Cold War, was Re: EJ & China

["Umberto Rossi" <urossi@programatic.it>]

> Well, you have probably not followed the detailed sifting through
> of the archives of the Nationale Volksarmee. Much material has been
> published on it and I would be happy to point you towards some of
> these reports. Basically the Warsaw Pact was preparing nuclear
> strikes in advance of the ligthning attacks on the northern German
> plain. Occupation banknotes for occupied western Europe, street
> signs, stamps, medals for the officers with units first reaching
> the Channel etc. etc. All was prepared and stored for use in
> Honecker's state. The East German archives speak for themselves
> including good evidence that Warsaw Pact troops in fact were ready
> to use tactical nuclear weapons against targets in northern Europe.

Bertil, you are well documented, but you seem to take into account
only one side of the question.  I have been a member of the Italian
army for 1 year due to my military service, and I worked as a typist
in a high territorial command.  I can tell you that "we" (i.e. the
Italian Army and the NATO) had similar plans, and they were quite
detailed.  From a theoretical point of view (and with military
matters you never know where the plans end and reality begins) we
were ready to face such an attack, and to counter attack.  I suspect
the overall strategy of those plans was known in the Western high
commands, and countermeasures had been developed.  That's the game
of the Cold War, and both the blocs were playing it quite seriously.

As for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, well, come on!  That was 
a relevant element in the strategic plans of both the East and the 
West at least since 1960 (but probably even before).  It is called 
the doctrine of the "flexible answer", and it replaced the 50s 
doctrine of the Sword and the Shield.  Even old fighter-bombers like 
the F-84 we had at the end of the 50s were able to deliver a tactical 
nuclear bomb, and surely we Europeans didn't build the Tornado just to 
defend our air space.  That's a plane devised to deliver H-bombs on 
Eastern strategic targets while Ivan and Sergej are having breakfast.

With this I do not want to say that "we" are the villains and "they" 
are the victims.  I just wish to make it clear that during the Cold 
War everybody made plans, and got ready for war, and built offensive 
weapons (the stealth "fighter" isn't a fighter at all, it is a strike 
airplane).

As for the medals they found in Eastern Germany, well--we know the 
Germans are always so efficient and usually a bit too serious.  
probably they really believed that the war was near.  But I suspect 
that the Russians (and they were the ones who really decided if, 
when, and how) knew that the 3rd WW was not so close.



Umberto Rossi

"Reality is that which, when you stop 
believing in it, doesn't go away."