A World Of Razor Wire: A Cold War Alternate History

[Superspleen]

I know this may not be the most realistic. I'd be happy to discuss my thought process.

Being persuaded by some of his advisors, Hitler allowed for German support of pro-Axis factions within the Turkish government for a potential coup in July of 1941. Turkish officers sympathetic to Germany and convinced by successes in the Balkans, carry it out and seize power. In return for their aid, Turkey was allowed to take whatever Soviet territory in the Caucasus it takes as well as Cyprus, Northern Iraq and parts of Syria. The Italians also offered them islands that were part of Greece which the Turks considered their own territory. After the fascists took power, they joined German forces in the attack on the USSR, justifying the move as a protective measure meant to ensure that Turkey would never have to fear an attack by the Soviets. They also pushed Free France forces out of Syria and begin moving into Iraq, garnering the support of those who sought to expel the British from the country and remained undeterred by the defeat of the Golden Square group.

The British responded by sending as many soldiers from India as possible, making the Middle East a much more intense theatre of the war. German and Italian forces in North Africa seek to push into Egypt as soon as possible with the Turks pushing south. The British tried to fortify Iran as much as possible from possible Axis invasions. The Turks pushed into the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian SSRs but become bogged down in the mountains. Despite attempts to overwhelm Soviet forces in the Caucasus, the ultimate prize of Baku was within Soviet control. The Soviets also arm Kurdish nationalists who further wear down Turkish units. Support only further increased once America was brought into the war after the Pearl Harbor attack. US supplies began making their way to Iran and into the Caucasus.

By late 1943, it was clear that the Allies possessed the initiative. In late 1944, France was liberated and Mussolini had committed suicide before he could be arrested by Italian partisans. Around that same time, all Axis forces were expelled from the territory of the USSR and the drive to Berlin began. By early 1945, Romania and Bulgaria had fallen to the Red Army. Turkey tried to sue for peace with Stalin, but the entire country was overwhelmed by Soviet forces. Kurdish resistance fighters operating in Syria, Turkey and Iraq were given enough support that they were able to clear their ancestral territory of Axis forces. After breaking through Hungary and Poland, the Soviets swarmed into Germany from the east while America, Britain and Canada did the same from the west. The Wehrmacht fought as best it could, holding out until the beginning of fall in 1945. Hitler himself committed suicide during the fight for Berlin in September of that year. The Soviets began planning for operations against Japan soon after.

Come the beginning of 1946, most of northern and eastern Germany is under Soviet control as well as most of Turkey and the majority of Eastern Europe. Western Armenia was annexed to the Armenian SSR. The Kurds were to be given their own nation created from the territories they now posed. Communist parties in Eastern Europe prepare to take power in upcoming rigged elections planned for after Axis force were expelled. In the Soviets then invaded Japanese territory in Eastern Asia, targeting Manchukuo, Korea, and China proper. Manchuria was taken in a month and a half, with the entirety of the Korean Peninsula taken as well. Choibalsan's army pushed into Mengjiang with the support of the Red Army, taking over Inner Mongolia. Prince Teh was publicly executed in Ulaanbataar in 1950 after a show trial. The Japanese surrendered in November after the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Osaka in March 1946.

In Moscow, news of the final defeat of the Axis Powers is met with immense celebrations. In a speech broadcast from the Kremlin, Stalin announces that the Palace of the Soviets will resume construction, though this time under the name of the 'Palace of the Revolution' in order to signify its purpose as a cultural hub for the international socialist movement. Much of the building material would be provided by Axis POWs still in labor camps. Communist governments start to take power in Eastern Europe around this time. Berlin is the crown jewel of the new Soviet empire, being the capital of the nascent GDR which encompassed most of Eastern Germany and much of its northern parts. East Prussia becomes part of the USSR while West Prussia and Upper Silesia is annexed by Poland. Silesia and Pomerania remain under the authority of the GDR. The Black Sea was entirely under East Bloc control. Czechoslovakia falls under Soviet influence in 1948 as a result of a coup in Prague.

Not all in Eastern Europe went Moscow's way though. Yugoslavia was not within Stalin's sphere of influence and Tito was proving himself to be a major annoyance. With no real guarantee of Yugoslav compliance, a potential wild card was sitting right in the middle of a region of enormous significance to both power blocs. Dean Acheson pressed President Truman to give support for Tito upon realizing the level of suspicion Tito held for Stalin's motives. The Greek Civil War ends with many Greek communists fleeing to Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Turkey to escape arrest.

The combination of creation of the Kurdish People's Republic right after the end of WWII, the formation of a Communist state in Turkey and the local uprising that formed the Azerbaijan People's Government greatly trouble the Iranian leadership who feared that the Soviets might make a play for the northern part of the country. Kurds in Northwest Iran use weapons seized from the army during the Allied invasion in 1941 and are able to expel local forces before declaring the Republic of Mahabad which would soon become another part of the KPR. The Azerbaijan People's Republic was given enough Soviet made weapons to repel the forces Tehran sent to crush them, forcing the Shah's government to acknowledge the independence of the APG. For the moment however, it seemed that an uprising by the rest of Iran's Kurds and Azeris was avoided. Stalin decided to pull Soviet forces out of Iran after that, deciding that it would not be wise to incur sanctions against the USSR by pushing futher.

