[natehale1971]

Twilight 2000: Countdown to Armageddon
by Richard A. Spake ©


2003. Soviet forces are stunned when they encounter extensive stiff resistance from both and Finland when they attempt to cross their territories to carry out an offensive against the Kingdom of Norway. This resistance allows NATO Alliance to deploy reinforcements into Norway, Sweden and Finland.

2003. Soviet Navy attempts to carry out a breakout sortie through the North Sea to carry out operations in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The largest naval battle since the Spanish Armada was destroyed by the British Royal Navy is fought between the NATO Alliance and Soviet Navy.



2003: The Year in Review

Appalled at the losses taken in their expeditionary forces, the other Eastern European members of the Pact agreed only reluctantly to provide more troops. In June, however, a small group of senior officers of the East German Army opened secret talks with a select group of their counterparts in the Bundesheer (Federal Army) and Bundesluftwaffe (Federal Air Force), the army and air force of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In September, a third call for troops from Eastern Europe was made, to be ready for movement by mid-October whether their equipment and training were complete or not. On 7 October 2001 lead elements of the Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces) crossed the frontier between East and West Germany and began attacking Soviet garrison units that had remained in the country, while the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) remained quietly in barracks.

Having not only having been appalled with how the best troops that the DDR could provide where treated by the Soviet Union and with the continuing increase of how harsh the Soviet Forces in Germany where treating the East German citizens who lived near their bases, Günther Manfred Neumann realized that his options where severely limited in how to respond and slowly starts to sink into a severe depression. When he received reports that the West Germans had crossed the frontier he made a live radio broadcast where he asked the East German people to remain in their homes, and attempt to avoid conflict with either NATO or Soviets. Hours later when the commander of Soviet Armed Forces in Germany demanded that Neumann order the East German NVA to immediately mobilize and assist in driving the Bundeswehr forces out of the country, Neumann politely refused the order. Even when the Soviet Primer Danilov had personally called Neumann and ordered him to mobilize the East German NVA, he once more had to politely refuse the order, and he stated that he simply knew that he no longer actually had the power or authority to issue orders the NVA.

Despite the initial surprise, the fifteen Soviet divisions remaining in Germany put up a spirited resistance and were soon joined by two more divisions from Poland and three from the garrison of Czechoslovakia. By 15 November there were also two Czech divisions and four Polish divisions in Germany, their orders to leave for the Far East hurriedly rescinded. To the surprise of the Western nations, the Czechs and Poles fought well, as neither wished to see a reunited Germany.

By the end of November, the Bundeswehr found itself in serious trouble. Soviet Frontal Aviation had left their most modern aircraft in the west; these were qualitatively a match for the Luftwaffe and quantitatively more than a match. As the Bundeswehr lines began to crumble, high ranking officers of the East German Army made their move. In a bloodless coup, the civilian leaders of the country were deposed and replaced with a military junta. Two days later the new government ordered the army into the field against the Pact forces in the country and formally requested intervention on their behalf by NATO.

After the bloodless coup Marshall der DDR officially replaced Günther Manfred Neumann as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, who remained as an unofficial advisor for the new provisional government. During the conflict the E. German NVA mobilized all of their reserves, and enacted a nationwide draft to allow the DDR to liberate their nation from foreign occupation.

On 9 December the representative of the DDR to the United Nations, had announced the German Democratic Republic’s desire to remain an independent state that that would remain neutral in world affairs, and formally requested any assistance and support from the other members of the United Nations. Despite the assurances that the DDR wished to remain an independent state, many other nations did not believe these statements to be true. Despite the initial desire to remain as a separate independent nation, the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany would later reunify as the German Federal Republic after years of negotiation that would see the new government taking the best aspects of both governments, while purging the worst.

<Danilov’s attempt to negotiate fails miserably to end the fighting in Europe, and is purged…>

While the political leadership of the European members of NATO debated the prudence of intervention, the U.S. Army crossed the frontier. Within a week, France, Belgium, Italy, and Greece at first demand that U.S. troops withdraw back to their start line and then withdrew from NATO in protest. British and Canadian forces crossed the border, however, while Danish and Dutch troops remained in place, still partners in NATO but not party to the current war.

