Quote:
Originally Posted by dragoon500ly
I would expect a surge of units going to sea to conduct attacks on Chinese ports and naval units...
|
I would expect this to happen shortly after the USSR and PRC go to war. I think your outline of the Pacific naval war between the SPF and USN is solid. I'm trying to figure out what happens between the two periods.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dragoon500ly
Primary problem with North Korea is that their brand of communism is very different from China/Soviets version. The DPRK stress the Kim family as the benevolent dictators protecting the "pure" DPRK from the evil intentions of Russia, China, Japan and the United States. Over the years, they have become very adapt at playing off one against the other, pulling food and basic goods from China, advanced military aid from Russia and fast talking Japan and South Korea into investing into DPRK industry, then chasing out the investors once the factories are up and running.
So the brief answer is yes the Soviets might get access to NK ports, at the expense of providing military aid, would the DPRK allow the Soviets large scale access? Unlikely.
|
Agreed. I'm just thinking that the Soviets want a place between Cam Rahn Bay and Vladivostok for ships to put in for maintenance, minor repairs, and maybe refueling. If they offer to pay with a few more MiG-29s, T-72s, and/or advanced SAMs, it'd be a hard for the Kims to turn down.
And I reckon the DPRK would back whoever is winning in China; by late 1996, that would be the Soviets.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dragoon500ly
Could the Soviets convince NK to launch its "Final Liberation of the South"? If the DPRK was convinced that they had a good chance of defeating the ROK, in a heartbeat! But could the Soviets convince them to conduct operations in conjunction with the Soviet military?
|
I'm not suggesting active cooperation, just gentle persuasion- something along the lines of, "The U.S. is very busy with this expanding war in Europe. Now's the time to make your move. They're totally distracted. They won't be able to reinforce 8th Army (just 2ID at the outset). Their navy will have to deal with ours. We might even be able to send you a few more tanks, fighters, SAMs, etc."
That sort of thing. It's all about opportunism. If the DPRK believes the risks are minimal and the rewards potentially great, the thinking might be "it's now or never". This all aligns well with v1.0 canon too.