Earliest Feasible European WWIII

How early could a Third World War realistically break out in Europe? I'm thinking that in 1945 there really isn't anyone willing to fight a war to it's conclusion (skirmishes could break out I grant, but I can't imagine much more than a few days of fighting followed by status quo, possibly with less precarious arrangements for Berlin; that said, if you want to make the case for why something else is REALISTIC, not just possible, go ahead). That said, I tend to think that 1948 could have gone wrong pretty easily with either an attempt to stop the airlift by the Soviets or a Western attempt to relieve Berlin overland. Thoughts? The direction I'm interested in taking this is working out the state of Europe following a non nuclear war with the Soviets, but its the war itself that I'm having the most trouble with (and least interest in).

I would just throw together a follow up to Conroy's Red Inferno: 1945 but have serious problems with the feasibility of that war and it's definite Ameriwank feel (though I might still go that way depending on what I can come up with).
 
Remember that they're fighting for domination on Germany. At that timeAnd..the most logical kickstarter for WWIII is just like Conroy's Red inferno,A PARANOID UNCLE JOE!
 
I think you are basically limited to 1945-1955. After that the nuclear option becomes a real possibility, particularly when you remember that the Eisenhower Administration based its NATO policy on nuclear counterstrike. I agree with the writer who says 1948. Another would be 1950/51 in conjunction with Korea. The third would be as part of a Kremlin power play after the death of Uncle Joe.
 
I think you are basically limited to 1945-1955. After that the nuclear option becomes a real possibility, particularly when you remember that the Eisenhower Administration based its NATO policy on nuclear counterstrike. I agree with the writer who says 1948. Another would be 1950/51 in conjunction with Korea. The third would be as part of a Kremlin power play after the death of Uncle Joe.

Ya. An extension of wwii where friendly fire gets out of hand and escalates is possible. A pod where stalin tries to win after a brief break, while the window of opportunity is open is ... really unlikely, but possible.

After that, you ve got to wait until at least the korean war. Even during the cuban missle crisis, the us would have been hurt, but not terribly badly, and the ussr would have been hosed. Europe might end up a wasteland in that scenario, but the us would 'win' big time. Not that it would feel like a win.
 
Apparantly, some US generals viewed the cold war as having started 1 February, 1943 = Soviet victory at Stalingrad, so...

Operation Unthinkable was exactly that.

In the defense of Unthinkable, it did hinge on Hitler being dead and Grmany defeated abd then being armed to go East again with presumable the same generals but other equipment (or maybe chucking the Sherman and arming everybody with Panzer VI, ME 262 instead of spits, jet powered Lancasters (oh Lord), and so on).

1948 was probably the most opportune, but wheter US would have been ready is another thing.

The element missing is: who would initiate it? Unthinkable was supposed to be a war being started by the W Allies! not USSR

And who says that USSR after all would have complied meakly by starting a war to get beaten up? hmmm?

Ivan
 
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