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World War III In Europe

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by CoplandTeddy (U10947580) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  Following the recent conflict in Georgia and the subsequent nuclear sabre rattling from Russia sparked a discussion between my friend from the US and I over what may have happened had the Cold War suddenly gone "hot".
  
  I suggested that had the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact had attacked in the late 70's all that would have stopped their initial westward expansion would have been the Atlantic coast of Western Europe.
  
  My thinking being that at the time the US Army is suffering a post Vietnam hangover, where heroin abuse is allegedly widespread throughout the forces stationed in Germany. I've also read that morale was so low that an officer in the US Army entering the enlisted men's lines was risking his life.
  
  This is also prior to the introduction of superior Western armoured units such as the Challenger, Abrahams, Leopard II and Leclerc and would the contemporary machinery have stood up to the T-72 had the Russians swept into Western Europe on Christmas Day 1979/1980? (I chose Christmas Day for my start date as most NATO forces would be stood down for the holidays, if I was to attack the USSR I would have chosen May Day for the same reason).
  
  My friend argued that the REFORGER plan would have been brought into action and reinforcement armoured divisions would be rushed from the US and Canada to Western Europe, however I countered her argument by stating that REFORGER would only work if we had air superiority and control of the North Atlantic.
  
  It's at this point we both assumed that if nuclear weapons hadn't already been used it was at this point the war would go nuclear hot.
  
  Does anyone have any opinions/points to raise?
  

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by JB (U11805502) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  It was never the purpose of the US Army in West Germany or the British Army of The Rhine to stop a full-scale Warsaw Pact attack. Thier main role was to get killed in numbers so that 'massive retaliation' would be justified, which may account for the poor morale, as depicted in the film 'Buffalo Soldiers.'
  

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  Posted by petes (U3344676) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  The whole idea of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) is that no one would start a land war since it would inevitably escalate to nuclear war. Therefore the only scenario for WW III would be a preemptive strike and hope to take the other side out before significant reprisal could take place. It was a case of who would blink first.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Wednesday, 27th August 2008

  ww3
  
  i really dont think it ever would have happened - did the russians want to go through all that again?
  
  but if it did - the main soviet thrust would have been across the west german plains - 30000 russian tanks vs the BAOR and the usa - and no mater how ovrwhelming the allied power was - there is no way we could have stemmed the attack
  
  the armoured power of the warsaw pact would have been thrown in all along the line - again unstoppable
  
  after 3 days of going backwards the USA would have warned the ussr that nuclear weapons were going to be used
  
  if they then stopped - bit like n and s korea -stop line
  
  if they didnt - goodnight vienna - usa nuclear superiority would have made short work of the ussr -
  
  bit messy but only one outcome esp as it was only europe that would have been affected
  
  st
  

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  Posted by Nik (U1777139) on Tuesday, 2nd September 2008

  ""The whole idea of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) is that no one would start a land war since it would inevitably escalate to nuclear war. Therefore the only scenario for WW III would be a preemptive strike and hope to take the other side out before significant reprisal could take place. It was a case of who would blink first.""
  
  MAD would be again ensured: there exist always the submarines. Russia had more so probably would have also the "last word".

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