An American history of WW3 (Part 1)
June 1961 - a UK spy scandal in the US strained relationships but not seriously. The Kennedy administration had other secrets on its mind... Spy plane overflights of Cuba had discovered tactical nukes and had spawned a furious internal debate how to handle it. A decision was finally reached for a secret military build up to take them out and overthrow the Cuban government at the same time in a large-scale invasion.
Feb 1962 - US forces invade Cuba and attack Soviet and Cuban forces. War between US and its allies and WP and Cuba and their allies after declaration of war following the American attack. Marines destroyed the nuclear weapons within days of landing. Armor and marines landed on the eastern island of Cuba - airborne and rangers on west. Armored divisions followed initial landings. War quickly spreads world wide - officially called WW3 in the next month.
Aug 62 Chinese invasion of Taiwan defeated with help of some US air support, one Chinese armored division remained fortified on the island for a couple months. However, US forces suffered a defeat in South Korea except for GIs evacuated to Okinawa. North Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia repulsed by indigenous forces. Late August, Cuba conquered by US. The war in Europe sees US takes Stuttgart from occupying Yugoslav forces. Indecisive battles in Europe including Balkans. Some sea battles this year and the danger of Russian Bear long range bombers revealed. In a round of war agreements among the Allies rights of military passage are assured and the US gives generously to it allies in foreign aid. The opposing side is generally called commies although not all countries opposing the Allies are communists. Others restrict the term to Warsaw Pact members and call India and Arab League and others who sometimes support the Commies as fellow travelers.
Sept 62 WW3 ended after a peace overture spearheaded by India. Some domestic US opposition to this as in effect the western powers traded Cuba and Algeria (occupied by the UK) for South Korea but overall the world breathed a sigh of relief.
In a much criticized decision the US determined a need for large bases closer to Europe in Morocco and Spanish Sahara. In May of 63 the US invaded West North Africa and WW3 -part 2 - restarted. US citizens shocked as Russians bomb eastern seaports and US transports in harbor are lost.
Central Africa brokered another peace deal at the beginning of Feb 64. No conclusive geopolitical results and the world had been afraid to use atomic weapons and pulled back from the brink, again. UK and US had taken North Africa. Battles in W. Germany involving NATO and WP forces had proved indecisive but the US had taken Sarajevo and Turkey had taken Belgrade. The USA had intervened in Vietnam, occupying a buffer zone between North and South called Vinh (centered on Hue).
After months of talks no progress was made for a lasting peace and the US presented reports of Chinese troops massing on Southeast Asian borders. A formal peace settlement after months of negotiation had not been reached. Tensions began to rise again.
End of November 1965 the Soviet Union declared war over what many observers called a minor spying incident. USA forces held off a Warsaw Pact attack on Stuttgart and airborne infantry helped Turkish defenses in the Balkans North of Belgrade. B-52s, carrier strikes and FB-111s stationed in the UK turned aside the leading armor elements of a massive Pact effort aimed down the Balkans at Istanbul.
In December the war spread further for the US. By the terms of the SEATO treaty the US declared war on China as they moved into Southeast Asia.
The US launched strikes into Warsaw Pact territory in January. Armor reinforcements for Europe were held up in the states because of the legitimate fear of Soviet bombers. Lighter US forces were mainly sent by airlift. The American built up forces in Vietnam where the US held a buffer zone between North and South and began preparations to launch an attack on Hanoi. In late Feb. China takes Burma and Rangpur and Russia launches an invasion of the Japanese island of Hokkaido - ultimately the Japanese invasion is defeated by the Japanese. Much like in the previous conflict over 18 months ago the United States gives generous foreign aid to most allies. The US launches the Apollo program to claim the moon for "peaceful and scientific and military defensive purposes." Scientists claim this program has many scientific and technology benefits unconnected to space.
Feb 65 Hanoi falls to US. The Warsaw Pact is in full retreat in the Balkans and pulling back in Germany.
March - Sep 65. After Hanoi falls China launches a massive invasion to retake Vietnam from the imperialists. With battles raging in Europe, the Balkans, and Egypt the US was ill prepared for this. Airlifts of available GIs and Marines to Vinh began as well as a massive influx of air craft. Massive B-52 strikes were launched in effort to protect Hanoi from Chinese armor division. Then it turned out the main target was not Hanoi but the less protected airbase at Vinh. A month of massive assaults but fortunately the American GIs held out even with massive casualties.
The incursions of American infantry, airborne, and Marines in Warsaw Pact countries in Central Europe also produced casualties but no territorial gains. Air power from the American side was decisive but over-extended salients and air dropped positions could not hold. The only good thing the Pentagon could say about the European War was that at least we weren't losing and Soviet and Pact losses, particularly in armor, were much greater. The US was not even sending tanks and heavy armor to the European Theater.
While the land battle in Vietnam turned the Allies way the US lost a carrier and its escorts in the Gulf of Tonkin. Off the coast of Hawaii the heavy reinforcements bound for Vietnam were also sunk. The Admirals were worried as both of these were protected by DD escorts and were considered safe until this month. They turned to the CIA for possible intelligence operation but other than noting that there were many more long-range Communist bombers than B-52s and all three major opposing powers, China, India and the Soviet Union, were producing them. No viable plan presented itself that summer. It was pointed out that the newer destroyers being produced in fact had less AA defense than the old, the upgrades were to the anti-sub and bombardment capabilities. A new plan to upgrade carriers and to upgrade the planes carried to the superb defensive fighter the new F-14s was made a priority. Plans were made for two destroyers and an upgraded carrier to escort troop transports next year when they became available. Upgrading land interceptors was also made a priority.
The other major land battle was the battle for Cairo. B-52s were heavily used in the assault on Egypt and finally Cairo fell to the tank divisions landed in Rabat months before. The city of Cairo was in revolt for months due to an overall lack of US forces and with the poor road network and demands in other theaters there was no prospect of getting more soon. Finally four Armored divisions land in France and are quickly sent to the Balkan front lines where they help destroy a WP infantry advance.
In September another cease-fire was started by several countries and soon spread worldwide. A reluctant USA facing the need to upgrade its naval forces agreed a cessation of hostilities would be good but remained wary that the past cease-fires had not lasted long.
One small step for a man, a giant leap forward for the United States.
Meanwhile a dream of many finally came through in September 1965 just a week after the cease-fire. The United States landed two men on the moon and claimed it as US territory. Other allied nations objected to this specious claim and it was referred to what was starting to be called the United Allied Nations to determine the extent of the territory that could be claimed.
Strong support for President Kennedy led to the offering of a constitutional amendment to repeal the presidential term limits. There was a feeling that the US had taken the worse the communists could throw and was winning the war, was the most scientifically advanced country, and massive celebrations of peace, prosperity and the Kennedy dynasty leadership spontaneously occurred or were organized. The Scandinavian music called Rock & Roll with roots in American Jazz and Blues was sweeping the country even if parents were objecting to the longhaired major group the Swedish Fab Five.
With the world at peace, or at least not at war, the State Department looked to formalizing the new Allied United Nations and questioned how to handle the countries either occupied or eliminated in the last couple of years. Particular problems would be Southern Africas now associated states of white-ruled South Africa and Pakistan conquered by an India that insisted it would become new Indian states. Many of these states and others around the world had governments in exile.
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