Dark Earth Timeline Discussion

[Vendetta]

1970 Nuclear Arsenals
USA: 64,256
USSR: 28,274
Britain: 12,432
France: 3695
China: 2971
Canada: 1254
Italy: 426
Sweden: 280
Spain: 250
Australia: 240
India: 234
Israel: 180
South Africa: 120
Greece: 87
Brazil: 72
Turkey: 69
Netherlands: 64
Indonesia: 56
Switzerland: 50
Argentina: 42
Belgium: 40
Japan: 32
Yugoslavia: 25
New Zealand: 12
Chile: 5
Norway: 4
Vatican: 2

I'm curious as to why Austria-Hungary would be lagging so far in nuclear development. I could easily see them being last of the great powers to acquire them, but it seems odd to have them falling behind Yugoslavia, South America, etc.

[Simon Darkshade]

Being next door to Germany, which is also absent from the list due to being one of the Axis powers of WW2. Italy wriggled out from its restrictions due to swapping sides and being seen by the three major Western allied powers as being very useful in playing off against the others as well as counterbalancing the Soviets.

Additionally, there are the (never formally laid out) Soviet conditions in the Stockholm Conference of 1961, whereby they would acquiesce to some relative normalisation of Western relations with respect to Germany (really a fait accompli given the borders) in exchange for relations with Red Poland and certain guarantees on no German atomics and no Austro-Hungarian moves in that direction for 10 years. Rightly or wrongly enough, an Austrian bomb was seen as a back door to a German one.

AH is the next major state that will formally go nuclear, with the Soviet reaction likely to be a great degree of public anger and outrage that is largely confected. Their strategic position is sufficiently advanced in 10 years and there has been a great deal of work done on ABM and other means of constraining nuclear weapons.

[Jotun]

Is Austria (-Hungary) suffering from the same self-delusion that their country is merely the first victim of Nazism and really had nothing to do with any crimes, truly, as it was/is in @?

That one is the main reason why I cannot stand that shitty little country.

[jemhouston]

Is Austria (-Hungary) suffering from the same self-delusion that their country is merely the first victim of Nazism and really had nothing to do with any crimes, truly, as it was/is in @?

That one is the main reason why I cannot stand that shitty little country.

I always thought the first victim of the Nazis were Germans. They also started it.

[Simon Darkshade]

No.

AH had their own local Fascist/Nazi party in the form of the Kronists of Rudolf Eisen, which were the usual mixed bag of thugs, idiots and opportunists. They took power in 1935-39, initially as part of a coalition:

1935
Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary is assassinated in Budapest by a Hungarian ultra-nationalist, plunging the Empire into deep civil unrest. With Archduke Otto abroad in America, both German nationalists and Communists in Vienna attempt a coup which is put down bloodily. Elements in the Austro-Hungarian Army move to restore order and take effective control of Austria and Bohemia, with local forces in Croatia and Carniola acting in support. A second coup in Budapest sees Hungarian Communists unilaterally declaring independence, with 250,000 federal troops moving to invade in response
- After several months of internal strife, a conservative coalition government, which includes Kronists, backed by the Army takes control and suppresses the separatist Hungarian communists. Archduke Otto returns to prepare for his coronation in a significantly different Empire than the one he had left five years previously

1936
Elections in Austria-Hungary are inconclusive, with the governing Nationalist/Conservative/Kronist coalition making a small amount of headway against the Social Democrats
- The Treaty of Salzburg is signed by Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. It contains articles of non-aggression, commercial cooperation and reduction of tariff barriers. British voices including Churchill is highly critical of the treaty, which is seen by many others in Europe as a poorly disguised move towards the Anti-Comintern Pact powers by the Austro-Hungarian Government. Kaiser Otto is increasingly sidelined and is quite disturbed by developments