In China, the end of the Second Sino-Japanese War causes the Civil War to resume. The ROCA's push against the Communists in Manchuria stalls due to a lack of supplies and the front bogs down into a stalemate. The Kuomintang's problems are further exacerbated by the uprising in Taiwan against the new Chinese authorities, which requires the deployment of large numbers of ROCA troops to quell. The deaths of nearly twenty thousand Taiwanese people has become a major embarrassment in Nanjing. The Ma Clique also has its hands full fighting Uyghur separatists as well as forces of the Mongolian People's Republic which took control of Inner Mongolia in the final days of WWII and led to many Han Chinese fleeing south. Urumqi falls to the forces of the Second East Turkestan Republic as a result of the KMT being forced to face two opponents in the region.

In April 1948, Mao is killed during a mortar strike during a visit to a guerrilla detachment, forcing Lin Biao to take command of the PLA. He is able to take advantage of the Kuomintang's splitting of resources to Taiwan and Xinjiang in order to capture Beijing and Tientsin but can go no further. The communist insurgents operating in Shandong are forced out by this time and rejoin the rest.. However, the war becomes a static slog once more, draining the resources of both sides. Both the Americans and Soviets were unwilling to risk a conflict over China and forced the KMT and CCP leadership to begin peace talks in Bangkok, concluding in early 1949. As a result, the existence of the Second East Turkestan Republic (renamed the Uyghurstan People's Republic), the People's Republic of China and Mongolia's added territories are all officially recognized. Though the Kuomintang is able to control the lion's share of China, they also now have four communist states as neighbors. Korea is the only one of the four to not have any real involvement in the conflict, with Kim Il Sung prioritizing economic and social reforms.

While neither superpower was involved with the partition of India, it still results in massive bloodshed. Sectarian violence erupts in many cities, causing the deaths of tens of thousands and millions to become refugees as they try to make it to either Hindu majority areas or the provinces that will soon become part of Pakistan. Footage of bodies filling up railways platforms makes its way worldwide as does pictures of those killed during skirmishes between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. The violence becomes the basis for a brief war between Pakistan and India.

The detonation of a Soviet nuclear weapon in August of 1949 shortly following the creation of NATO ensures that tensions between the two superpowers remain high. With the old empires of Europe starting to crumble, what is to come in the next ten years is anyone's guess.

Soviet Bloc states as of 12/31/1949:

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

People's Republic of Poland

German Democratic Republic

People's Republic of Bulgaria

Socialist Republic of Romania

Hungarian People's Republic

Czechoslovak People's Republic

People's Socialist Republic of Albania

People's Republic of Turkey

Kurdish People's Republic

Azeri People's Government

People's Republic of Turkestan

Mongolia People's Republic

People's Republic of China

Democratic People's Republic of Korea

 

[Superspleen]

Note: Dialogue in this segment is in Russian

December 9th, 1949

Hall of the Order of St George, Kremlin

The assembled leaders stood from their seats as the two guards pulled open the doors, letting Stalin walk into the room. The Soviet leader's birthday was an event that demanded the presence of the men chosen to lead his new vassal states. They were seated at a massive table and waiting for the food to be brought out. Some of them had translators with them while some were alone, confident enough in their Russian speaking skills to get by.

Stalin smiled and waved as he made his way over to his seat at the head of the table. Glasses of wine were poured by nearby waiters and once they were filled, Stalin began to speak.

"Comrades, these past ten years have put one trial before us after another. We have been forced to confront powerful enemies bent on undoing the work of Lenin. But their efforts have been for naught."

The group clapped. Stalin nodded and continued speaking.

"Our camp has grown as well. A decade ago, comrade Choibalsan was the only other leader in the socialist camp. I am in awe of how many have joined in the years since. There is a great deal of work to be done, but I have faith that you will do extraordinary things." He raised his wine glass.

"To the revolution, and the might of the worker!" Stalin said.

"To the revolution, and the might of the worker!" his guests echoed. They all downed their drinks as the doors opened and a feast made its way over to the table. It was not only Russian food that was brought out, but dishes from the home nations of his guests as well. Bottles of Turkish raki were laid down alongside Uyghur lamb kababs, jokbal, Romanian meatball soup, Mongolian Khorkog, Manchurian catfish and other foods from across the communist bloc.

"This feast which we will partake in is a symbol of not only political and economic unity, but cultural," Stalin said. "It is a display of our willingness to share the renowned food of our peoples." Stalin sat down and reached for a plate of dumplings, signaling that the others could take their seats and fill their plates.

Within seconds of the meal beginning, Hoxha whispered something in his aide's ear and the aide turned to Mohamet Tamer, Turkey's new ruler.

"Comrade Tamer, Comrade Hoxha wishes to know what your thoughts are on consolidating our defenses in the Mediterranean." Tamer pursed his lips.

