[RN7]

Part of my Chinese write-up from the T2k German Sourcebook I never can finish. This section goes up to German Reunification in October 1996.

Soviet relations with China improved in the 1980's under the Gorbachev regime through the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the diffusion of tensions along the Sino-Soviet border. However the removal of Gorbachev from power in 1991 by Soviet hardliners led to a resumption of Soviet hostility towards China. The modernisation of the Chinese economy and armed forces played upon traditional Russian xenophobia about being encircled by its enemies. The Soviet leadership took the decision to attack China as early as 1993, and Soviet forces were slowly transferred to the Far East in order to avoid notice by China and Western intelligence services. Using territorial disputes with China along the Sino-Soviet border as a legitimate excuse to attack China, Soviet planners intended to launch a military assault through Manchuria and seize Beijing to force a regime change, while also eliminating Chinese military power before the United States and other nations could influence affairs. The use of nuclear weapons against Chinese forces were not part of Soviet planning, but their use was not ruled out either.

1995

Soviet forces facing China were controlled by the Soviet Far Eastern Military District headquartered in the Soviet Far Eastern City of Khabarovsk near Vladivostok. The district was a vast territory stretching from Lake Baikal to the Pacific Ocean, and from the East Siberian Sea to the Chinese border. It bordered China, Mongolia and North Korea through a 17 kilometres strip of land on the Pacific coast, and also Japan across the Soya Strait and Alaska across the Bering Sea. The Soviet Far Eastern Military District controlled 21 divisions (including reserves) assigned to the 3rd Guards Army, 5th Army, 15th Army and 35th Army, the Soviet Navy Red Banner Pacific Fleet and three air corps of the Soviet Air Force. Throughout 1994 second line divisions in the Soviet Far East were reassigned to less pivotal theatres such as Soviet Central Asia, and were replaced by Category I and II divisions and military equipment from Europe. In January 1995 Soviet ground units in the Soviet Far East were assigned to the Soviet 1st Far Eastern Front and 2nd Far Eastern Front were reformed for the first time since the end of the Second World War. Divisions from the Soviet 2nd Army in Siberia, 28th Army in Belorussia, 36th Army in Transbaikal and the 39th Army in Mongolia were also allocated to support operations in the Soviet Far East. Soviet reconnaissance satellites are also prioritised for orbital sweeps over the Far East to give accurate information on Chinese and US forces in Asia. In June 1995 Soviet GRU Spetsnaz troops disguised as KGB Border Troops cross the Ussuri River on the Chinese border and attack the Chinese 52nd Border Defence Force to provoke conflict with China. Following heavy Chinese casualties the Chinese Government deploys regular PLA units along the Sino-Soviet border region, as a number of fire fights and artillery duels occur between Chinese and Soviet forces. Throughout July Soviet troops from western military districts are airlifted to the Far East to fill slots within selected Soviet divisions, while frontline Soviet Air Force squadrons are also deployed to the Far East. In August the Soviet Politburo authorizes a full-scale invasion of China as Soviet forces in the Far East are brought up to full operational strength.

On August 19th the Soviet 1st Far Eastern Front deploys ten divisions of the Soviet 3rd Guards Army and 5th Army across the Chinese border into Manchuria, flanked by three divisions of the Soviet 15th Army from the Soviet Pacific coast. Two additional divisions from the 15th Army with Soviet naval infantry also secure the port of Vladivostok, Sakhalin, the Kurile islands and the North Korean border. To the west the 2nd Far Eastern Front deploys five divisions of the 36th Army to support the Soviet advance into Manchuria and Inner-Mongolia, while five more divisions from the 35th Army in Siberia cross into Xinjiang province. The Soviet 6th Guards Air Assault Division is also airdropped into Manchuria in advance of the main body of Soviet forces to seize rail heads and river crossings, while the Soviet 98th Air Assault Brigade assists the 35th Army in Xinjiang. The Soviet Air Force also heavily attacks PLA military and air bases across northern China. The Soviet Union officially declares war on the People's Republic of China on August 20th. The United States immediately places all its forces in Asia on high alert, while the governments of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan meet in emergency session. North Korea declares its neutrality in the conflict despite the Soviet border remaining open and the presence of Soviet advisors in the country. In Europe NATO tightens security on the inter-German border. As Soviet forces advance into Manchuria a number of PLA divisions are overrun, while the Soviet 50th Airmobile Brigade and 14th Spetsnaz Brigade are dropped behind Chinese lines in Manchuria to block the escape route for several shattered Chinese divisions. By the end of August the Soviets are in effective control of the entire Sino-Soviet border region and capture the cities of Harbin and Changchun despite heavy Chinese resistance. The Soviet Air Force also establishes air superiority over most of northern and western China and inflicts heavy losses on the PLAAF. By September Chinese reserves are fully mobilised but the Soviet advance in China continues. Numerous PLA divisions in Manchuria are shattered by better armed Soviet forces, while Soviet long ranged bombers penetrate air defences around Beijing and damage a number of military installations. The Soviet Pacific Fleet also begins combat operations of the coast of China, and Soviet submarines sink several Chinese frigates and a number of cargo ships in the East China Sea and threaten the sea lanes across the entire the Far East. With the Soviet 1st Far Eastern Front less than 500 kilometres from Beijing the United States and NATO authorise emergency arms shipments to China. Prepositioned sealift ships from the US Material Sealift Command in Guam and Saipan are ordered to the ports of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tientsin under US Navy escort, while USAF transports begin supply runs to China from the United States, Japan and Europe. By the end of September the Soviets capture the city of Shenyang, but the Soviet advance stalls due to increasing shortages of manpower and equipment.