1937
Emperor Otto of Austria-Hungary, increasingly sidelined by the German-backed government, begins to gather support for a counter coup to reassert his authority
- Austria-Hungary and Germany sign a Treaty of Commercial and Industrial Cooperation, paving the way for the establishment of a number of new joint companies and facilities, the first of which is a large steelworks, the Eisenwerke Oberdonau
- Violence again rocks Vienna as paramilitaries loyal to the Emperor and unusually well armed Kronists clash in the streets. The Austrian Government of Rudolf Eisen hastily accepts a German offer of military support and large German Army forces cross the border
- After several uncertain days, Austrian and German troops restore order in Vienna, with 13 year old Archduke Heinrich being installed as a puppet Emperor. Emperor Otto and several thousand supporters flee into exile in Romania, where they are secretly greeted by a number of British and French representatives.
- The Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family and Government in Exile finally settles in Paris. Over the next 18 months, over 120,000 civilians and military personnel trickle out of Austria-Hungary to the West via Poland and Romania

In 1939, the Kronists muscle their way to the top and sideline their one time partners. Eisen, despite his assumed name, is no Hitler or even a Mussolini, and has a power base in Austria, large parts of Bohemia and Slovenia, with Hungary being lead alongside by Gyula Gömbös‘s Arrow Cross Party. This does shake up the relatively shaky nature of Austria-Hungary.

They had their own atrocities, with only their shorter time in power constraining the scope and extent of them. Thus, there isn’t the ‘first victim’ narrative postwar, but rather one of ‘This all happened because we allowed the growth of wicked fascist parties who drew us back into a self damaging alliance with Nazi Germany. Not again.’

AH only really survives as it is ‘liberated’/invaded by mainly British lead forces (8th Army from Italy and Blackadder’s forced pushing up from the Balkans) before the Soviets can break through the Carpathians. Keeping it together as a counterbalance to the USSR and (a potentially feared) Germany was seen as the least worst solution, as a shattered collection of Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria would simply be meat for the Reds to pick off, one at a time. The added ‘bonus’ factor was the legitimate Kaiser Otto being restored by the small co belligerent loyalist Imperial Army; he has quite the force of personality and is viewed as a popular unifying figure.

Postwar, AH is strongly Social Democrat/Labour, opposing the Commies from the Centre Left and keeping a firm watch over any resurgent neo fascist groups.

[Jotun]

Is Austria (-Hungary) suffering from the same self-delusion that their country is merely the first victim of Nazism and really had nothing to do with any crimes, truly, as it was/is in @?

That one is the main reason why I cannot stand that shitty little country.

I always thought the first victim of the Nazis were Germans. They also started it.

The Austrians did not care, they needed a narrative to feel good about themselves and a founding myth.

[Simon Darkshade]

As outlined above, that isn’t the case here, particularly given the Empire extending beyond Austria proper.

[Jotun]

No.

AH had their own local Fascist/Nazi party in the form of the Kronists of Rudolf Eisen, which were the usual mixed bag of thugs, idiots and opportunists. They took power in 1935-39, initially as part of a coalition:

1935
Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary is assassinated in Budapest by a Hungarian ultra-nationalist, plunging the Empire into deep civil unrest. With Archduke Otto abroad in America, both German nationalists and Communists in Vienna attempt a coup which is put down bloodily. Elements in the Austro-Hungarian Army move to restore order and take effective control of Austria and Bohemia, with local forces in Croatia and Carniola acting in support. A second coup in Budapest sees Hungarian Communists unilaterally declaring independence, with 250,000 federal troops moving to invade in response
- After several months of internal strife, a conservative coalition government, which includes Kronists, backed by the Army takes control and suppresses the separatist Hungarian communists. Archduke Otto returns to prepare for his coronation in a significantly different Empire than the one he had left five years previously

1936
Elections in Austria-Hungary are inconclusive, with the governing Nationalist/Conservative/Kronist coalition making a small amount of headway against the Social Democrats
- The Treaty of Salzburg is signed by Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. It contains articles of non-aggression, commercial cooperation and reduction of tariff barriers. British voices including Churchill is highly critical of the treaty, which is seen by many others in Europe as a poorly disguised move towards the Anti-Comintern Pact powers by the Austro-Hungarian Government. Kaiser Otto is increasingly sidelined and is quite disturbed by developments

