AHC/WI: NATO/Warsaw Pact war in the 1950's

[Kung Fucious]

What it says on the the tin.

What would it take for a conventional war to break out between NATO and the Warsaw Pact in the 1950's? I'm assuming such a war would be mostly conventional, with a limited use of nuclear weapons (since at this point the Soviet stockpile was fairly limited, and ICBM's hadn't come into usage).

If/when war broke out, how would either side fair? As I understand it, at this time the balance of forces (both conventional and nuclear) favored NATO (but I'd imagine the war would be a grinding slog). What would the effects be, both political and cultural?

 

[larpsidekick]

I thought conventional wisdom was that because of the relative lack of Soviet nukes, NATO and especially the US would be quite happy to go nuclear early

 

[Simon]

I thought conventional wisdom was that because of the relative lack of Soviet nukes, NATO and especially the US would be quite happy to go nuclear early

Even before the US moved to their 'New Look' policy in 1953 the use of nuclear weapons was already being discussed in NATO planning documents from 1949 onwards. IIRC it wasn't until the mid-1960s that they moved from a 'trip-wire' policy of relying mostly on massive nuclear retaliation to a 'flexible response' one that didn't immediately see them pressing the button.

 

[Kung Fucious]

Bump .

 

[Lalli]

Best case might be that Douglas MacArthur decide bomb China. Another might be escalated Hungarian Revolution '56.

 

[Slowpoke]

If/when war broke out, how would either side fair? As I understand it, at this time the balance of forces (both conventional and nuclear) favored NATO (but I'd imagine the war would be a grinding slog). What would the effects be, both political and cultural?

Until the mid-late-60s, the nuclear balance of forces vastly favoured NATO. If the war went nuclear in the '50s (and it would most likely go, since NATO forces would be pushed back vigorously by WP troops, due to the difference in ground forces quality not being as great as it was later on in the late 70s - early 80s), the Soviet Union would cease to exist. Communisation hadn't yet been successfully completed in all East Europe countries, and with a huge smoldering void left where their former master stood, the various lackeys would definitely kowtow to the Western powers (or, even more likely, attempt to flee for some middle-of-nowhere country, to escape trial for their crimes).

 

[marathag]

In 1956, the USSR had 426 warheads, mostly gravity bombs.
USA had 4618, UK had 15 bombs

The Tu-95 Bear just came into squadron service that year, and most of the Soviet bomber force was the Tu-4 Bull, aka Boeing B-29A

 

[Bernard Woolley]

The planning that went into Operation Dropshot probably gives a good idea of how the US & NATO would have fought a war against the USSR and its allies. It did envision large-scale use of both nuclear and conventional bombs against the USSR and that NATO armies might need to withdraw into France, or even Spain.