An In-Depth History and Analysis of the Third World War
Both NATO and the Warsaw Pact had sensible notions about what moves the other would presumably make in the opening hours of a conflict. Awareness is not enough to bring about the defeat or neutralization of those moves on the battlefield, however. Countermoves and defensive measures were created, worked into preexisting operational plans, and …
Continue reading "Soviet Air Mobile Forces on the Eve of Battle: D-1 (8 July, 1987) **"
Opinions on the fate of West Berlin in the event of war varied. On one end of the spectrum, a large number of military and political observers expected an East German/Soviet invasion of the city to announce the commencement of hostilities against the West. The primary reasoning for this belief was the amount of political …
Continue reading "A Glimpse at West Berlin: D-1 (8 July, 1987) **"
Airbase commanders on both sides of the Iron Curtain breathed a collective sigh of relief as the sun rose in the eastern sky on the morning of 8 July, 1987. In NATO and Warsaw Pact air forces alike, the lessons of the Six Day War were well known. The preemptive airstrikes Israel launched against Egyptian …
Shortly after 0100 local time on 8 July, 1987, SACEUR issued what was perhaps his most critical pre-war order. As the armies massing across Europe captured the attention of the world, a debate was raging behind the scenes in Brussels and select Western capitals. The question of whether or not to disperse NATO’s force of …
Continue reading "Pershing II and GLCM Dispesral: D-1 (8 July, 1987) **"
On the night of 7 July, and continuing into the next day, two mass migrations were underway in the Federal Republic of Germany. The first one consisted of thousands of West German civilians living in close proximity to the Inner-German border. What started as a steady stream of families moving west towards perceived safety in …
Continue reading "3rd Armored Division To The Border: D-2 (7 July, 1987) **"
Gert Madsen, like dozens of other Danish Home Guard officers, received the telephone call he had been dreading, though subconsciously expecting to come at any moment, as he was preparing to leave his office in Holstebro on 5 July, 1987. The thirty-five year old Home Guard captain was a barrister in civilian life. He was …
Continue reading "Denmark’s Home Guard Prepares D-4 (5 July, 1987) **"
White House sources have confirmed to CBS News that there has been a clash between US and Soviet warships in the Mediterranean. Less than an hour ago, a Soviet cruiser rammed the frigate USS Klakring east of Malta. The Soviet ship had been shadowing the Saratoga carrier battle group for the last two days. After the ramming, Klakring was fired upon …
While in West Berlin today, President Reagan responded to comments made last week by Soviet General Secretary Grigory Romanov about the increase in tension between the US and Soviet Union since Romanov's unexpected rise to power in April. In a speech given in front of the Berlin Wall, Reagan expressed hope that Romanov will continue …
Thanks for stopping by. 🙂 I intend to take a multifaceted approach with this blog. Primarily, I want to construct a detailed narrative, and timeline centered on a US/NATO-Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact conflict set in 1987. Attached to that will be a comprehensive account of the global military picture as it was in 1987. Independent of the …
Third World War 1987 