1937
Emperor Otto of Austria-Hungary, increasingly sidelined by the German-backed government, begins to gather support for a counter coup to reassert his authority
- Austria-Hungary and Germany sign a Treaty of Commercial and Industrial Cooperation, paving the way for the establishment of a number of new joint companies and facilities, the first of which is a large steelworks, the Eisenwerke Oberdonau
- Violence again rocks Vienna as paramilitaries loyal to the Emperor and unusually well armed Kronists clash in the streets. The Austrian Government of Rudolf Eisen hastily accepts a German offer of military support and large German Army forces cross the border
- After several uncertain days, Austrian and German troops restore order in Vienna, with 13 year old Archduke Heinrich being installed as a puppet Emperor. Emperor Otto and several thousand supporters flee into exile in Romania, where they are secretly greeted by a number of British and French representatives.
- The Austro-Hungarian Imperial Family and Government in Exile finally settles in Paris. Over the next 18 months, over 120,000 civilians and military personnel trickle out of Austria-Hungary to the West via Poland and Romania

In 1939, the Kronists muscle their way to the top and sideline their one time partners. Eisen, despite his assumed name, is no Hitler or even a Mussolini, and has a power base in Austria, large parts of Bohemia and Slovenia, with Hungary being lead alongside by Gyula Gömbös‘s Arrow Cross Party. This does shake up the relatively shaky nature of Austria-Hungary.

They had their own atrocities, with only their shorter time in power constraining the scope and extent of them. Thus, there isn’t the ‘first victim’ narrative postwar, but rather one of ‘This all happened because we allowed the growth of wicked fascist parties who drew us back into a self damaging alliance with Nazi Germany. Not again.’

AH only really survives as it is ‘liberated’/invaded by mainly British lead forces (8th Army from Italy and Blackadder’s forced pushing up from the Balkans) before the Soviets can break through the Carpathians. Keeping it together as a counterbalance to the USSR and (a potentially feared) Germany was seen as the least worst solution, as a shattered collection of Bohemia, Moravia, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria would simply be meat for the Reds to pick off, one at a time. The added ‘bonus’ factor was the legitimate Kaiser Otto being restored by the small co belligerent loyalist Imperial Army; he has quite the force of personality and is viewed as a popular unifying figure.

Postwar, AH is strongly Social Democrat/Labour, opposing the Commies from the Centre Left and keeping a firm watch over any resurgent neo fascist groups.

Thank you, that more than covers it

[Simon Darkshade]

You’re more than welcome. I always like the opportunity to flesh out the world and it’s history and I’ve particularly liked your questions and comments on Germany over the years.

[Simon Darkshade]

