WP Reliability in WWIII TL Scenario

Clipper747

Banned
In any TL dealing with a conflict in Europe the reliability of the Warsaw Pact armies would have to come into question.
I'm certain that Romania would not participate as long as Ceausescu is leader.
East Germany would be a willing ally to a point. Same for the Czechs, and Bulgarians.
The Hungarians might be willing to do very limited action such as logistics.
The Poles would be the wild card. It wouldn't be long before resentment and animosity would ultimately limit their willingness to do anything pro Communist.

Assume the TLs are 1978-1986
Assume the TL involves no nukes only Chem.
 
In any TL dealing with a conflict in Europe the reliability of the Warsaw Pact armies would have to come into question.
I'm certain that Romania would not participate as long as Ceausescu is leader.
East Germany would be a willing ally to a point. Same for the Czechs, and Bulgarians.
The Hungarians might be willing to do very limited action such as logistics.
The Poles would be the wild card. It wouldn't be long before resentment and animosity would ultimately limit their willingness to do anything pro Communist.

Assume the TLs are 1978-1986
Assume the TL involves no nukes only Chem.
Red Storm Rising wasn't bad. But you have to understand once chemical weapons are let out, nukes aren't far behind.

As the longer you wait the bigger the tech led the US and NATO will have.
 

MSZ

Banned
Depends on the scenario. While I wouldn't expect the morale of the WP states to be high overall, if it is a NATO invasion scenario, caused by say, the soviets occupying West Berlin, you are likely to find some "my country, right or wrong" mentality among the troops. If it is a "red army strikes first" scenario, expect a lot of dezertion among the troops, perhaps, forming some "Free xxx Corps" in the west out of POWs? And no amount of Soviet propaganda could fool the population about how the war started - the truth would either leak out or become painfully obvious no matter what would have happend.

As for the general population domestically - as long as the fighting takes place outside WP states borders, I would expect mostly things being orderly and quiet, enforced by strong military and police presence. But once NATO makes it to the GDR or Czechia, any local pro-communists groups would be quickly rounded up and given to NATO troops. No anti-capitalist guerillas going to form, maybe except Albania or Yugoslavia.
 

Clipper747

Banned
If it is a "red army strikes first" scenario, expect a lot of dezertion among the troops, perhaps, forming some "Free xxx Corps" in the west out of POWs? And no amount of Soviet propaganda could fool the population about how the war started - the truth would either leak out or become painfully obvious no matter what would have happend.

As for the general population domestically - as long as the fighting takes place outside WP states borders, I would expect mostly things being orderly and quiet, enforced by strong military and police presence. But once NATO makes it to the GDR or Czechia, any local pro-communists groups would be quickly rounded up and given to NATO troops. No anti-capitalist guerillas going to form, maybe except Albania or Yugoslavia.


I recall reading somewhere, a Soviet general in the GDR stated that he had enough assets to fight both West and East Germans should the need arise.
Even if no nukes are used, the Polish forces would see their own country struck by NATO airstrikes, this might unite them in the short run but the longer the conflict goes on, the sentiment would turn anti Soviet anti Communist.
If the conflict takes place in 1984 as opposed to the 1970s I could see most WP populations turning against their own masters quite easily.
 
Assume the TL involves no nukes only Chem.

With modern air power and missile technology, chemical (and bio, if you're including that) warfare could be every bit as devastating, so ruling out nukes doesn't change much in that regard.

Also, IIRC, nukes were a fundamental part of the West's deterrence. Ruling out their use altogether assumes a very different NATO than existed. That would be difficult to explain.

It would come down to a "beat the Soviets" scenario; the WP nations, willing participants or no, aren't going to stay in the field if the Soviets are beaten.
 

Clipper747

Banned
With modern air power and missile technology, chemical (and bio, if you're including that) warfare could be every bit as devastating, so ruling out nukes doesn't change much in that regard.

Also, IIRC, nukes were a fundamental part of the West's deterrence. Ruling out their use altogether assumes a very different NATO than existed. That would be difficult to explain.

It would come down to a "beat the Soviets" scenario; the WP nations, willing participants or no, aren't going to stay in the field if the Soviets are beaten.

We obviously know what happens when nukes are used. However, which WP forces attempt to stick it out in those few days?
I'd imagine the first tac nukes used by both sides would mean complete dissolution of the Polish, and Czech forces. Regular East German units would likely stop fighting. Special forces, Interior Ministry troops(Polish, East German, Czech) would still defend the Communist leadership.
The Poles wholeheartedly would turn their guns around so to speak.

Perhaps the only ones to completely side with the Soviets through and through would be the Bulgarians.
 
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