... By the late 70s the military was a "shadow force" due to spending cuts and loss of morale. ...
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?
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.
Despite the handwringing of yellow press & muckraker journalists like Jack Anderson the military was well on its way to recovery from 1975.
Is Carl talking about the U.S. or South Vietnamese military here?Wow- that's even with there being a few more years of budget cuts to come.
You are so very right about US military weakness after Vietnam. Our military is somewhat similar right now post the Iraq debacle.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.
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.You are so very right about US military weakness after Vietnam. Our military is somewhat similar right now post the Iraq debacle.
Ukraine Would remain in a surviving union along with azerbaijanSo you may have a surviving Union of some type (likely Russia/the 'Stans/possibly Belarus).
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?