What can be done to keep the USSR and the Warsaw pact alive today? The USSR should be a world power much like it was in the 50s and 60s only modern. It should also be communist not like modern China, which is Communist in name only.
Modern USSR
- Thread starter Arch-Angel
- Start date
Ah, this old chestnut. I've done some reading on what would have to be done, and I have isolated a few things:
1. Reform the farm system. Collective farming was never able to fully feed the Russian population. Small-scale private farms or modern high-tech "industrial farms" might be more effective.
2. Relaxation of the command economy. As has been argued before here, command economies are not as efficient in the modern era as free-market systems. Perhaps a compromise solution could be arranged.
3. Give the USA a swift kick in the testicles, such that competition with the USSR is harder to keep up. One possible solution that involves widespread race riots in the 1970's is discussed here.
4. Maybe something could be done in the 1950's to keep China on good terms. Of course, to do this, you would have to change the personalities in charge of both nations in that time period.
At least you're not asking for the USSR to conquer the world. That's even harder to arrange.
1. Reform the farm system. Collective farming was never able to fully feed the Russian population. Small-scale private farms or modern high-tech "industrial farms" might be more effective.
2. Relaxation of the command economy. As has been argued before here, command economies are not as efficient in the modern era as free-market systems. Perhaps a compromise solution could be arranged.
3. Give the USA a swift kick in the testicles, such that competition with the USSR is harder to keep up. One possible solution that involves widespread race riots in the 1970's is discussed here.
4. Maybe something could be done in the 1950's to keep China on good terms. Of course, to do this, you would have to change the personalities in charge of both nations in that time period.
At least you're not asking for the USSR to conquer the world. That's even harder to arrange.
As a tag-on to my list, I would recommed finding a way to reform the economic system, but keep an iron hand on the political freedom of the people. After all, loosening the reins of power is what led to the collapse in OTL.
Brilliantlight
Banned
Alasdair Czyrnyj said:
Then you wind up with China which the thread disallows.
Brilliantlight said:
Damn-nation! Sorry, but the USSR had a number of problems, and while removing Gorby might keep them trucking for one or two more decades, I think they would slowly crumble and collapse anyway. For the USSR to remain a major threat for the forseeable future, reform is needed.
A scenario I'd like is a limited European war in the early 1970s. The Soviets take appalling casualties and are forced to withdraw from Eastern Europe, altough it's kind of a bloody stalemate and the Soviets only withdraw afterwards, not because some treaty forced them. Anyway, the resulting shake-up almost destroys the USSR, but it holds together and afterwards reforms in a manner similar to China under Deng Xiaoping. The shake-up leads to an orgy of backstabbing, you see, and somehow a competent faction finds its way into office. Today, the USSR is like China but smaller in population and with a different economic foundation, and there's really no Cold War between the US and the USSR anymore, although China and the USSR are giving each other very dirty and hostile looks.
As for this WWIII...POD sometime in the late 1960s leads to the 1973 war escalating, as somehow nukes are used. Everyone goes on nuclear alert and Soviet tanks end up rolling over the West German border. It's a bloody stalemate in three weeks (tactical nuclear and chemical weapons use, but somehow it doesn't escalate to an all-out exchange) and there's a UN-negotiated armistice. The two sides keep fighting until it goes into effect, though, and the areas where the fighting takes place (mostly Germany...) are devastated on account of the tacnuke use. Not many large warheads, but a lot of disorganized use of short-ranged systems.
As for this WWIII...POD sometime in the late 1960s leads to the 1973 war escalating, as somehow nukes are used. Everyone goes on nuclear alert and Soviet tanks end up rolling over the West German border. It's a bloody stalemate in three weeks (tactical nuclear and chemical weapons use, but somehow it doesn't escalate to an all-out exchange) and there's a UN-negotiated armistice. The two sides keep fighting until it goes into effect, though, and the areas where the fighting takes place (mostly Germany...) are devastated on account of the tacnuke use. Not many large warheads, but a lot of disorganized use of short-ranged systems.
Dayton Kitchens
Banned
I suppose one might call it the U.S.S.R. again if Belorussia and Russia ever officially reunited again. A union of two.
Then, perhaps the Russians can competently use their oil and natural gas wealth to finance rebuilding their military and their economy.
Not likely.
But possible.
Then, perhaps the Russians can competently use their oil and natural gas wealth to finance rebuilding their military and their economy.
Not likely.
But possible.
Dayton Kitchens said:
That idea was floating around for a while, but the Russians seem to have lost interest.
Bright day
Collective farming- has tradition dating far back in history. First communal farmers were ancient Sumerians... In Russia communal village farming was used for long period even in Tzarist Russia. The failure is not system but its implementation- as is the case with most despotic initiatives. For example in 80's Czechoslovakia certain Cuba (bitch) was able to transform his farming commune into lean mean money making machine- just by smart alocation of resources!
How about more widespread riots in 1956? OTL Hungary was able to keep greater economical freedoms as Soviets were wary of another uprising...
Collective farming- has tradition dating far back in history. First communal farmers were ancient Sumerians... In Russia communal village farming was used for long period even in Tzarist Russia. The failure is not system but its implementation- as is the case with most despotic initiatives. For example in 80's Czechoslovakia certain Cuba (bitch) was able to transform his farming commune into lean mean money making machine- just by smart alocation of resources!
How about more widespread riots in 1956? OTL Hungary was able to keep greater economical freedoms as Soviets were wary of another uprising...
