Challenge. Create World War III

This is a new challenge. create a realistic scenario that would make World War III real. and tell us about your World War III.

Just. no overusing of Nukes.



k? good luck.
 
No, you didn't bring up the Unmentionable Sea Mammal. You're fine. :)

And just because I'm shamelessly self-promoting my own scenarios doesn't mean they meet your needs.
 

Robert

Banned
Scenario 1 - October 1973

The Watergate Story broke in October, 1972, and Senator George McGovern managed to use it to win a narrow Victory over President Richard Nixon. Exactly one year later war broke out in the Middle East with both Syria and Egypt launching a surprise attack on Israel. Soviet advisers were in open evidence on the battlefield, and the U.S. was warned not to "intervine" with military aid to the Israelis.

President McGovern was perplexed. He had done everything he could during his first nine months in office to expand Detente. The Soviets have appreciated his concession including the unilateral withdrawl from Vietnam and a cutback of U.S. Forces in Europe, but had done nothing in return. Now they were actively participating in a war against a U.S. ally.

The Israels were on the brink of using their nuclear when a counter attack just managed to save off defeat. The Soviets needed to reinforce both of their Arab allies, and launched a "limited" invasion of Turkey in order to ship heavy weapons and vehicles to the Middle East. The Turks put up a fight, and to the shock of everyone the Greeks launched an counter offensive into Bulgaria.

President McGovern tried to negotiate a cease fire but under pressure from the military order a mobilization of U.S. Forces in Europe. His planned cutback of forces of NATO forces was stalled as much as possible by the Joint Chiefs much in the way the withdrawl of Jupiter Missile bases in Europe we stalled during the Kennedy Administration. The other NATO countries began mobilization.

The Soviets had expected to take Istanbul in a few days but by the second week it was becoming clear it wasn't going to happen, and the longer they delayed an attack on West Germany the harder it was going to be. Furthermore by this time the Israels had fought Egypt and Syria to a standstill. Soviet Tank Armies crossed the border, and within the first five days had reach the outskirts of Hamburg, and threatened Munich.

General Alexander Goodpaster, U.S. Army, SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe), used the previous two weeks to prepare for a counter attack, and using airborne and air mobile forces managed to cut off the Soviet and East Germany forces. The lack of supplies allowed U.S., West German, and French armored corps to destroy those forces, tearing a huge hole in the front lines and allowing NATO forces to invade East Germany, and threaten the Warsaw Pact's Northern flank.

For the next two weeks the fighting in Europe was confused and bloody. Heavy Soviet forces inflicted significant casualties on NATO forces, but were at a disadvantage when on the defensive. By the end of November Berlin had fallen to a combined U.S.-West German force, Czechoslovakia had declared neutrality, and NATO was closing in on the Polish border.

The Soviets demanded an end to the NATO "Invasion" and threatened to use nuclear weapons if it did not withdrawl from East Germany. President McGovern complied, and the war ended.

A statis quo had returned to Europe. Although Easter Europe remained under Soviet domination after the war, the Russian Army had been savaged during the conflict. The people living in the Warsaw Pact, and in the Soviet Union itself found themselves increasingly unsatified with their way of life.

President McGovern expected easy reelection due to the outcome of the war. His withdrawl of NATO forces on the brink of victory was seen by most as a betrayl of the people of Easter Europe and the U.S. and NATO military personel who had given their lives to preserve freedom. In the 1976 campaign McGovern was defeated by former Californian Governor Ronald Reagan in a landside.

While many feared that President Reagan would start World War Four, but his hardline against the Soviet Union eventual resulted in the collapse of that nation, and the peaceful liberation of Easter Europe by the end of his second term in 1984.

(Note: I based this on the outcome of a session of Warsaw Pact, a wargame published by Task Force Games)
 
Robert:

A WWIII that leaves the possibility of a WWIV that doesn't resemble a screening of "Mad Max" or "The Postman."

Points for creativity at least.
 

Robert

Banned
I'm not as pessimistic, Merry. The U.S. and the Soviet Union went to the brink in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis but didn't go over. I think that a conventional war could have been waged but end without a decisive victory instead of a nuclear exchange.
 

Robert

Banned
Scenario 2 - November, 1989

As bad as the 1970s were, the 1980s seemed much worse. The failed attempt to rescue the American Hostages in Iran, as bad as it was, seemed to be the high point of U.S. Power. The asassination of President Ronald Reagan in March of 1981 seemed to cast a pall over the rest of the decade.

President George Bush, who had called the late President's tax cut plans "Voodoo Economics" cut a deal with congress for "slight" and "temporary" tax increases for promised budget cuts. The economy faultered, and Bush was defeated by Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy.

President Kennedy raises taxes at the same times begins a new "realistic" foreign policy. The "Stuffed Goose" theory said that if the Soviet Union had enough resources it would become less expansionist. U.S. was sent to Russia in the hopes that it would lessen tensions. A draw down of U.S. forces in Europe was started, and completed by the 1988 Presidental Election.

The main focus of the election was the economy. With inflation and unemployment at record levels, President Kennedy seemed doomed to defeat. The Republican field was crowded, but to the surprise the many former President George Bush received the nomination. The Soviet Union was on it's best behavior in 1988, and lavished praise on President Kennedy for being a "Partner in Peace" and warned that Bush would start World War Three.

President Bush managed to win a narrow victory over Kennedy. With the budget deficit out of control and taxes far too high, Bush ended all aid to the Soviet Union. The Russians, who had managed to hide the systemic weakness of their own economy throughout the 1980s, had become far to dependent on U.S. aid. They demanded not only a restoration of aid, but an increase.

Tensions were high for most of the year. The U.S. Military had been cut back over the decade, and President Bush began a build up. That helped the U.S. economy, and the modested tax cuts also turned things around slowly. Meanwhile the Warsaw Pact members were having trouble dealing with the long surpressed internal tensions. Violance flaired, and it was only the intervention of Soviet troops that prevented outright rebellion.

On November 9, 1989 a border incident near the Fulda Gap lead to a firefight between U.S. and Soviet forces. An attempt to cool things down failed and Soviet forces began moving over the border. Neither side was ready for war, and for the first week fighting was confused with Soviet Forces making modest gains.

U.S. Seventh Army under General Colin Powell launched a counter attack on the tenth day of the war. V Corps under Lt. Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopt lead Operation Hail Mary, which opened a hole in the Soviet lines, and cut off three Tank Armies. By the end of the second week A U.S. brigade was on the outskirts of Berlin.

Revolts exploded all over the Warsaw Pact as the invasion bogged down, and a cease fire was demanded by the Soviets. With the U.S. forces nearly exhausted, and their NATO allies beyond that point, President Bush readily agreed. The 1980s ended with both a whimper, but that was preferable to a Nuclear bang.
 
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