[B.T.]

This is a very interesting thread.

Some things to mention:
When in comes to the state of affairs in Germany, there are two things, that I would like to add to the discussion:
1. As Scott pointed out, there are some tensions between the "Ossies" (former GDR) and the "Wessies" (former FRG). Although it depends on the timeline of your choice, there will be a portion of former East German soldiers, who will eventually join their former allies (the Sovjets!).
But the majority of the East Germans were no friends of the Soviet Forces in Germany. Therefore the percentage of "Ossies" who really want communism back, would be very small.
I could imagine, that the deserters from East Germany would return to their hometowns and form some kind of militia.
The same would happen in the western part of the country: Deserters try to go back to their homes. Espacially in the western parts, that were occupied by French forces, this will lead to another problem (And to be honest: I'm glad that my PCs all stem from the US - I'm not quite shure, how some kind of partisan warfare in the Niederrhein-region would work!) - some kind of partisan warfare would certainly occure!
2. One thing should not be forgotten: Some of the regions with the highest density of population were nuked. Many of the soldiers from these areas have no place to return to!

But there is another point and I'm not shure, how to handle this. Many units will get smaller and smaller, like a snowball melting in the sun. When there is the time, where your company has a strength of something like 20 men, what will the CO do? Will he really try to find another unit and keep up the fighting? I can imagine, that a certain percentage of (former) soldiers will be amalgated by the civilian population. And if the guys are nice, we should not forget about the war widows in the area. If the mayor of a small Polish village can hold some skilled soldiers in his town, why not encouraging the young women or said widows, to try and have some kind of relationship with this nice guy from Germany, Sweden, Oklahoma, Britain or wherever?
I would think, that a not to small percentage of the soldiers, who know that their homes have been destroyed, could be bound to a new home in such a way.
The militias in disputed areas - in my Twilight World - have a percentage of soldiers, that do not stem from the region.

Well, just some thoughts, mostly from a German point of view. But I think, the same (or similar) processes could take place in various regions (Brits from Bristol, staying in Hannover or whatdoiknow ...).

I do not think, that deserters (if they behave!!!) would be reported in the Western states of Europe. But that just a guess.