Soviet invasion of Poland in response to Solidarity

Europe by Norman Davies, pg. 1109: "The ailing Brezhnev put the Soviet Army into motion, then hesitated, and left the job to the Polish army."

Let's say someone who is eager to intervene, like GDR leader Honecker or Czechoslovak leader Husak, manages to convince Brezhnev otherwise and the three conduct a joint invasion of Poland. What happens? Is it a relatively smooth suppression like in or does it turn into a serious conflict with devastation and major loss of life and there's the question of how the Polish army responds. Polish leader Stanislaw Kania feared a national uprising should the Warsaw Pact invade? Besides that, what kind of international political and economic sanctions would be imposed on the USSR?
 
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Europe by Norman Davies, pg. 1109: "The ailing Brezhnev put the Soviet Army into motion, then hesitated, and left the job to the Polish army." ...

One of the reasons I've seen put forth for not using the Soviet army was the mobilization of the necessary reservists was turning into something that made a Chinese fire drill look organized. Brezhnev lacking the cachet of Stalin had generals coming to him with excuses why it was impossible. Hundreds of thousands of drunken reservists, equipment that had been looted of parts to keep training allowances running, a large portion of the men on the unit muster were actually unfit or excused for further service. Deceased men were still on the rosters & men were carried on the rosters on two or more units.

I really dont know how much of that was true, but it brings to mind long columns of stalled vehicles and ill led & disciplined men littering the roads from Warsaw back to the mobilization centers in the USSR.
 
Not sure if Husak would press for intervantion but I worked for guy who was at the time after collage serving his time in Czechoslovak People Army as Lt and his unit was on the border with Poland. According to him it look serious and they didn't expected Poles to fold. Well In my opinion Jaruzelski did Poland a favor when he took matter in his hands.
Not sure what consequencies would be. Didn't US let Soviets in 1968 know Czechoslovakia is their "internal" matter?
 
One of the reasons I've seen put forth for not using the Soviet army was the mobilization of the necessary reservists was turning into something that made a Chinese fire drill look organized. Brezhnev lacking the cachet of Stalin had generals coming to him with excuses why it was impossible. Hundreds of thousands of drunken reservists, equipment that had been looted of parts to keep training allowances running, a large portion of the men on the unit muster were actually unfit or excused for further service. Deceased men were still on the rosters & men were carried on the rosters on two or more units.

I really dont know how much of that was true, but it brings to mind long columns of stalled vehicles and ill led & disciplined men littering the roads from Warsaw back to the mobilization centers in the USSR.
Ill disciplined? Maybein 90-ties. I have memories of Soviet troops in Czecoslovskia in 80-ties. I even felt sorry for them but ill disciplined? They looked like if ordered to jump in front of the truck they would salute and fulfill the order. In 90-ties when order to withdraw came it was different story. Granades went for 50 Kcs. AK for maybe 500. In my town they sold gas from tanker trailer and afterwardd left the trailer on the side of theroad. Town had to remove it. But that were 90- ties
 
Likely the West cuts off loans to the Soviets forcing them to pay hard currency for more of their imports. Result would be acceleration of the Soviet economic collapse.
 
One of the reasons I've seen put forth for not using the Soviet army was the mobilization of the necessary reservists was turning into something that made a Chinese fire drill look organized.
The story I heard was that they tried to mobilise the Western Military District which relied upon calling up civilian lorries for the logistics (they were sold on the proviso that they could be called up when needed). Most of them disappeared into hiding with a variety of feeble excuses as to why they were not available, as did many of the reservists who were suddenly out in the countryside visiting unspecified relatives without telephones or clear addresses.

They already knew that they could not rely on Polish railways and their organic transport would let them assault Poland but leave them unable to manoeuvre far without supplies whilst they expected the Polish army to fight. The isolated GSFG had to remain in DDR to deter NATO and NVA aiding the Poles. They decided that they could have won but it would be very ugly and risked other Warsaw Pact countries joining the party with the Poles. True or not it led them to allow Jaruzelski to take charge instead which left the Poles in charge of their own fate and ultimately to Solidarity coming to power.
 
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The Soviets doing this would be bad enough for them internationally, but if the do like the OP suggest and also bring along the GDR they are toast PR wise. The moment east GERMAN troops cross the Polish border, their useful idiots in the West are getting put on everyones "ignore list" and that's not even counting those who'll "convert".
 

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Does soviet military operations in and occupation of Poland have any collateral impact on the intensity of Soviet military commitments in Afghanistan or other parts of the 3rd world?
 
The Soviets doing this would be bad enough for them internationally, but if the do like the OP suggest and also bring along the GDR they are toast PR wise. The moment east GERMAN troops cross the Polish border, their useful idiots in the West are getting put on everyones "ignore list" and that's not even counting those who'll "convert".

According to this paper it was indeed planned that one East German division would participate in a planned invasion of Poland.
 
According to this paper it was indeed planned that one East German division would participate in a planned invasion of Poland.
Well everyone who knows anything at all about OTL in general, should know that there's nothing unrealistic about gouvernements making stupid decisions ;) . I didn't meant to imply I disbeliefed the OP.
 

Not completely. The Soviets were entertaining the thought of using force and had made plans to use Soyuz manoeuvres as a pretext to enter Poland. The Soviets did not definitively cancel their plans for a military solution until the December 5 summit in Moscow, where Stanislaw Kania convinced the Soviets that an invasion would be a costly mistake.

Well everyone who knows anything at all about OTL in general, should know that there's nothing unrealistic about gouvernements making stupid decisions ;) . I didn't meant to imply I disbeliefed the OP.

I agree that that would have been monumentally stupid. If a Soviet invasion by itself doesn't trigger a national uprising, the presence of German troops certainly will given the historical sensibilities.
 
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