What would happen to Berlin if the crisis of '61 took a turn for the worse?

So the Soviets had a big number advantage over their American counterparts, but would there be enough Americans in West Berlin that the Soviets could use them as human shields to protect the city from attack? If so, would the USSR be able to use Berlin or, if the POWs are relocated to another city, as a safe zone for political officials and as a protected crossroads for transportation/ economics?
 
The Soviets run rampant in Western Europe for the few hours it takes SAC to launch it's missiles and bombers. Then the communist bloc burns in nuclear fire.
 
I presume that there would be absolute chaos and heavy fighting in East and West Berlin before multiple nuclear weapons are detonated on the city.
 
I presume that there would be absolute chaos and heavy fighting in East and West Berlin before multiple nuclear weapons are detonated on the city.
Why would either side want to nuke Berlin? Both sides have significant personnel representation there. As for the heavy fighting, I suspect that there would be some, but West Berlin is deep in the heart of enemy territory so the US doesn't stand a chance in traditional combat.
 
Why would either side want to nuke Berlin?

The Soviets would hit western Berlin with tactical nukes to destroy the support base of the American forces there and the Americans would hit Eastern Berlin as a means of interdicting the Soviet troops moving up there to join the fighting. The city is big enough that a small enough warhead (single-digit kilotons or less) detonated in the center of either sector would do practically no collateral damage, in military terms, to the other sector. Given the accuracy issue of the missiles of the time, the means of employment would likely be bombs delivered by fast tactical aircraft.

Civilian casualties, of course, would be extreme... but they would kinda be lost in the general inferno engulfing Europe. Chemical weapons deployment would also inflict casualties... some military, mostly civilian.

As for the heavy fighting, I suspect that there would be some, but West Berlin is deep in the heart of enemy territory so the US doesn't stand a chance in traditional combat.

Entirely accurate. Assuming the war doesn't go nuclear before then, I would expect the US garrison to only last a few days max. Even American generals were quite up front that the purpose of the Berlin garrison was wholly political sacrifice, a means of ensuring American military commitment to Europe by putting American soldiers in a place they would be certain to die in the event of war.

Of course, if the whole of Berlin is in Soviet hands, then the US has no reason to hold back when it brings down the nukes.
 
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The Kennedy approach to atomic war, or rather the pursuit if avoiding it in the case of American/Soviet confrontation was build up to tiers of action, and exploring options until that horrible last resort. Even prior to full exchange, there would be use of tactical nuclear weapons. However, it will get out of hand rapidly. Confrontation in the form of combat would get out of hand anywhere, but especially in Berlin. This will likely turn into full exchange unless a negotiation of peace can be made. Even so, so many factors and errors can lead to worsening or full exchange. Say someone misinterprets something and launches a nuclear weapon. And if the Soviets launch first, game over. The US and Europe are devastated, though the US less so, and the USSR and the Russian people are extinct.
 
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The Soviets would hit western Berlin with tactical nukes to destroy the support base of the American forces there and the Americans would hit Eastern Berlin as a means of interdicting the Soviet troops moving up there to join the fighting. The city is big enough that a small enough warhead (single-digit kilotons or less) detonated in the center of either sector would do practically no collateral damage, in military terms, to the other sector. Given the accuracy issue of the missiles of the time, the means of employment would likely be bombs delivered by fast tactical aircraft.

Civilian casualties, of course, would be extreme... but they would kinda be lost in the general inferno engulfing Europe. Chemical weapons deployment would also inflict casualties... some military, mostly civilian.



But if the Soviets overpowered American forces as quickly as possible and were able to get their hands on ten/eleven thousand POWs to spread throughout the city wouldn't the US have reason to hold back from bombing the city?
 
The US wouldn't hold back for the sake of a few prisoners. If they refrain from hitting targets near Berlin on those grounds, then suddenly Warsaw will have PoWs, then Minsk, Moscow, Leningrad, Chelyabinsk, Omsk.... that's no way to fight a war. Sucks, but that's war.
 
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