1971 Notes Part 2

April
- The washing of lions at the Tower Menagerie was one of the first recorded April Fool’s jokes
- Bob Hawke gets in as Australian Labour Party (note the spelling) leader much earlier in the absence of a certain other figure. Having him as a teetotaller is a little fun Easter Egg
- Conquistador is a completely fictional film, with the big stars joined by Emilio Delgado (Luis from Sesame Street in @). On Earth, the epoch of the classic Hollywood historical epic was fading in preference to the 1970s New Hollywood dross, which was far more inward looking. The historical epic, like its cousin the sword and sandal picture, really died out from the mid 1970s onwards (with the epic mini series having an Indian summer through the 1980s) and only really reemerged with Gladiator in 2000. Here, it is still in its pomp for some time to come, rather than the @ diet of mafiosi, oh so daring swearing, titilating nudity and the grim sense of post Watergate and Vietnam loss of innocence
- After a lot of (Defence and anti-Continental related) footdragging, a Channel Tunnel begins construction. It is a different one, with the ability to disable it from the surface
- Frances Phipps makes her historical flight to the North Pole, but it is quite the significant place…
- Plans for Irish defence are not driven by an overt internal or external threat, but rather a much more robust emphasis on defence by the British establishment. Ireland is the back door into the rest of the British Isles in their view. The whole business of Home Defence is treated more seriously, as the @ policy of "We're going to be atomised, so no use spending or trying anything" (very much simplified) is not in place. There are very serious experts looking very seriously towards the post-nuclear age of modern warfare, something that we have never had
- The Brazilian Vespa is similar to the Helwan HA-300 of @ in role and purpose
- The asteroid interception was a bit heavy duty. There have been @ studies were 330ft asteroids were completely destroyed by single 1 megaton warheads. This one was 600ft long but was hit by 16 missiles with 5 megaton warheads. Rather overkill, but it is early days in working out the kinks from the system
- Sir Denzil Carey is positioning himself for the fourth TV channel in 1974; something else will debut in 1972 to join the BBC and ITV (Imperial Television network). He is in a similar niche to Murdoch in @, but is as different as chalk and cheese. The general shape as I see it playing out is Channel 1 (BBC), Channel 2 (ITV), Channel 3 (One of the @ ITV Big 4/5), Channel 4 (Carey’s channel), Channel 5 (another developed a la Channel 3) and Channel 6 (something different…)
- 1914 wins Best Picture and George C. Scott wins for Patton; the latter is described as a hero of WW2 and Korea
- The ARPANET meeting of supercomputer AIs is fairly staid, limited to chess, japes and sports scores; think Holly in Red Dwarf
- McDonalds not only goes for an earlier breakfast menu, but has parallels to the McChicken and McRib quite a bit before @. The little added bit about their burgers being cooked medium rare provides a little bit of dissonance compared to their tasteless @ burgers
- Sierra Leone is moving at a slow pace towards Dominion status, which here doesn’t mean full independence, but rather something akin to Francafrique with teeth and plenty of strings attached. The matter has been debated for a number of years and comes up in A New Jerusalem when discussed by the Queen and Barton. Any complete independence like in @ (which often lead to many coups, Soviet influence or outright bases and general washing of hands) isn’t on the cards. Rather, the recently independent African Dominions (Uganda, Tanganyika, Nigeria, Ashante Federation, Cameroon and Sudan) are encouraged to take part in regional arrangements; get their lavish aid packages with plenty of conditions; have their militaries largely officered by seconded British officers; have quite powerful and influential Governors-General; can call upon British troops for aid and know that they will come; and have very clear red lines on what can’t be done, which usually only extends to no going Red, no alterations to constitutional arrangements without legitimate referendums, no costing up to the other blocs, no dictatorial carry on and no anti-Western/anti-British violence. This is combined with a Francafrique type approach which sees the Paras used in a similar role to the French Foreign Legion. It absolutely isn’t true independence, but is rather independence with trainer wheels on, which is inherently unfair. There is a fair bit of scope to move within that, though, and there is flexibility for arrangements like Senegambia
- The injured Vietnam veterans featured on NPR are William 'One Eye' Clinton, Bruce Springsteen, Donald Trump and Lt. Dan from Forrest Gump
- Ray guns/lasers are starting to make an appearance
- Judicial corporal punishment remains very much on the books in British law, even as it isn’t used quite as much as in previous decades
- Bruce Lee foils a robbery aided by Hong Kong Phooey and Paul Kersey from Death Wish
- The British census has a great deal of information about the different status of the country as compared to @
- The SR-71 flight over Laos saw nothing strange at all. These nice men in black were very persuasive
- A sixth airport for London
- The Anglo-Indian lutenist is Peter Sarstedt
- French Musketeers and Italian Legionaries are two groups very devoted to their images