In October the PLA begins a massive counteroffensive against the Soviets, with more than sixty Chinese divisions and over one million troops sent against Soviet forces in China. Despite superior Soviet firepower the size of the Chinese offensive forces a general retreat of Soviet forces in Manchuria. A few Soviet divisions are trapped in pockets around Shenyang. The Soviet 3rd Tank Division takes heavy losses, while the Soviet 29th Internal Rifle Division and 38th Internal Rifle Division are overrun and nearly destroyed. By November the entire Soviet front in Manchuria is in danger of collapsing, and only attrition and Soviet air power prevents the Chinese advancing on the Sino-Soviet border. Soviet combat ready divisions in Europe and Western military districts are readied for deployment to the Soviet Far East, and the Soviet 173rd Motorised Rifle Division is committed to operations in Manchuria. The onset of severe winter weather causes the fighting in Manchuria to subside as both sides rebuilt their exhausted forces. In the Soviet Union living conditions begin to fall as industrial production is diverted to support the war effort in China. In December the Soviet Politburo declares martial law in the Soviet Far Eastern, Siberian and Transbaikal military districts and request that its Warsaw Pact allies send troops to China. East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland comply with the Soviet request, but Romania refuses to send troops to China which causes noticeable dissent in the Eastern Bloc. The Soviet Pacific Fleet also begin unrestricted submarine warfare against Chinese shipping in the Pacific Ocean, leading to the reinforcement of the US Navy Seventh Fleet in Japan. Soviet strategic bombers also begin to target cities in China's populous eastern regions, with Shanghai and Chunking coming under air attack for the first time. In response the Chinese 2nd Artillery Corps launches a barrage of conventional intermediate range ballistic missiles against targets in the Soviet Far East and Siberia, which damage a number of air bases and rail heads and severely disrupt Soviet operations. In the United States paranoia about the war in China escalating to a global nuclear conflict leads to major anti-war demonstrations in Washington DC and New York, with rioting also reported in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit.

1996

In the New Year fresh Soviet Category 1 divisions from Europe are shipped by rail to the Soviet Far East, and the Soviet 9th Guards Tank Division, 18th Guards Tank Division, 22nd Tank Division, 34th Tank Division, 1st Guards Motorised Rifle Division, 34th Motorised Rifle Division and the 106th Guards Air Assault Division are prepared for deployment to China. Soviet bombing of Chinese military targets continues over the winter, but the Chinese front remained stable due to a Soviet reluctance to launch ground offensives until adequately reinforced. By February Soviet divisions transferred from the west are moved into position in Manchuria, and are joined by the East German 9th Tank Division and 11th Motorised Rifle Division, the Czech 3rd Motorised Rifle Division, the Polish 4th Motorised Rifle Division and the Bulgarian 5th Tank Group. In response to the ongoing war in China NATO prepare for future hostilities, while the United States increases military stocks held at POMCUS bases in West Germany, and stockpiles military equipment aboard maritime pre-positioning ships in the Mediterranean, Diego Garcia, Guam and Saipan. The Iran-Nowin government also declares martial law in Iran against the Soviet backed Tudeh and the emergent Islamic Pasdaran militia. In the Soviet Caucasus Chechen rebels also launch a number of surprise attacks on Soviet forces. KGB intelligence sweeps reveal Chechen links with Islamic militants in Iran, and Border Guard regiments are deployed to the Transcaucasian and North Caucasian Military Districts from Russia to secure the Soviet border with the Middle East.

