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Nuclear War in Southern Europe.
Review of NATO and Warsaw Pact Operational Strategic Planning.
Part I. Balkans and Black Sea Straits.
Kiev, 2021.
This
scientific research describes (in a generalized and systematized form)
preparations for possible military operations with the use of nuclear weapons in
the South European theater of military operations (Southwest strategic
direction) during the Cold War of 1945-1991. At the same time, for the first
time, the documents of the Headquarters of the Red Banner Odessa Military
District (operational documents, reports on command and staff exercises, reports
on military scientific conferences, etc.) were used, which until recently were
classified “Top Secret”. Also, for the first time, the topics of the exercises
and maneuvers of the Romanian and Bulgarian armies are traced. Taken together,
this reveals the direction of the operational training of command and staff and
their possible actions in the event of a war. In close connection with the
processes of building up the armed forces of the NATO and the Warsaw Pact member
states in the Balkans, changes in the
approaches of the headquarters to the use of troops in the performance of their
main combat mission are traced: for the Warsaw Pact Organization - to seize
the Black Sea Straits zone, and for NATO, respectively, to hold it. Separately
considered the Greco-Turkish conflict, the Romanian-Soviet military relations
and the “zigzags” of the Yugoslav military policy, as factors influencing
operational and strategic planning of the two opposing blocs. The book is
intended for those interested in military history.
Here you can see sample pages and
maps from the book.
CONTENTS
Introduction > You can read English translation
here.
I. Topic, sources and scientific elaboration of the topic
§ 1. Plans for war (military operations) in peacetime: is there a subject for
research?
§ 2. On the documents of the operational and strategic planning of the opposing
sides during the Cold War
§ 3. On the question of the connection between exercises' scenarios and real
operational-strategic planning
§ 4. On the question of secrecy
§ 5. Review of sources and literature
II. The Turkish Straits Area
in the plans of NATO
§1.
Strategic weakness (1945-1952)
§2.
Domination on the flank (1953-1955)
§3.
The Greek-Turkish conflict and the collapse of the
southern flank of NATO
3.1.
On the brink of war
3.2.
Intra-alliance contradictions
3.3.
«Separate»
оperational
planning
§4.
Defense
in specific conditions (1956-1988)
4.1.
The defense of Northern Greece
4.2.
The defense of Eastern Thracian
4.3.
The war in the air
4.4.
Nuclear weapons and civil defense
IІІ.
Soviet Army and its allies on the Balkans in
the Cold War
§1. Yugoslav factor in the Warsaw
Pact strategic planning
§2. The first defensive operation of the Bulgarian People's
Army
2.1.
Bulgarian People's Army organization and armament
2.2. Bulgaria in the initial period of the war
§3.
Romanian position in the Warsaw Pact
3.1.
Development of the
Romanian People’s Army
as an ally of the Soviet Army
3.2.
Resource mobilization capacity and operational training
of the
Romanian People’s Army
3.3.
The special position of Bucharest in the Warsaw Pact
Organization and the problem of military transit through Romania
IV. Offensive operation
in the Balkan strategic direction
§ 1. Order of battle of the fronts on the
direction
§ 2. The balance of forces in the Balkan strategic
direction in the 70s and 80s
§ 3. Combat training tasks of the Unified Armed Forces
at the military exercises
§ 4. Tasks, combat readiness, control system and mobilization deployment of the
Odessa Military District's troops
§ 5. Regrouping of the Odessa
Military District's troops to Bulgaria
§ 6. Breakthrough of fortified areas
§ 7. Airborne assault forces
§ 8. Forcing the Black Sea Straits
§ 9. Actions on the Asian coast of the Black Sea straits
§ 10. Reconnaissance and destruction of nuclear weapons and enemy control
systems
§ 11. The possible nature of the fighting on the
example of the exercises 1960-1980
11.1. Оperation and tactic exercise
«Rhodopi», August 20-27, 1967
11.2. Command Post Exercise in Budapest,
June 29, 1970
11.3. Operational war game on maps
«Union», February 12-21, 1973
11.4. Оperation and strategic exercise
«Shield-82», September 25 – October 1, 1982
§ 12. Use of nuclear weapons
V. Amphibious assault operation in the Turkish Straits Area > You can read English translation
here.
Appendixs:
Codenames, acronyms and abbreviations for events, related to the Balkan strategic direction during the Cold War
Acronyms
List of the tables, maps and photos
Color maps and schemes
