I agree completely that some minefields are going to go unmarked and forgotten. However, mines tend to reveal themselves fairly quickly. Some will go undiscovered for extended periods, but the mines laid in places used habitually will be discovered and marked promptly.
We should expect a deliberate use of mines to defend base camp areas in Europe beginning in 1997—perhaps earlier. The pre-war minefields may be hash by late 1997, but once the pace of war starts to slow the emplacement of permanent fields will accelerate. The Summer 1998 fighting will demonstrate to the European commands that peace is still some way off; whatever local and temporary arrangements that were made up to that point will be expanded into a series of measures to create safe base areas for all units. Also, the use of mines to canalize the next enemy’s offensive will gain importance. These mines will be marked for more practical reasons than the Geneva Convention; friendly casualties and losses among local civilians are to be avoided. Even the Soviets in Poland will realize that maintaining the good will and cooperation of the locals is a combat multiplier.
Webstral
P.S. Of course, not everybody is going to think in such rational terms. There is plenty of room for soldiers to treat the locals like hosts for uniformed parasites.
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