USSR winning the cold war
For the USSR to win the Cold War, I don't believe that there need be any military confrontation or decisive series of proxy wars that concluded in definative Soviet victories.
Essentially, in the OTL, the US and its allies won by outspending the Soviets in military expenditures, creating an economic instability that was untennable for a centralized and highly inflexible national economy.
In the ATL, the Soviets more or less match the per-capita defense expenditure of the United States, backfiring the American strategy. The essential task is not to outspend or outclass the US in weaponry, but to make programs such as Reagan's "Star Wars" necessary and vital, due to a perceived threat, whether or not it is real. Theoretically, a highly centralized and state-run economy should be able to meet this objective relatively easily, although this does make the assumption that no regard for the standard of living on the part of the Soviet citizenry is taken into account by Moscow. Even if we assume that the same leaders assume power, this scenerio is still tennable, although it does require a Stalinist absolutism on their part. In essance, the Soviet economy is completely war directed, on par with WWII, but it being in "peace-time".
This strategy forces the United States to spend, spend, spend on military endeavors, which may or may not be utilized. In a liberal democracy, this creates certain political complications, as the government is (or at least should be) representative of the popular will, which, seeing little practicle need for massive defensive spending, would clamour for a reduction. The Soviets, using dictatorial measures and means, would not have to answer to such demands, as dissenters could be eliminated by the traditional Stalinist means. So long as the Soviets give little regard to the livelihood of their citizenry, they come out on top. America tires of the massive defense spending by the mid to late 90's and concedes defeat through strategic military limitations. By this I mean that a Soviet invasion of the United States is rendered impotent by the threat of a massive conventional war which would reduce the global position of each nation, but the Soviet Union ultimately remains intact and functional as a geopolitical unit. Eastern Europe remains under the Soviet yoke and the United States, while still militarily strong and viable, succumbs to an economic depression which slowly wilts its economic superiority. Western Europe, seeing the frailty of the American position, still forms something similar to the European Union, but embarks on trade and economic relations with the Soviets.
Communism remains, although the hostility is somewhat lessened. The downgraded American international position leads to a political radicalization of the US, and it either becomes a semi-hostile nation or is ultimatley mired in economic stagnation.
peace,
Krumbum
For the USSR to win the Cold War, I don't believe that there need be any military confrontation or decisive series of proxy wars that concluded in definative Soviet victories.
Essentially, in the OTL, the US and its allies won by outspending the Soviets in military expenditures, creating an economic instability that was untennable for a centralized and highly inflexible national economy.
In the ATL, the Soviets more or less match the per-capita defense expenditure of the United States, backfiring the American strategy. The essential task is not to outspend or outclass the US in weaponry, but to make programs such as Reagan's "Star Wars" necessary and vital, due to a perceived threat, whether or not it is real. Theoretically, a highly centralized and state-run economy should be able to meet this objective relatively easily, although this does make the assumption that no regard for the standard of living on the part of the Soviet citizenry is taken into account by Moscow. Even if we assume that the same leaders assume power, this scenerio is still tennable, although it does require a Stalinist absolutism on their part. In essance, the Soviet economy is completely war directed, on par with WWII, but it being in "peace-time".
This strategy forces the United States to spend, spend, spend on military endeavors, which may or may not be utilized. In a liberal democracy, this creates certain political complications, as the government is (or at least should be) representative of the popular will, which, seeing little practicle need for massive defensive spending, would clamour for a reduction. The Soviets, using dictatorial measures and means, would not have to answer to such demands, as dissenters could be eliminated by the traditional Stalinist means. So long as the Soviets give little regard to the livelihood of their citizenry, they come out on top. America tires of the massive defense spending by the mid to late 90's and concedes defeat through strategic military limitations. By this I mean that a Soviet invasion of the United States is rendered impotent by the threat of a massive conventional war which would reduce the global position of each nation, but the Soviet Union ultimately remains intact and functional as a geopolitical unit. Eastern Europe remains under the Soviet yoke and the United States, while still militarily strong and viable, succumbs to an economic depression which slowly wilts its economic superiority. Western Europe, seeing the frailty of the American position, still forms something similar to the European Union, but embarks on trade and economic relations with the Soviets.
Communism remains, although the hostility is somewhat lessened. The downgraded American international position leads to a political radicalization of the US, and it either becomes a semi-hostile nation or is ultimatley mired in economic stagnation.
peace,
Krumbum