoline the tapes were sold with pre-war prices.

The small antiquariat he had been operating for three years making just enough for living would be transformed into copying clearing house for films and tv-series. One might make an announcement in Kaleva newspaper asking for purchase of recordings. And with a number of young men mobilized, the market for porn VHS cassettes would be enormous.

There certainly would not be any letters questioning about copyright infringements anymore.