May
- Oh my gosh, I enriched Kenny’s dad! And, most likely, ensured that he never dabbles in the Cult of Cthulhu; I may find some less nasty means of giving Kenny superpowers, as he is one of the best/nicest/good South Park characters along with Butters. Additionally, Cartman has a recognisable and quite normal father, which could influence his character development
- The Towering Inferno is resolved without deaths thanks to Steve McQueen, a fairly super man and a ‘spider man’
- The Torquay hotelier, call him ‘Basil’ was somewhat justified in his actions, according to him, as the Spanish waiter “knew nothing”
- Mary Rose comes up sooner and in one whole piece. Magic
- Empire Windrush is known not for any role in West Indian migration, but as a footnote to history involved in the Korean War and nuclear tests
- The Chilean mining is simmering towards a climax, with slightly different drivers present affecting the scope for nationalisation
- German/Austrian moves edging towards The Bomb are longer term in the former case, as well as being separate to provide some degree of plausible deniability
- The death of Cassius Clay is a tragic event, as I telegraphed a not too good end to the fight with him being knocked out of the very ring; boxing is an inherently dangerous sport. Clay has a reputation as a great boxer without quite making the jump to being a pop culture figure
- Discoveries in Gobekli Tepe point towards antediluvian civilisation, with the statue of a Golden Condor being something some might recognise…
- SLAM going off course rather dramatically on its first test flight is based on the Snark ending up in NE Brazil; the tractor beam facility indicates some very advanced technology
- Krav Maga Jewish warrior monks are a sign of some very different developments in medieval Judaism, as well as the classical era ones arising from the Sicarii and Maccabees
- The Paras get a bit of action in Sudan in just the type of manner described in April. The light 25pdrs are new weapons rather than retreads
- Affairs at the KAMAZ plant in the USSR show the CIA up to mischief to encourage Soviet paranoia
- The Solsbury Hill sequence is of course a reference to the Peter Gabriel song
- The tankero hunters Aimo’s Strange Journey are a bit of a twin yolked Finnish Easter Egg, which is a collection of words quite rarely used before. I do recommend looking up Aimo Koivunen for the sheer interest of his story
- French nuclear power begins to move down similar lines to @, albeit without the same immediate driver of the oil shock
- Stewart v Clark in the Grand Prix is a further example of the relative British dominance of Formula One
- The Soviet Tu-154 flight to NYC attracts a lot of attention for any tidbits that can be discovered or observed
- West Indian cricket is about to enter its real pomp with the debut of Viv Richards and Greenidge later in the year, allowing them to play alongside Sobers as well as the rest of their collection of stars; a further factor to be considered is the addition of Cuba as part of the WI, with many of its baseball players being available. South Africa is also not exiled from Test cricket and they have a very, very strong team at this point
- British shipbuilding tonnage spikes this year due to the completion of the big supertankers, along with oil rigs and the generally increasing size of all kinds of merchant ships. Japan and then South Korea were able to streak away from the West and the Rest with the combination of the size of ships and the death of competing industries, but there is a different paradigm here
- Orinoco Flow is a reference to the eponymous Enya song
- The English Electric Broadsword is intended to replace the Thunderbird and a large number of Bloodhounds and has a very hot performance and range comparable to the Patriot and SA-10; it has an anti-aircraft and anti-missile capacity
- Red Sun is a slightly different picture on account of Audie Murphy still being around
- The Liberty Line/DMZ is turning into the type of heavily fortified position that the comparison to the Maginot Line is not entirely hyperbole. It is in the interests of both Vietnams to have an airtight border

