Post War Geopolitics: Unfinished Business

In early August of 1987 the Third World War came to an end. The guns fell silent, strategic forces came off their high alert statuses and the world breathed a collective sigh of relief. In the final twenty-four hours of the war the planet teetered on the edge of the abyss with the United States …

Today’s Friend, Tomorrow’s Enemy D+24 And Beyond Part I

As 2 August, 1987 pressed on towards its climactic conclusion, it was becoming evident that if the world survived the dangerous and rapid escalation then underway, the domestic political dynamic of the Soviet Union, and the geopolitical dynamic of Eastern Europe would appear quite different in the immediate postwar days and weeks. In hindsight the …

Death Knell Of The Pact D+24 (2 August, 1987) Part I

Wünsdorf was chosen as a target because of its military relevance. The East German town played host to the peacetime headquarters of Group Soviet Forces Germany and was positioned high on NATO’s target list. Many East German military officers and government officials were aware that Wünsdorf would be targeted in the event of a limited …

Politics of Global War: Diplomacy Resumes D+25 (3 August, 1987)

The first meeting between US and Soviet diplomats took place at a Swiss industrialist’s estate on the shores of Lake Geneva. Security was provided by Swiss Federal Police and specially trained detachments of soldiers from the Swiss armed forces. The world media was made aware of a meeting between US and Soviet officials set for …

D+23 (1 August, 1987) 1215-1500 Zulu

Moscow, USSR 1215 Zulu (1615 Local) The mid-afternoon session of the Politburo concluded earlier than anticipated. The mood had soured very early on and before anyone could think of containment it was too late. Vladimir Dolgikh was the figure that the opposition rallied around, somewhat to Romanov’s surprise. He’d expected another twenty-four hours to pass …