In the far north, Soviet troops made a bid for quick victory in northern Norway. Most of the best Arctic-equipped divisions had already been sent east, however, and the third-line troops available were unable to break through to the paratroopers and marines landed in NATO's rear areas. As crack British commandoes and U.S. Marines joined the battle, the front line moved east again toward the Soviet naval facilities on the Kola Peninsula, and the elite Soviet paratroopers and marines were isolated and destroyed.

At sea, the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet sortie and attempted to break through the Greenland-lceland-United Kingdom Gap into the north Atlantic. For three weeks the opposing fleets hammered each other, but the western fleet came out on top, badly bloodied but victorious. 80% of the Soviet northern fleet tonnage rested on the bottom of the Norwegian and North Seas. Scattered commerce raiders did break out, however, and by year's end were wreaking havoc on the NATO convoys bringing ammunition and equipment across the Atlantic.

Having repeatedly given excuses when asked to provide troops for the war effort, Romania was finally presented with an ultimatum on December 5th: either support the war effort fully or suffer the consequences. The time limit expired without a formal reply from the Romanian government, but throughout Romania troops hurried to their emergency mobilization posts.

The Warsaw Pact apparently had expected Romanian compliance with the ultimatum, for it was not until December 20th that sufficient troops were assembled to begin an invasion. As Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Soviet troops cross the border, Romania formally withdrew from the Warsaw Pact, declared war on the three invading nations, and applied to NATO for assistance.

The first nation to rally to Romania's aid was her neighbor, Jugoslavia. Within 24 hours, three divisions and five brigades had crossed into Romania and two days later were at the front operating under Romanian command. NATO responded shortly thereafter with the offer of full membership in the security organization to both nations, which they quickly accepted. More concrete assistance took the form of the Turkish First Army, which launched its offensive against a thin Bulgarian covering force in Thrace on Christmas Eve.


January 2003

January 2003. D


February 2003

February 2003. D

February 2003. With the major advances being made by South Korea and its allies, the North Korean General Staff carries out a nearly bloodless coup that allows them to sue for peace.


March 2003

March 2003. D


April 2003

April 2003. D

April 2003. After the news of how the Far East Front Theater commander had been using the finest Warsaw Pact military units that had been deployed to assist the Soviet Red Army during the Sino-Soviet War had been ‘thrown away’ with the use of them as nothing more than cannon fodder causes a series of demonstrations and protests throughout Eastern Europe. The most unexpected and prominent resistance had come from those who had been the staunchest and most loyal of the East European Soviet satellite states, the German Democratic Republic. This occurred because the East German liaison officer had overheard the Soviet leaders laughing about how the Germans deserved nothing better than being used as cannon fodder thanks to the actions of the Nazis during the Second World War.


May 2003

May 2003. D


June 2003

June 2003. D
June 2003. After nearly three months of talks, South Korea officially annexes North Korea and places many former North Korean government officials on trail for crimes against humanity and war crimes trials.

June 2003. The NVA is able to finally rebuild the DDR Fifth Army after the return of those men and women whom had been captured as Prisoners of War thanks to the intervention of West Germany. The divisions of the DDR Fifth Army are severely under strength, and it will take several months to bring them back-up to a combat ready status.


July 2003

July 2003. D


August 2003

August 2003. D


September 2003

September 2003. D


October 2003

October 2003. D


1 October 2003: DDR Bloodless Coup overthrows the pro-Soviet government while the Polish coup flounders thanks to KGB interception of major leaders of the Conspiracy who were in route to their positions.

3 October 2003. After the bloodless coup Marshall der DDR <name> officially replaced <Günther Manfred Neumann> as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, who remained as an unofficial advisor for the new provisional government that was composed of a panel of officers from every branch of the NVA. During the conflict the East German NVA mobilized all of their reserves, and enacted a nationwide draft to allow the DDR to liberate their nation from foreign occupation.

3 October - 9 October 2003. When the talks between Moscow and East Berlin break down, the DDR calls upon the BRD for assistance in helping them reinforce the sovereignty and their independence as a sovereign state in evicting the Soviet Forces in Germany from within their borders.

