Damn, this gets me down! It was a pleasure to read this timeline and take part in it! Thankyou, comrade. for you excellent work! I’ll give your other work a look at! Knowing how good this one is no doubt they’re good!
Crisis in the Kremlin - Our 1982 USSR
- Thread starter panpiotr
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- 1980's communism soviet union ussr
Better to place the timeline on an indefinite hold than forcing yourself to continue when you've lost the enthusiasm for it and it's stopped being fun for you. I very much enjoyed participating in this timeline and while it's sad to see it coming to an end for now, I'll look forward to participating in your future timelines and seeing where they take us.
Chapter Seven: The Geneva Summit and Iran – Iraq War (December 1983)
The proposal made by President Reagan for a meeting with General Secretary Romanov had been accepted by Moscow. As a gesture of goodwill and in order to avoid any incidents which could spark the next world war, USA and NATO decided to end immediately the Able Archer Exercise, on the other hand, the USSR ordered its troops in East Germany to return to bases. What is more, a no-fly zone was declared over both German states.The Geneva Summit between president Reagan and general secretary Romanov was conducted amid suspicions and distrust on both sides. Both American and Soviet side wanted to discuss a number of topics – the USSR wanted to discuss the matter of American ballistic missiles in West Germany, the SDI program, as well as militarization of the outer space. At Reykjavík, Reagan sought to include discussion of human rights, emigration of Soviet Jews and dissidents, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Romanov sought to limit the talks solely to arms control. The Soviets acceded to the "double-zero" proposal for eliminating INF weapons from Europe, as initially proposed by President Reagan in November 1981 (INF denoting "Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces" as distinct from ICBMs, or intercontinental ballistic missiles). The Soviets also proposed to eliminate 50% of all strategic arms, including ICBMs, and agreed not to include British or French weapons in the count. All this was proposed in exchange for an American pledge not to implement strategic defenses for the next ten years, in accordance with SALT I. The Americans countered with a proposal to eliminate all ballistic missiles within ten years, but required the right to deploy strategic defenses against remaining threats afterward.
(President Reagan talks with members of the Soviet delegation in Geneva)
Nevertheless, the US and USSR could not find common ground on issues of human rights, Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the presence of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles in Europe, to the displeasure of both delegations. However, after a long series of negotiations between Reagan and Romanov, an agreement was reached: both sides agreed to reduce their nuclear stockpiles by 20 percent as a gesture of a new opening in Soviet-American relations and to reduce tensions, which could be used as a basis for future cooperation between the two superpowers. In the meantime, a political purge took place in Moscow, as General Secretary Romanov with help of Marshal Ogarkov have decided to deal with Marshal Ustinov once and for all. Ustinov was forced by Romanov to resign from his position and to retire, as he was blamed by Romanov for misleading the Soviet leadership about American war plans (that never existed) against the USSR, which almost led to the World War 3 and potential destruction of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc. What is more, anyone loyal or connected to Ustinov and the militarist faction had been dismissed, replaced or relocated to other position, which in reality meant the destruction of the militarist faction, which till this point had an enormous influence over the Soviet Armed Forces and the industrial military-complex. Additionally, Yuri Andropov has resigned from his position as chairman of the KGB citing his severe health problems, as Andropov remained in hospital since his admission in August 1983, after he suffered total kidney failure.
(Iranian soldier in a trench wearing a gas mask to guard against Iraqi chemical attack)
Just when negotiations were held in Geneva and there was an ongoing purge in the USSR, the biggest since the reign of Stalin, the Iran-Iraq War entered a new phase and turned into a stalemate and war of attrition. Iraq's primary rationale for the attack against Iran cited the need to prevent Ruhollah Khomeini—who had spearheaded Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979—from exporting the new Iranian ideology to Iraq; there were also fears among the Iraqi leadership of Saddam Hussein that Iran, a theocratic state with a population predominantly composed of Shia Muslims, would exploit sectarian tensions in Iraq by rallying Iraq's Shia majority against the Baʽathist government, which was officially secular and dominated by Sunni Muslims. Iraq also wished to replace Iran as the power player in the Persian Gulf, which was not seen as an achievable objective prior to the Islamic Revolution because of Pahlavi Iran's economic and military superiority as well as its close relationships with the United States and Israel. The Iran–Iraq War followed a long-running history of territorial border disputes between the two states, as a result of which Iraq planned to retake the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab that it had ceded to Iran in the 1975 Algiers Agreement. Iraqi support for Arab separatists in Iran increased following the outbreak of hostilities; while claims arose suspecting that Iraq was seeking to annex Iran's Khuzestan province, Saddam Hussein publicly stated in November 1980 that Iraq was not seeking an annexation of any Iranian territory. It is believed that Iraq had sought to establish suzerainty over Khuzestan. While the Iraqi leadership had hoped to take advantage of Iran's post-revolutionary chaos and expected a decisive victory in the face of a severely weakened Iran, the Iraqi military only made progress for three months, and by December 1980, the Iraqi invasion had stalled. The Iranian military began to gain momentum against the Iraqis and regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. After pushing Iraqi forces back to the pre-war borderlines, Iran rejected United Nations Security Council Resolution 514 and launched an invasion of Iraq.
