Massive anti-Afghan War Movement in the USSR

Would it be possible for the USSR to have a large anti-war movement like in the US? Could there have been resistance from conscripts who refused to fight?
 
A bigger USSR anti-was movement might stem from simply having more troops in Afghanistan. IIRC the total never exceeded 115k or so.
Other than that, I see few options. After all, by the time Glastnost began in earnest, so had troop withdrawals. Both were contingent on Gorbachev.
 
Would it be possible for the USSR to have a large anti-war movement like in the US? Could there have been resistance from conscripts who refused to fight?
Well i think desertions were a bit common in the USSR when your a conscript who didnt want to fight. I think they had a bigger problem with that than the US did.
 
I believe Thatcher put it best, slightly paraphrasing: "When will people realize that there is no public opinion in the Soviet Union?" At least not until Gorby.
 
Would it be possible for the USSR to have a large anti-war movement like in the US? Could there have been resistance from conscripts who refused to fight?
There is a simple way for the USSR to deal with protesters like this. Its called the KGB and lots of bullets.
Any anti-war movement similar to the US might, might last 1 month if they go into hiding after the first demonstration.
 

Cook

Banned
A large anti-war movement in the Soviet Union would have been a direct challenge to the authority of the Soviet Government and the Communist Party; such a thing was totally unacceptable. It would have threatened the security of Party and State by its’ very nature without the added threat of subverting the nation’s defence forces as well.

To allow such protests would have been to acknowledge that the Party is not always correct on all subjects; a dangerous idea on its’ own. To give way to such a movement would have demonstrated that the Party and State were not more powerful than the people; it would have very rapidly have led to the dissolution of such an unpopular regime.

American’s conscripted but not wishing to fight had the option of a cheap bus trip to Canada, no such haven was available to Soviet citizens.
 
I was under the impression there *was*-I remember hearing about anti-war rallies, young men burning their draft cards, etc. Again, we probably didn't hear much about it due to the lack of free press and what have you in the USSR.
 
Domoviye said:
There is a simple way for the USSR to deal with protesters like this. Its called the KGB and lots of bullets.
.

That's completely over the line. By the 1970s there was no Stalin-style terror holding up the regime. There were small scale rallies, demonstrations, and mass desertions - but the absolute control the government had over press allowed it to look like these were isolated minor incidents, a few grieving mothers losing their mind over the tragic but heroic deaths of their sons... such things. They learned to be a bit more "subtle". Like using rubber batons instead of live ammunition, and putting protesters into psychiatric clinics instead of against a wall.

I believe Thatcher put it best, slightly paraphrasing: "When will people realize that there is no public opinion in the Soviet Union?" At least not until Gorby.

There was a public opinion, or rather a million of them, splintered into tiny groups. The regime was very good at dividing people, making them distrust each other - a million small groups grousing about the government are no danger to said government as long as they stay divided. Not a single bullet needed. Not that I feel any need to defend KGB or the Soviet government, but the image of the Soviets drowning any little sign of peaceful dissent in blood has only been true for a few periods before 1956 (on and off), but not afterwards.
 

abc123

Banned
Well i think desertions were a bit common in the USSR when your a conscript who didnt want to fight. I think they had a bigger problem with that than the US did.

Do not be funny folks...
KGB wouldn't allow any major anti-anything movement except if it isn't organised by KGB and was anti-capitalist...
;)
 
A bigger USSR anti-was movement might stem from simply having more troops in Afghanistan. IIRC the total never exceeded 115k or so.
Other than that, I see few options. After all, by the time Glastnost began in earnest, so had troop withdrawals. Both were contingent on Gorbachev.

Initial withdrawals were smoke screen. Gorby withdrew 6 useless regiments like air defence missile batteries and quietly sent in couple of Spetsnaz units.
 
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