7 October 2003. The Bundeswehr crosses the inter-German border and starts surprise attacks against the Soviet garrisons in East Germany. The East German NVA remains in their barracks, refusing to interfere with the intrusion. The Soviet divisions stationed in East Germany attempt to put up a stiff resistance, and are joined by two divisions from Poland and three from Czechoslovakia. The West German Luftwaffe launches a series of long-range interdiction strikes, one of which is against Gliwice-Katowice complex in Silesia.

8 October 2003. The West German First and Third Panzer Division engage Soviet Forces, the West German Seventh Panzer Division crosses the inter-German border. The West German Eleventh Panzergrenadier Division engages Soviet forces along the East German Baltic coast.

9 October 2003. The official representative of the DDR to the United Nations announced a heartfelt desire of the people of the German Democratic Republic to remain an independent state that that would remain neutral in world affairs, and formally requested any assistance and support from the other members of the United Nations. Despite the assurances that the DDR wished to remain an independent state, many other nations did not believe these statements to be true. Despite their initial desire to remain as a separate independent nation, the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany would unify to create the German Federal Republic after the French led invasion of the Rhineland in an effort to ironically keep the two states from unifying. It would take years of negotiation that would see the new government taking the best aspects of both governments, while purging the worst for the formal unification and constitutional convention that saw the birth of the German Federal Republic.

9 October 2003. The West German Fifth Panzer Division overruns and all but destroys the Soviet 47th Motorized Rifle Division. The Seventh Panzer Division engages Soviet forces.

10 October 2003. The Danish Army undergoes a general mobilization. The West German Sixth Panzergrenadier Division enters East Germany as a reserve force. The Canadian First Infantry Brigade is deployed to the Kingdom of Norway.

10 October 2003. Danilov is placed under house arrest by KGB officials loyal to Soviet Defense Minister Nikolai Ivanovich Tukhachevsky.

10 October – 17 October 2003. After a short weeklong period of apparent chaos within the Kremlin, Nikolai Tukhachevsky is able to succeed Konstantin Danilov as the Premiere of the Soviet Union and Secretary General of the Communist Party. One of Tukhachevky’s first acts as the Soviet Premiere is the purge of many of the Danilovians whom where in positions of authority in the Soviet armed forces, and prominent Soviet government officials. Instead of the purge killing the Danilovians, they are assigned to military operations on the Far Eastern Front against the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army.

11 October 2003. The King of Norway proclaims a state of emergency and calls upon the Parliament to pass a string of emergency measures to keep Norway out of the war.

12 October 2003. After years of behind the scenes backroom dealing among hardliners who felt that Danilov had sold out Stalinist Ideals, Nikolai Ivanovich Tukhachevsky finally seizes control of the Soviet Government.

12 October 2003. The United States Congress reinstates the Draft. The United States reinstates the Draft due to the growing tensions in Europe and Asia.

16 October 2003. The West German Second Panzergrenadier Division enters Magdeburg, DDR and find themselves being greeted as liberators.

21 October 2003. The US Second Armored Division is placed on Alert. The US Fourth Infantry Division is deployed by air to West Germany and placed under the US Fifth Corps.

30 October 2003. Two East German tank divisions leave their barracks and attack Soviet Forces.



November 2003

November 2003. D

November 2003. Soviet forces are stunned when they encounter extensive stiff resistance from both and Finland when they attempt to cross their territories to carry out an offensive against the Kingdom of Norway. This resistance allows NATO Alliance to deploy reinforcements into Norway, Sweden and Finland.

November 2003. Soviet Navy attempts to carry out a breakout sortie through the North Sea to carry out operations in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. The largest naval battle since the Spanish Armada was destroyed by the British Royal Navy is fought between the NATO Alliance and Soviet Navy.