In April the Soviets launch a fresh offensive against China as divisions of the Soviet 1st Far Eastern Front resumes their advance on Manchuria. Soviet armed Uyghur partisans also begin attacks on Chinese forces in Xinjiang Province. PLA forces are shattered by the Soviet offensive and the Chinese 16th Army and 23rd Army are routed by the Soviets in Manchuria, and the Soviet 35th Army advances as far as the Yalu River. By May the Soviet offensive in China stalls as fresh Chinese divisions are transferred from the south to reinforce the Chinese 27th Army and 38th Army defending Beijing. Over the winter Chinese forces were reinforced with NATO arms, and a Chinese counter-offensive led by the Chinese 40th Army breaks through Soviet lines and encircles Harbin and Shenyang. Warsaw Pact troops in Manchuria are hard pressed to hold their positions and casualties increase. During the breakout from the Shenyang pocket the Soviet 70th Motorised Division suffers heavy losses, while the East German 9th Tank Division and 11th Motorised Rifle Division are overrun and destroyed largely due to poor Soviet leadership and communications. Media coverage of Soviet and East German casualties and prisoners of war in China is broadcasted around the world, leading to anti-Soviet protests in West Germany and considerable unease in East Germany. The failure of the Soviet offensive in China leads to a massive mobilisation of Soviet forces. One quarter of the Soviet Army’s Category I divisions and many Soviet category II divisions are mobilised for deployment to China. Soviet category III divisions are upgraded, and reserve mobilisation only divisions start training for the first time since the Second World War. In the Soviet State of Azerbaijan a large group of Chechen rebels with a contingent of Iranian Pasdaran are ambushed and destroyed by the Soviet 22nd Spetsnaz Brigade. In response the Pasdaran storms the Soviet embassy in Tehran before they are eliminated by the Iranian Army.

By June Soviet reinforcements from Europe begin to arrive in the Far East, and the Soviet 27th Tank Division, 23rd Motorised Rifle Division, 33rd Guards Motorised Division, 37th Motorised Rifle Division, 38th Internal Defence Rifle Division, 73rd Internal Defence Rifle Division, 112th Motorised Rifle Division, 116th Motorised Rifle Division, 118th Motorised Rifle Division, 141st Motorised Rifle Division and 158th Motorised Rifle Division are deployed to China. The Soviets also make a second call for troops from Warsaw Pact allies. Even within the highly censured Communist Bloc this news is highly unpopular, but the East German government agrees to reform the divisions destroyed in China. The nationalist officers corps of the Bundeswehr and NVA are alarmed by the prospect of more German troops being sent to China and begin to accelerate plans for German Reunification. In July the Soviet Army goes on the offensive in Manchuria and Chinese cities come under severe Soviet air attack, but the Soviet destroyer Obraztsovy is sunk by a Chinese submarine in East China Sea. The United States also begins to mobilises its forces in the Pacific Region. The US 1st Infantry Brigade (Arctic Recon) (Alaska NG) assumes responsibility for security in the Bering Strait, the 207th Infantry Group (Alaska NG) is designated the 2nd Infantry Brigade (Arctic Recon) and assumes security for the Aleutian Islands, while 221st Military Police Brigade (US Army Reserve) is sent to Hawaii and assumes security and traffic control duties in Pearl Harbor. By September the Soviet advance in Manchuria continues as Shenyang is captured for the third time. With the fighting in China threatening to spill over to the Korean Peninsula, the US 8th Army is also reconstituted as American ground and air forces prepare for deployment to South Korea. In October the Soviet 101st Internal Defence Rifle Division and 139th Motorised Rifle Division are transferred to the Chinese front. In Europe on October 7th selected border crossings on the inter-German border are opened by West German Bundesgrenzschutz and pro-nationalist East German Grenztruppen units. Forward elements of the Bundeswehr advance into East Germany spearheaded by the 5th Panzer Division. Over the next twelve hours eight West German divisions cross into East Germany. The Soviet General Staff at Checkov orders all Soviet forces in China to cease offensive operations until the situation in Germany is contained.