This were nuances, Hackett definitly didn´t care about. In any case "Italy turns communist and/or there is a rightwing countercoup" is a typical 1970th-trope.
John Hacketts „The Third World War!“
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Craxi IOTL wa Prime Minister of Italy in the 1980s, in coalition with the DC, with no change whatsoever in Italy's foreign policy. Of course, actual Communists have held high level positions in Italy's government since then, but that is after the Berlin Wall fell.
I still have both of them too. I always thought the best part of the second book was the chapter about the war in Scandinavia...
The paperback edition of Third World War: the Untold Story has the chapter about NATO losing the war.
I first read the book in 1981, when my local library branch had a copy (I was 11 at the time). Got the paperback editions of both when they came out and still like reading them from time to time.
Looking back, Hackett's goal was to get the West to spend more on conventional warfighting and plan for a non-nuclear war in Europe, instead of going nuclear within a few days. "If you want nuclear peace, prepare for non-nuclear war" was the push here.
It does make one wonder how things would have gone with no Gorbachev and a hard-line Soviet leader in the 1980s.
I first read the book in 1981, when my local library branch had a copy (I was 11 at the time). Got the paperback editions of both when they came out and still like reading them from time to time.
Looking back, Hackett's goal was to get the West to spend more on conventional warfighting and plan for a non-nuclear war in Europe, instead of going nuclear within a few days. "If you want nuclear peace, prepare for non-nuclear war" was the push here.
It does make one wonder how things would have gone with no Gorbachev and a hard-line Soviet leader in the 1980s.
Probably a revolution when the economy collapses when the rubble is worth less than toilet paper and food starts to run out
What I found strange yet interesting was his idea of a Sino-Japanese alliance that would ultimately have designs on Siberia... It'd be bloody hard given the history but it'd dominate Asia...
Yeah, he sure had his biases... Not wanting Germany united; viewing a Sino-Japanese axis as a challenger to the West; and his view of the tripartite world order at the end of the book as being preferable to America as the sole power.
The leaders in the USSR didn't have personality cult aside from Stalin. They had a much larger population which also didn't fully believe in the communist system a restless population in their satellite states and the need to fund a massive military. When the food runs out things go to hell.
IDK, they could resort to Stalinism if war broke out just of the sake of controlling the populace and for "patriotic" appeal; though they might need someone willing to be the "2nd Stalin" figurehead.
You know, I'm very quite baffled that Germany doesn't get united in that book; you'd think that they would, logic wise, after East Germany's accomplice to the USSR's warmongering antics would nullify it's existence. Other than that I somehow think some pan-Asian bloc emerging after WWIII seems somewhat logical considering that they haven't been damaged much by the conflict and is able to influence geopolitics.
He explained it away as Rhinelander-dominated West Germany not liking the more Prussian culture of East Germany IIRC.
Oh, that makes sense. I found that he handwaved a bit the whole China and Japan kissing and making up - should have had more to it IMO
Also it was entertaining how after the war basically the entire West decides 'OK, Soviets are gone...but we don't want American hegemony'. He had even the Americans decide this would be a bad thing.
Don't get me wrong, I prefer multipolarity, but that seemed a little forced.
It's more or less so to me, given that China isn't mentioned much but it's safe to assume they joined in on the last minute at NATO's side.
Speaking of which, I wonder how does the rest of the world fare after this WWIII? I'd like to see what becomes of South America and Africa.
Exactly what one can expect from a British writing about Italians. (Shakes head).
Deleted member 2186
I always amused it was the French that surrender quickly, not the Italians.
And the usual method of distracting the masses from such issues? Foreign adventures...
Jack Brisco
Banned
When the book came out I was in ROTC. When I read the scene about a US captain suddenly being in charge of acres of newly-surrendered Soviet POWs, I wanted to be that US captain. And for what it's worth, I became a captain in 1985.