7 November 2003. The US Fourth Marine Division becomes fully operational, and is transported to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

15 November 2003. Two Czech divisions and four Polish divisions arrive in East Germany and engage West German troops.

November 2003. The US Second Armored Division transferred by air to West Germany under the auspices of the US Seventh Army. The US Tenth Infantry (Mountain) Division along with the Norwegian Third, Fifth and Tenth Regiments and the Norwegian Second Dragoon Regiment enters combat against Soviet troops in the Bardufoss region of Norway. These forces are able to blunt the Soviet drive towards Narvik, and allow the Norwegian and NATO forces to deploy. The Soviet Fifth Guards Motorized Rifle Division that was spearheading the invasion takes heavy Causalities.

17 November 2003. The maximum extent of the Soviet advance in Norway reaches the area between Narvik and Bardufoss.

19 November 2003. East German Fourth Motorized Rifle Division engages Polish Forces, executing a well-timed flanking attack against elements of the Second Polish Army in the Karl Marx Stadt area. The East German First Motorized Rifle Division deploys from their assembly areas to engage Warsaw Pact forces.

25 November 2003. The East German Eleventh Motorized Rifle Division deploys from their assembly areas and engages Warsaw Pact forces, suffering heavy damages.

28 November 2003. The East German and West German governments make official announcements at the United Nations General Assembly that they are not seeking to unify, but express their desires to remain as two independent German states to put at ease the fears of a reunified Germany that had prompted the opposition from both Eastern and Western European states.

30 November 2003. The III US Corps Headquarters becomes operational in West Germany. The First US Cavalry Division and the Second US Armored Division are put under the auspices of the III US Corps, as well as the Third US Armored Cavalry Regiment. The East German Ninth Panzer Division enters combat.

November 2003. Warsaw Pact counterattack against West Germany; the West German First Panzer Division takes heavy losses while the First Panzergrenadier Division does well. The First US Cavlary Division is transported to Europe by air, coming under the command of the I Netherlands Corps. The Sixth US Infantry Division is deployed to Norway by air. The 35h US Infantry (Mechanized) Division is deployed to West Germany by sea and air under the auspices of the III US Corps.

November 2003. With the entry of the NATO Alliance in the European War, a short-term panic occurs in the United States thanks to media hype. The sale of firearms, medical supplies, survival gear, tools and canned goods skyrocket overnight. A New York Times poll shows that 76% of American believe there will be a nuclear exchange within the next six weeks. Shortages in survival-related durable goods become a national problem in the United States. A steady climb in the crime rate, especially in metropolitan areas happens, but local authorities are able to cope thanks to assistance of the mobilization of National and State Guard units. Soviet Naval Infantry units occupy part of Narvik for three weeks, but NATO Alliance naval and air forces are able to stop attempts to reinforce them, causing the Soviets to order their withdrawal.

November 2003. The official start of the Euro-Soviet War.


December 2003

December 2003. D

2 December 2003. The 11t US Armored Cavalry Regiment crosses the inter-German border, signaling the start of the V US Corps’ initial offensive into East Germany. The East German National Volksarmee is completely mobilized, and the East German 9th Panzer Division engages Soviet forces in Germany.

5 December 2003. After having repeatedly refused to honor its Warsaw Pact obligations, Romania is given an ultimatum by the Soviets. The British 5th Mechanized Division is formed from the 5th British Field Force and used as internal security in Great Britain.

20 December 2003. Hungarian, Bulgarian and Soviet Troops launch an invasion of Romania, forcing Romania to formally withdraw from the Warsaw Pact and declare war on its former allies. Romania officially petitions to join the NATO Alliance.

24 December 2003. The Turkish 1s Army launches a major offensive against a think Bulgarian covering force in Thrace. NATO forces reach the outskirts of Berlin, and the British 1s Corps relieves the besieged NATO forces after a week of bitter street fighting that will be remembered as the Second Battle of Berlin.

26 December 2003. The 5th US Infantry (Mechanized) Division is deployed by air and sea to West Germany.


31 December 2003. Shortly after the Soviet Forces in Germany have been forced to withdraw out of East Germany, the leadership of the NATO Alliance attempts to open peace talks with the Soviet Union to end the conflict. The new civilian government of the German Democratic Republic is elected, and comes to power. The Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic officially start talks to formalize their continued existence as two separate national entities.