(President Reagan talks with members of the Soviet delegation in Geneva)
Nevertheless, the US and USSR could not find common ground on issues of human rights, Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, the presence of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles in Europe, to the displeasure of both delegations. However, after a long series of negotiations between Reagan and Romanov, an agreement was reached: both sides agreed to reduce their nuclear stockpiles by 20 percent as a gesture of a new opening in Soviet-American relations and to reduce tensions, which could be used as a basis for future cooperation between the two superpowers. In the meantime, a political purge took place in Moscow, as General Secretary Romanov with help of Marshal Ogarkov have decided to deal with Marshal Ustinov once and for all. Ustinov was forced by Romanov to resign from his position and to retire, as he was blamed by Romanov for misleading the Soviet leadership about American war plans (that never existed) against the USSR, which almost led to the World War 3 and potential destruction of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc. What is more, anyone loyal or connected to Ustinov and the militarist faction had been dismissed, replaced or relocated to other position, which in reality meant the destruction of the militarist faction, which till this point had an enormous influence over the Soviet Armed Forces and the industrial military-complex. Additionally, Yuri Andropov has resigned from his position as chairman of the KGB citing his severe health problems, as Andropov remained in hospital since his admission in August 1983, after he suffered total kidney failure.
(Iranian soldier in a trench wearing a gas mask to guard against Iraqi chemical attack)
Just when negotiations were held in Geneva and there was an ongoing purge in the USSR, the biggest since the reign of Stalin, the Iran-Iraq War entered a new phase and turned into a stalemate and war of attrition. Iraq's primary rationale for the attack against Iran cited the need to prevent Ruhollah Khomeini—who had spearheaded Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979—from exporting the new Iranian ideology to Iraq; there were also fears among the Iraqi leadership of Saddam Hussein that Iran, a theocratic state with a population predominantly composed of Shia Muslims, would exploit sectarian tensions in Iraq by rallying Iraq's Shia majority against the Baʽathist government, which was officially secular and dominated by Sunni Muslims. Iraq also wished to replace Iran as the power player in the Persian Gulf, which was not seen as an achievable objective prior to the Islamic Revolution because of Pahlavi Iran's economic and military superiority as well as its close relationships with the United States and Israel. The Iran–Iraq War followed a long-running history of territorial border disputes between the two states, as a result of which Iraq planned to retake the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab that it had ceded to Iran in the 1975 Algiers Agreement. Iraqi support for Arab separatists in Iran increased following the outbreak of hostilities; while claims arose suspecting that Iraq was seeking to annex Iran's Khuzestan province, Saddam Hussein publicly stated in November 1980 that Iraq was not seeking an annexation of any Iranian territory. It is believed that Iraq had sought to establish suzerainty over Khuzestan. While the Iraqi leadership had hoped to take advantage of Iran's post-revolutionary chaos and expected a decisive victory in the face of a severely weakened Iran, the Iraqi military only made progress for three months, and by December 1980, the Iraqi invasion had stalled. The Iranian military began to gain momentum against the Iraqis and regained virtually all lost territory by June 1982. After pushing Iraqi forces back to the pre-war borderlines, Iran rejected United Nations Security Council Resolution 514 and launched an invasion of Iraq.
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1. Vote on the Geneva Agreement, which would result in a reduction of Soviet of the nuclear stockpile by 20%.
A) Stick to the agreement and reduce the stockpile by 20%;
B) Don't stick to the agreement, as it would reduce the Soviet defense potential.
2. Please write down who should replace Marshal Ustinov as the new Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union?
3. Please write down who should replace Yuri Andropov as the new chairman of the KGB?
4. Please write down which reforms/policies should be introduced to reorganize the Soviet Armed forces?
5. Please write down which reforms/policies should be introduced to reorganize the Soviet industry and military-industrial complex?
6. As the Iran-Iraq War entered a new phase, which side should the USSR support?
A) Support Iraq, Saddam in our natural ally;
B) Remain neutral and sell arms to both Iraq and Iran;
C) Support Iran, it's a country with great potential.
A) Stick to the agreement and reduce the stockpile by 20%;
B) Don't stick to the agreement, as it would reduce the Soviet defense potential.
2. Please write down who should replace Marshal Ustinov as the new Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union?
3. Please write down who should replace Yuri Andropov as the new chairman of the KGB?
4. Please write down which reforms/policies should be introduced to reorganize the Soviet Armed forces?
5. Please write down which reforms/policies should be introduced to reorganize the Soviet industry and military-industrial complex?
