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The year is 1988. Just as it looks like the Cold War could be winding down after 50 years of tension, the USSR is thrown into turmoil as Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev is assassinated. The Soviet Union is put into interim leadership and the gunman is never found. After several months, ex-KGB agent Andriy Litzkova, 52, is controversially appointed as new leader of the USSR.
Russia could not appear to be weak at this time, and Litzkova knew this, initiating a massive security crackdown that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Soviet citizens, many completely innocent. Additionally, Litzkova adopted a new found hard line approach towards the west, destroying over a decade of diplomacy throughout the 80s.
In the space of two years, the cold war was back on, and back on at its worst.
1991–1994
Litzkova may have restored Russia’s military pride, but it had become apparent in the early 90s, even to onlookers from the west, that after decades of military competition, the USSR had been economically pushed to its limits. Unknown to west, however, was that the situation inside the USSR was much graver than estimated. The Russian people were deep into recession and suffering tremendously. The majority of the population was going hungry, infrastructure was decaying and basic medical services were completely lacking as Litzkova and the communist party poured money into arms production. The Soviet people cried out to their leader for help.
Litzkova could have buckled and asked for international aid, but this would leave the Soviets venerable to UN agenda, sanctions and global ridicule. Litzkova was far too proud for this. His alternative solution to the problem – selling weapons to their eastern neighbors; Middle Eastern, Asian and African regimes salivating at the prospect of acquiring Russian munitions.
Tens of billions of dollars were poured into the Russian economy through the signing of arms deals with rogue states such as Libya, North Korea, Iran, Iraq and Syria, whilst countless more billions more were generated through illegal weapons sale on the black market. The USSR was once again financially secure, and Litzkova was hailed as a hero by his people.
1995 – 1998
The Soviet Union is strengthened even further when, in a move completely unexpected by the west, the USSR and China sign the Asian Defense Pact. Although sounding justified enough, the pact was actually a massive arms agreement between the two nations that went against basically every applicable UN protocol. As part of the agreement, the Soviets established many forward command bases in China, whilst Russian and Chinese forces amassed at Chinese borders.
Continuing with their Asian push, the Soviets shortly thereafter signed large arms deals with several South East Asian states including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The UN became agitated, although with no leverage against Litzkova and the USSR, were powerless to stop the spread of Soviet influence throughout Asia.
In 1998, the Soviets made a massive incursion into Afghanistan, absorbing the state in a matter of weeks and killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians both during and after the conflict - a move condemned by the international community. By this stage, NATO’s western European member states become very alarmed at Russian activity, and begged the US for assistance in strengthening their forces in the region. US president Bill Clinton obliged, ordering US forces to Western Europe, to reinforce their NATO allies. The Soviets responded by amassing forces along their western border in a build up unprecedented in recent history. Despite the stand-off, no conflict eventuated.
1999 - 2003
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, all recipients of Soviet weaponry and allies of the communist regime, sign a mutual defense agreement. The Soviets praise this and begin sending regular patrols into South-East Asia, whilst combined Indonesian, Malaysian and Thai (IMT) forces amass throughout the Indonesian mainland.
In February 2000, an internal military coup takes place on the small resource rich island nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG), bordering Indonesia, and just beyond of the northern-most tip of Australia. IMT forces leap at the opportunity to control PNG and its resources, sending troops and armor to the nation. Not surprisingly, the impoverished locals welcome the IMT forces, who promised a safe, just and stable government, something the people of PNG have never before had.
Alarmingly, IMT began to move an increasingly large number of their forces into PNG, well more than was needed to simply control a small island nation. The escalating buildup greatly alarmed the Australian people, and Australian Prime Minister John Howard officially issued a statement, designed to calm the nerves of his citizens, whilst emphasizing the good relations between Australia and IMT nations. In September 2000, Australia proceeded to host the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney without incident.
Soon enough though, the true purpose of IMT entering New Guinea became reality, when IMT launched a full scale offensive against Australia, sending forces across the small stretch of ocean between PNG and Cape York, Queensland. The resulting conflict, which became known as the Australasian War, lasted almost two years. Primary combat operations were contained to the northern tip of Australia, as Australian forces, with the help of their NATO allies, pushed IMT forces out of the Australia and back through PNG before IMT forces surrendered. At the conclusion of the conflict, the USSR sent forces into IMT nations, claiming to want to stabilize the region in the interest of peace.
2004 – 2007
In the aftermath of the Australasian War, Australian military spending increased tremendously. Geographically isolated from its NATO allies, and in an increasingly volatile region, the need for autonomous defensive and strike capability became apparent. Lessons had been learnt from the war, and the Aussies took actions to ensure they would never be caught out or outgunned again.
The USSR, already a major influence Asia, turned their attention back towards Europe, increasing armor build-up along their western European border. Minor skirmishes occurred sporadically between Soviet and NATO forces over several years, with NATO establishing a no-fly zone along the Soviet border in 2006.
2008 – 2011
The intense standoff between NATO and the USSR continued, as NATO set up missile sites and heavy artillery right along the Soviet border, providing them unprecedented deep strike capability into Russia.
Meanwhile, the United States begin testing of new plasma weapons technology at a top secret US military site in Alaska. By complete chance, this testing is detected by a Soviet aircraft conducting a routine patrol out of Siberia. The test is interpreted by Litzkova as an aggressive, potentially hostile move by the Americans, and a pre-emptive airstrike is promptly conducted to destroying the test-site, and with it, valuable plasma weapon prototypes. In the wake of this incident, US president Barack Obama rushes to organize emergency diplomacy talks with Soviet Leader Litzkova, but it is too late.
Already in the midst of a tense showdown with NATO forces, both in Europe and Alaska, the USSR make a bold move, deploying forces in Papua New Guinea, right on Australia’s doorstep. The Australians made a panicked move, bombing several Soviet military sites within PNG, with the intention of persuading the USSR to withdraw from the region. The result of this action: a brutal Soviet counter attack, and the destruction of a major Australian military base on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.
Australia, scrambling to respond, deploy major combat forces to Papua New Guinea and conflict erupts on the peninsula between Australian and Soviet armed forces. After just 10 days of conflict, the Soviets push deep into the Australian mainland, utilizing heavy artillery and bombing to crack open Australian coastal defenses established at the conclusion of the Australasian War. NATO scramble to offer assistance to their southern allies, but in doing so, make the fatal error of spreading themselves thin in Europe. The Soviets see this as the opportunity to take Western Europe, and promptly push out a second front into Western Europe. World War III officially begins on June 18, 2011.
Edited by Henford, 05 January 2011 - 12:44.
