So its now December 6th 1996 and the gloves are off.
NATO sends 9 American divisions, 3 British divisions, 1 Canadian brigade and a host of armoured cavalry regiments rolling across the inter-German border, backed by the airpower of two NATO' tactical airforce's to help out the Bundeswehr in East Germany. Following up in the rear will be at least another dozen NATO divisions, multiple regiments and 50 plus combat squadrons on their way.
Despite the sound advice of Field Marshal Raellus (a recipient of the Order of Lenin and Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds), more timid voices in the Kremlin decided not to cut off the Western garrisons in West Berlin and provoke NATO. In hind sight Field Marshal Raellus may have been right, as the Soviet's have their hands full, and eliminating NATO forces in West Berlin is now a less pressing priority. The Soviets however can't rely on the loyalist East German forces to take control of West Berlin, as over 90% of the NVA has changed sides and the Stasi and other security forces do not have the firepower to take on regular US and British troops.
With NATO on the march across East Germany the city of Berlin is an obvious target for them. Unless the NATO garrisons in West Berlin are eliminated and the Soviets and Warsaw Pact allies can entrench themselves in Berlin and establish powerful defences, the city will probably fall to NATO by Christmas. If the symbolic capital of Germany falls to NATO the Soviets are going to face the dilemma of not being able to defend its most important Warsaw Pact ally despite the size of its forces based in East Germany. Also Berlin is only a stone throw from the Oder-Neiss Line and Czechoslovakia and Poland, and if Berlin falls the other Warsaw Pact states are going to question the commitment and capability of the Soviet Union to defend them from NATO.
So how will the Soviets try and eliminate the Western garrisons in West Berlin in December before NATO forces are upon them?
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