6. As the Iran-Iraq War entered a new phase, which side should the USSR support?
A) Support Iraq, Saddam in our natural ally;
B) Remain neutral and sell arms to both Iraq and Iran;
C) Support Iran, it's a country with great potential.
6. A. The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party clearly is much closer to us then the Islamic Religious Regime that has betrayed the Persian-Left after it helped them overtrow the American puppet known as the Shah.
Not much thoughts on the rest for now sadly.
Not much thoughts on the rest for now sadly.
1-A, we are people of our word, let's fulfill the agreement, starting with our most outdated and unused weapons; but as long as the USA also complies
2 - Victor Kulikov, he is not only a hero of the soviet union, he is also the commander in head of the Warsaw Pact
3 - Viktor Chebrikov, he is a hard-working man and firm against corruption, he will be a good candidate
4 - Our army is one of the most numerous and best armed, let's use this in our favor to begin a gradual specialization of our army, while we begin a reduction to more manageable numbers but that still allows us to show our power; on the other hand, let's start integrating and developing new technology for military purposes.
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B, both nations have shown that they are not partners we can trust, let's sell things they need in exchange for guaranteed payments, and I would try to undermine both leaders with the intention of being replaced by other more sensible ones who are willing to improve your relationship with us
2 - Victor Kulikov, he is not only a hero of the soviet union, he is also the commander in head of the Warsaw Pact
3 - Viktor Chebrikov, he is a hard-working man and firm against corruption, he will be a good candidate
4 - Our army is one of the most numerous and best armed, let's use this in our favor to begin a gradual specialization of our army, while we begin a reduction to more manageable numbers but that still allows us to show our power; on the other hand, let's start integrating and developing new technology for military purposes.
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B, both nations have shown that they are not partners we can trust, let's sell things they need in exchange for guaranteed payments, and I would try to undermine both leaders with the intention of being replaced by other more sensible ones who are willing to improve your relationship with us
A) Stick to the agreement.
Seems a suitable reward for Marshall Nikolai Ogarkov.
Deputy Chairman Viktor Chebrikov seems capable.
We should at least begin to move away from conscription as a large army full of unmotivated soldiers has proven inadequate. To complete this we should look into a reformed army doctrine that replaces excessive firepower and human waves with more precise methods.
I agree with @ruffino and @Kriss.
A) Look both Saddam and the Ayaotolla are bastards but Saddam is at least a bastard we can get on side.
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1. Vote on the Geneva Agreement, which would result in a reduction of Soviet of the nuclear stockpile by 20%.
A) Stick to the agreement and reduce the stockpile by 20%;
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B support both sides.
Honestly both sides are quite opportunistic and neither is particularly on our side so we might as well sell weapons to both.
A) Stick to the agreement and reduce the stockpile by 20%;
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B support both sides.
Honestly both sides are quite opportunistic and neither is particularly on our side so we might as well sell weapons to both.
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1-A, we are people of our word, let's fulfill the agreement, starting with our most outdated and unused weapons; but as long as the USA also complies
2 - Victor Kulikov, he is not only a hero of the soviet union, he is also the commander in head of the Warsaw Pact
3 - Viktor Chebrikov, he is a hard-working man and firm against corruption, he will be a good candidate
4 - Our army is one of the most numerous and best armed, let's use this in our favor to begin a gradual specialization of our army, while we begin a reduction to more manageable numbers but that still allows us to show our power; on the other hand, let's start integrating and developing new technology for military purposes. We also should encourage more autonomy for Non-Commissioned Officers and Regular Officers in battlefield conditions.
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B, both nations have shown that they are not partners we can trust, let's sell things they need in exchange for guaranteed payments, and I would try to undermine both leaders with the intention of being replaced by other more sensible ones who are willing to improve your relationship with us
2 - Victor Kulikov, he is not only a hero of the soviet union, he is also the commander in head of the Warsaw Pact
3 - Viktor Chebrikov, he is a hard-working man and firm against corruption, he will be a good candidate
4 - Our army is one of the most numerous and best armed, let's use this in our favor to begin a gradual specialization of our army, while we begin a reduction to more manageable numbers but that still allows us to show our power; on the other hand, let's start integrating and developing new technology for military purposes. We also should encourage more autonomy for Non-Commissioned Officers and Regular Officers in battlefield conditions.
5 - In the military industry, encourage army-factory collaboration, so that the military, depending on their needs, can go to the factories so that they can freely develop what they need for their operations without bureaucracy. In civil industry, not only focus on light industry and consumer goods, but also on the development of the pharmaceutical, agricultural and, above all, on a "luxury" industry (caviar, vodka, oil) in order to export and get foreign currency
6 - B, both nations have shown that they are not partners we can trust, let's sell things they need in exchange for guaranteed payments, and I would try to undermine both leaders with the intention of being replaced by other more sensible ones who are willing to improve your relationship with us