alternatehistory.com

So lets suppose I want to write a dystopic Cold War timeline.

Following scenario to work with:

China goes down a Maoist Rabbit Hole after the Cultural Revolution and goes full throttle after Mao's death. Brezhnev dies sooner and a Neostalinist hardliner takes over. And at some point in the 70s or 80s China and the Sovietunion start a war, the Soviets quickly realize that China is a blackhole and start using the nasty stuff.
America stands by because either Nixon never went to China or the new hardline Maoist leadership destroyed relations with the USA after Mao's death.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think I understand Chemical weapons. Permanent (contaminates up to a few months) and non-permanent, you need a "rubber condom" to survive the nasty stuff like VX or Sarin.

But Bioweapons always have been somewhat of mystery to me. How and when would they be used?

Offensively or defensively?

Only as a last resort or more liberal if we have a regime that doesn't care about international law and is pretty sure that the International community won't intervene?

Primarily against enemy soldiers to cripple the enemy military, or primarily against the civilian population to cripple the economy? Would it make a difference due to the uncontrollable (?) spread?

The stuff that seems to be really potent hemorrhagic fevers, ebola, pox, bubonic plague seems to be the stuff that we don't have a cure for. So wouldn't the attacker have a high risk of infecting his own country?

Would it be dispersed by planes as an aerosol?

What would be countermeasures? Quarantines are obvious but might be hard to set up and maintain in a shooting war. Executing sick people ? Using Napalm to burn out infected areas? Trying to maintain a healthcare system, tending to the sick to the best ability of the doctors?
----------------------------------------------------------------------

With my questions and my scenario in mind:

a) Is it likely that the SU would use a Bioweapon offensively in a war against China? If yes what is the result (realistic death toll, economic and political consequences, would the sickness spread to other countries)? Rocks fall and 500 million people die bleeding from their eyes feels unrealistic. Even with Russians who actively "aid" the plague by bombing Hospitals and disrupting infrastrucure.

b) What would be the result if a Bioweapon is used against a Western country with a robust healthcare system not disrupted by war?
Top