WI Sino-Soviet War with major western support for China.

Anchises

Banned
I think we have to define major western support.

Some weapons, material and advisors to make the war a drawn out and costly affair for the Soviets - sure that is possible from my point of view.

A massive Lend and Lease campaign that enables China to actually threaten Soviet dominance in Central Asia - no way.

The Soviets have a certain threshold of acceptance for Western interference in a war so close to their borders. If Western support becomes overwhelming then the Politbureau will use some lever to pressure the West into backing down.
 
I think we have to define major western support.

Some weapons, material and advisors to make the war a drawn out and costly affair for the Soviets - sure that is possible from my point of view.

A massive Lend and Lease campaign that enables China to actually threaten Soviet dominance in Central Asia - no way.

The Soviets have a certain threshold of acceptance for Western interference in a war so close to their borders. If Western support becomes overwhelming then the Politbureau will use some lever to pressure the West into backing down.
Okay so what would be necessary to cause a full war between China and the USSR. Taiwan might support the mainland under the condition that China gives up some of the mainland.
 
Okay so what would be necessary to cause a full war between China and the USSR. Taiwan might support the mainland under the condition that China gives up some of the mainland.

I think you'd be more likely to see Taiwan leap in once the back of the PLA has been eaten alive, screaming, by the Red Army and attempt to seize as much land as they can.
 
I think you'd be more likely to see Taiwan leap in once the back of the PLA has been eaten alive, screaming, by the Red Army and attempt to seize as much land as they can.
And if this is before Nixon started to normalize relations with China, the west, or the US at least would have a "let the commies kill eachother" mentality. Though i said that China gets western support.
 
And if this is before Nixon started to normalize relations with China, the west, or the US at least would have a "let the commies kill eachother" mentality

Nixon explicitly told the soviets that th USA would not remain on the sidelines in such a conflict. Whether it was a bluff or not, the soviets took him seriously.
 
I think you'd be more likely to see Taiwan leap in once the back of the PLA has been eaten alive, screaming, by the Red Army and attempt to seize as much land as they can.

Unless nukes are used (which is likely) the Red Army simply can't win. There's a reason they were so scared of a war, the PLA doctrine of People's War, in addition to the whole "arming of the people for their liberation", when an imperialist power invades... it's not gonna be fun for the Soviet Union.
 
Unless nukes are used (which is likely) the Red Army simply can't win. There's a reason they were so scared of a war, the PLA doctrine of People's War, in addition to the whole "arming of the people for their liberation", when an imperialist power invades... it's not gonna be fun for the Soviet Union.

They were perfectly willing to go to war until it became clear the United States, which could destroy the USSR, would not allow such to occur; Nixon more or less told them it would be an act of war to hit the Chinese. Prior to and during this, extensive border clashes were being had. Had it developed into a serious conflict, the Chinese handing out old Japanese rifles to peasants to stop armored spearheads isn't going to work out well for them at all.
 
I think you'd be more likely to see Taiwan leap in once the back of the PLA has been eaten alive, screaming, by the Red Army and attempt to seize as much land as they can.
Did Taiwan have the capability to launch an amphibious assault of that size? If nuclear strikes are used by the Soviets, would the Nationalists want to become embroiled in the chaos of a collapsing China?
 
It would look alot like a larger scale Iran-Iraq War. The Cold War probably ends sooner since IOTL the Soviet economy couldn’t survive Afghanistan. China would be wrecked as well. Which is why neither was dumb enough to actually allow this to escalate.
 
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