Need Some Plot Help

[Paul in Qatar]

I just read a gruesome alternate history novel. It postulated the Soviets continue to head west after taking Berlin. Eventually the Americans nuke them a couple of times and they come to their senses.

I can do better than that. So I have started some doodles. But I have one little problem with the premise. Stalin knows The Bomb is in the pipeline, so he wants to claim as much of Europe as possible before his huge army is rendered irrelevant. That is a good motivation. But to to give the Americans a chance, I have to ensure the bulk of the US Army survives the first Russian attack.

Ike needs to have at least an inkling that something is about to go very very wrong. Any thoughts on how I can manage this?

Any other comments about such a plot?

[Zeener Diode]

Patton wanted to press on through Eastern Europe after Berlin fell; he knew the Russians would be our greatest threat to security. He would've favored using the Bomb on them to defeat them; instead they used it on Japan.

Say Ike listens to Patton and decides to pre-emptively strike the Soviets. Would Montgomery go along? And where would they strike? Moscow? Eastern Europe? The consequences of collateral damage to targeted nations would be tremendous.

[Uthrecht]

I'd say use Patton as Ike's bird dog. Patton didn't trust the Soviets, and was military governor of Bavaria. I'd say have US command listen to his arguments against demobilizing the Third Army, and either give a tip-off in the form of aerial reconnaissance or just a hunch from his gut, to get him ready for it.

ETA: Looks like Zeener beat me to using Patton Plotdevice, but I'd say use him as a preparatory instrument rather than pre-emptive, since you want the Soviets to strike first.

[Paul in Qatar]

OK, so Ike decides to leave only token forces on the US/SU demarkation line. He puts Patton in charge of organizing units into a constabulary configuration. Being Patton, he gets them back into fighting condition.

The Soviets attack and make a pincer movement that traps a whole lot of nothing. At that point we have something like a fair fight?

[Zeener Diode]

Originally Posted by Paul in Qatar

OK, so Ike decides to leave only token forces on the US/SU demarkation line. He puts Patton in charge of organizing units into a constabulary configuration. Being Patton, he gets them back into fighting condition.

The Soviets attack and make a pincer movement that traps a whole lot of nothing. At that point we have something like a fair fight?

Fair as in justified to counter-strike?

I imagine the affected nations resenting having the Third Army as an occupying force, until the Russians attack. Then it's on.

But with a strong fighting force, would Patton call for the bomb? I think he'd relish the fight with the Soviets, concentrating on ground forces with minimal air support. And with adequate logistics and sustained supply lines he'd press on to Moscow, and beyond.

[Uthrecht]

Or fair as in, two sides with similar volume and type of forces?

I'd dare to suggest it wouldn't be fully equal in that. The Soviets by the war's end had a lot of troops in eastern Europe, and their newest tanks were pretty decent. Plus, the Soviets had a single command structure with some fairly decent generals. On the other side, you have the Americans and the British with a certain uneasiness with each other, and both having their own ideas on how to proceed with military engagements. Toss into that any other Allied groups that decide to pitch in, and it could get confusing.

I think you probably want to look into the major players in the Soviet command structure at the end of war. I'm not an expert in who survived the war, and remained in good graces with Stalin at that point. You could probably pick some competent names, and some bad generals, and then make of that what you will for your plot.

I expect the Americans would be hesitant to use a nuke in Europe. Even with radioactive fallout not being fully understood, the scope of damage was pretty clear, and making occupied cities disappear is bad public relations. They might possibly give it a go within the borders of the Soviet Union, but then you have the problem of getting it there - possibly from Scandinavia, which very well might get occupied for just that reason.

[Paul in Qatar]

A key to making the campaign end the "right" way will be overwhelming American airpower and some really bad Soviet logistics through a battered Poland. But even with all the manipulating I am will to do to "make a game of it," I cannot see how the poor British Army could have stood much more punishment.