"We are still restructuring our army. We need to purge neo-Ottoman thought as best we can, get rid of the old guard. The border with Greece is a cause for concern though I can attest that the Balkans shall be a fortress against Western aggression. With the help of the Albanian comrades, we can ensure our security in the Aegean Sea and provide help in the Ionian. The Black Sea belongs to the socialist camp, that is not debatable."

Stalin nodded.

"And if need be, our navies will sail through the Bospherous to crush the Imperialists."

Kim Il Sung grinned.

"I believe it would be prudent to train for coordinated actions against the Imperialists in our respective regions."

"Explain," said Ulbricht.

"You face the Americans, British and French in your part of Europe, Comrade Ulbricht. Comrades Qasim, Choibalsan, Biao, and I face Chiang. I'd argue that it would be prudent for the German Democratic Republic to create a solid defensive force."

"The Soviets provide all the protection we need. That said, the West Germans do not have their own army."

"How long will it be before that changes?" asked Bierut. The Pole set down his glass of wine and leaned closer to Ulbrict.

"There are a good number of Hitlerites in West Germany's government. They will push for incursions into the DDR. They will be whispering into the ears of NATO's commanders. They could even be advocating for West Germany joining it."

"There must be an army representing the German proletariat," said Klement Gottwald.

Choibalsan laughed.

"Even with the miserable state of Chiang's military, it would be years before we can take offensive actions."

"We don't need to attack him," said Uyghurstan's ruler. "We need to fortify our borders with China as best we can. We need to prepare for offensive actions by the Imperialists. There is a great deal of work that cannot be allowed to be disrupted. That being said, Comrade Kim, Korea will need to fortify itself as best possible. Who knows when the Americans intend to leave Japan."

"There is also Tito to be concerned with," said Chervenkov. The Bulgarian swallowed a forkfull of steak before continuing.

"He is unpredictable. Intransigent. If he were to throw in his lot with NATO it could be catastrophic for the security of the socialist camp." Dej nodded.

"His military is battle hardened. He could make things in the Balkans very difficult for us."

"We will prepare as best we can," said Tamer. "Our camp shall be a fortress, a bastion of the proletariat's might."

"Indeed," Stalin told him. "We will respond to any foolish actions that NATO chooses to undertake but we will act defensively."

"Of course, Comrade Stalin," Tamer replied. Talk soon turned to Kim Il Sung's wife and children who'd be arriving in Moscow for the New Year's celebrations, military matters being brushed to the side for the time being.

"They are eager to see Moscow in winter," said Kim. "Jong Il and Kyong-Hui want to be present for the opening of the Palace of the Revolution as well."

"We will be happy to have them at the ceremony," Stalin replied.

The dinner went on until nearly midnight, with the guests being taken to their rooms by NKVD officers.

 

[Superspleen]

Meanwhile,

West Garden, Presidential Palace, Nanjing

Quiet.

If there was one thing that China's people wanted above all else, it was quiet.

This was what Ching Kuo told that reporter from the Times of London who interviewed him earlier that morning. China's people had known constant war for over twenty five years, both internal turmoil and foriegn invasion. They needed quiet, they needed time to rebuild their economy and society.

It was just as true when the sun came down as it was earlier that day.

The generalissimo's son looked over a report on the table as he sipped his tea. Two hundred army officers were arrested in the last month with plenty of proof of their incompetence and corruption. Their assets were seized by the state and depending on the severity of their crimes, they could be forcibly retired, imprisoned or outright shot.

The biggest 'fish' he wanted to catch was Chen Yi. Ching Quo found him a capable enough military commander, but his time as Taiwan's governor was a disaster. He squandered so much of the goodwill the island's people may have had towards the Kuomintang. He knew the Taiwanese had been speaking Japanese for decades, and yet he adamantly refused to speak to them in the language they understood. He sequestered himself in Taipei's town hall and allowed carpetbaggers to run rampant. He rarely ever spoke to the Taiwanese. There was so much pointless waste of life putting down a revolt caused by his own negligence, so much economic potential destroyed. In a time when every every productive asset was worth its weight in gold, Chen practically set fire to all the money in a bank vault.

Ching Quo didn't want him forcibly retired. He wanted Chen Yi in front of a court martial.

Thankfully, there was a sizable crop of politically dependable officers coming up through Whampoa and other academies thanks to the adoption of the West Point framework. The holes in the ranks would be filled by the reliable and the competent. By shaking the dullards, crooks and cowards out of the military, they hoped to bolster China's security as well as that of the regime.

Ching Kuo also floated the idea of having Sun Li-Jen take charge of Whampoa. Having a renowned war hero as superintendent should make attending the academy a much more attractive prospect. To learn from the commander of the 'Best Army under heaven' would be a tremendous honor.

He had a meeting with Chen Cheng regarding the opium issue next month. The dealers were to be put to work doing hard labor, while the growers and addicts were to be treated more leniently. The areas where the poppy was grown could be used for rice or grain. It was time to break the hold organized crime had on the economy. Industrialization in China's major cities was already underway, though it was difficult given to their lack of access to Manchuria's factories, but it was still ongoing.

It was time for what his father said about the century of humiliation coming to an end to come true.