[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by RN7

According to GDW Italy left NATO in T2K, joined the Warsaw Pact and then went to war against NATO.

Where is it explicitly stated that Italy actually joins the Warsaw Pact? Having reread the various timelines all I can come up with is the following (I'm quoting from V1 but as far as I can tell the other versions are identical):

Late 1996

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 first demanded that U.S. troops withdraw to their start line and then withdrew from NATO in protest.

February 1997

In late February, the socialist governments of Italy and Greece concluded a mutual defense pact. While Italy was not obligated by the pact to enter the Greco-Turkish war, the Italian government declared the war to be a regional conflict unrelated to the more general war raging elsewhere, promising to intervene on Greece's side if NATO tried to tip the balance in Turkey's favor

So, Italy agrees a mutual defence pact with Greece - no mention of joining the Warsaw Pact. That then leads to the following in June 1997:

On June 27th, a NATO convoy of fast transports and cargo ships, accompanied by a strong covering force, attempted the run to the Turkish port of Izmir with badly needed ammunition and equipment. Light fleet elements of the Greek navy intercepted the convoy and, in a confused night action off Izmir, inflicted substantial losses and escaped virtually unharmed. Two days later NATO retaliated with air strikes against Greek naval bases. On July 1st, Greece declared war against the NATO nations, and Italy, in compliance with her treaty obligations, followed suit on the 2nd.

So Italy appears to have become involved in the War (officially at least) as a result of honouring its treaty obligation with Greece, a treaty that is purely bilateral. Yes, that means it was fighting against NATO forces, so was on the same side as the Warsaw Pact but I can't see any reference to it formally joining the Warsaw Pact. You can argue the logic of Italian actions in getting involved in a War with their former allies back and forth but it doesn't appear to have had anything to do with membership of the Warsaw Pact. What you do have is a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If you apply that logic to say that Italy must have joined the Warsaw Pact then by definition China must have joined NATO.

Originally Posted by RN7

Going Home SB states that the Italian Folgore Mechanised Division is acting as anti-Soviet partisans in Austria, and that its commander had long opposed socialist coalition which has ruled Italy in recent years, and has always despised the Warsaw Pact and regretted Italy's involvement with it.

Involvement with something doesn't automatically imply membership of it. Or am I missing something? I'm not trying to be smart either, it's a serious question. I've spent a fair bit of time looking and can't find any reference in canon that states that Italy actually becomes a member of the Warsaw Pact.

Originally Posted by RN7

Mediterranean Cruise SB states that after the US entered the war in 1996, Italy's government demanded that American troops return to their start lines, then withdrew from NATO when this was not forthcoming. Military bases in Italy were closed to the belligerents, but Italy tried to remain neutral in the greater conflict. In 1997 NATO aid to Turkey brought Italy into the war, in accordance to its treaty obligations (Warsaw Pact) on July 1st 1997.

As Italy didn't enter the War until the start of July 1997 this suggests to me that there was a six month period during which Italy did indeed remain neutral and US bases could be peacefully evacuated. I'd suggest that both sides would want the nukes to be the first thing to go - the Americans because they want to get them somewhere secure in case anyone does make a grab for them and the Italians because they would think the nukes were a possible target for Soviet nukes.

Anything going out by sea would probably have to head for the United Kingdom given that French and Spanish ports would presumably be closed. Anything going out by air could go to Germany (presuming the Italians agree to overflight rights - frankly I don't see that being a problem for the reason stated above, i.e that the Italians would want anything that's a possible target out of their territory asap).

Originally Posted by RN7

I don't know if the Soviets would have nuked Rome. Although it is the Italian capital its not as economically important as say Milan, and Naples would be a bigger military target. More importantly Rome is a major world cultural centre and is the spiritual home of the Roman Catholic Church. There are a lot of Catholics among the Soviet Union's allies in Latin America and Africa, and also within the Warsaw Pact in Europe; Poland and quite a few in Czechoslovakia, Hungary and even East Germany.

With regards to the nuking of Rome, we have this in 1998

As the autumnal rains began, NATO and the Pact initiated a short and weak second nuclear exchange, directed primarily at surviving industrial centers in the United Kingdom and Italy.

The primary targets were the UK and Italy. I would have thought that the only logical conclusion that can be drawn from that is that the Soviets nuked the UK and the US (or UK) nuked Italy. The only other possibility is an elaborate ploy by one side to try and blame the other.