I posed a question in the Scandinavian terrain-thread that netted some interesting results and would like to hear from the war-buffs how they think that would have went down.

So fire away, how do you think an invasion by NATO of PACT would have gone down?

PS: This is more of a fun-thread, so try to not think about the why, and more about the how. Here's a scenario: NATO suddenly went crazy and launched a full-on invasion of the PACT countries. It's fully prepared and has just started, how do you guys think they'd have gone about it?

Ok, then the questions we need to answer first:

- Are we using a real history (with slight short term deviations, ie NATO going mad at some point shortly before the war) or some profound alternative reality.
- What is the scale of preparation and attack, is it only in the IGB area, or global (Far east, Kola, the Caucasus).
- What about participation of neutral states like India and China.

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Praslovan:
"Tactical Ikalugin inbound on this position in 10... 9..."

Q.1: Yes, NATO would essentially "go crazy" around 1980 and attack PACT. Circumstances would be historically accurate.

Q.2: It would be a full-scale invasion with the goal of getting rid of or at least neutralizing the entire PACT-faction. So that is a question in it self, where would they need to attack for this to happen?

Q.3: Well that's allso a question in it self, would they feel a need to? Would there be a reason for them to get invaded by any side? Or would they themselves pick a side and get in the war?

1. Is 1983 a good year (ie if Able Archer resulted in conventional attack)?

2. Ok so we assume that NATO focuses not only on IGB, but also on the North-west (Invasion attempt at Kola) and South (invasion attempt via Greece, Italy and Turkey in Balkans and Caucasus) and the Far East (US attack on the soviet mainland there).
Now, where are the US mainland assets are sent (Far East or Europe)? How much does NATO take to prepare (it takes 1-3 months to move the US mainland assets via sea), as otherwise WP would preempt?

3. I guess Finland, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland remain "armed neutral", India does not participate at all, China is a big unknown.

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Praslovan:
"Tactical Ikalugin inbound on this position in 10... 9..."

I guess so, but to put it short, NATO gets all the time and preparation they need to set up the forces they have and what they can produce in about a years time. They'd plan a complete invasion covering every aspect they can think of. They would have intel equal to their capabilities of the time.

Edit: It's like they go crazy but certainly not suicidal.

Would that not lead to an equivalent WP build up, if not preemtion?

p.s. I think a year of preparation with full scale military production is a bit too much, 3 months of redeployment and high intensity peace time production would be more like it (sort of like RSRish).

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Praslovan:
"Tactical Ikalugin inbound on this position in 10... 9..."

I guess, but let's just say that NATO get's a chance to get the jump on PACT in your year of choice then, and invades on all fronts they have the capacity to invade from.

But what kind of capacity? US troops appearing by magic in the IGB area that USSR did not notice?

I would go for 3 months of escalation of tensions and NATO redeployment to invasion jump off points which would be consistent with full redeployment of US mainland assets to the point of interest.

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We need more missilez code for the missilez god.
Praslovan:
"Tactical Ikalugin inbound on this position in 10... 9..."

Well, not magically, but yeah, let's say NATO managed to ellude PACT intelligence well enough to get most of their troops into position, and PACT notices parts of it so they get a defense ready.

So a standard 72 hour notice with 48 hours of preparation?

Where are the troops from mainland US moved though, to IGB area or to the Far East?

_________________

We need more missilez code for the missilez god.
Praslovan:
"Tactical Ikalugin inbound on this position in 10... 9..."