June
- The BR Class A25 Advanced High Speed Train is not our grandfather's steam engine, but a fully modernised one that as said can easily do the required 200mph; the larger ones go at 375mph. They are arcanely boosted with a few other developments, but the trains themselves are based on a combination of locomotive.fandom.com/wiki/ACE_3000 , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5AT_Advanced_Technology_Steam_Locomotive and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A4_4468_Mallard . The locomotives in general are much bigger than the ones of @, reflecting the larger loading gauge and broad gauge standard; Brunel won out early on in the Age of Rail rather than being an anomaly. Steam was chosen for a number of reasons. First of all, there is sheer inertia as it has been the dominant locomotive source of power in Britain to this point, with diesel not really making a significant inroad and electrification mainly confined to the south; secondly, it makes broad socio-economic sense in that it employs British coal that is still dug up by a politically important industry, particularly with its sharp decline for power generation use due to the rise of nuclear power; thirdly, it doesn't require new infrastructure per se in the form of an electrified line for the smaller regional routes that it has been specified for here; and fourthly by circumstance, as there has been a lot more opportunity to work on enchanted/magically augmented versions of the steam engine over the ~160 years of its use on British railways
- The Russian Orthodox Church is a power that the CPSU has chosen to accomodate rather than liquidate, with the rather nasty experiences of the WW2 Eastern Front being a lasting lesson for many in the Soviet leadership bloc; the priests are handy to keep around and in doing so, the Soviet government keeps control of them. A complex and troubled relationship
- The B-47 sticks around for a while longer; on the flip side, we are likely to see the B-52 go earlier
- New South Pacific Islands are a consequence of some supernatural things, including the powers unleashed in WW2 and strange developments with re-emerging islands. Something is afoot
- Killings in Chile show the deteriorating situation
- The Argie naval exercises represent no threat, given the different scale of power between Argentina and the British Empire
- Black Thunder is an ADC counterpart to Red Flag
- Home Office restrictions on Commonwealth migration comes from a different position than @. There have already been some 'brakes' put on Commonwealth migration from certain areas to Britain in the form of some legislative measures, but chiefly through a lack of postwar labour shortages in Britain and much better economic conditions in the West Indies and India. Here, the growing 'worry' is that there are a lot of Southern Europeans coming in more rapidly than others, in a bit of a hearkening back to the 1890s concerns over Eastern European and Jewish migration
- Surviving nonuplets is an indication of better health care outcomes
- The Angel Report indicates not all that is mystical is bad
- Icelandic political reactions won’t be allowed to imperil it’s important role
- The USAF test pilot in Wyoming is a reference to Top Gun Maverick
- The Irish musician in Gib is a reference to Chris DeBurgh
- Soviet satellite accidents seem to have a malign cause
- Egypt has never had its coup and reflexive movement into the embrace of Moscow...well, apart from the few brief days in the 1956 'Six Day War' which bought the world to the brink of nuclear conflict and resulted in five years of very hard military occupation. The Soviets haven't had a lot of luck in penetrating the 'Third World', as the markets there were quite tightly shut until gradual independence and even afterwards, leaning Red wasn't seen as a good career move. We then need to factor in the reputation of Soviet tanks and aircraft, which took a battering in Korea and another somewhat lesser beating in Vietnam. I've been trying to think of a way whereby the Arabs and Egypt buy Soviet, but can't seem to figure one; their only success in the area was earlier in 1971 with the sale of Badgers to Ottoman Turkey
- The Beatles using the RN’s Yellow Submarine to rescue a whale. They have a role of something of an adventuring/do-good group like The Goodies, but will tend gradually towards some more musical elements in the process, as well as getting their own television and film series to boot
- With the Red Army across the Danube in Romania, it has a sterling impact in focusing both Bulgaria and Greece on the real threat, even if there is a bit of ancestral uneasiness in this latest embrace

[jemhouston]

I always liked the B-47. By leaving earlier, does that mean the B-52 only lasts 75 years not 100?

[Belushi TD]

A possible way to get Soviet equipment to the middle east might be to literally GIVE a starter batch of something to someone who is poor but looking to tool up. Then help them exploit natural resources to be paid for with additional military equipment.

Not sure it would work for all countries but it might be useful for a few of them.

There's also the "We came to put down an insurrection and left our stuff" method, but I don't think the Soviets have a lot of transport available for that sort of behavior.

Belushi TD

[Simon Darkshade]

I always liked the B-47. By leaving earlier, does that mean the B-52 only lasts 75 years not 100?

No, I mean being replaced in the 1980s. The longevity of the B-52 is not an eternal factor in every situation, particularly where there is the money and will to replace them.

[Simon Darkshade]

A possible way to get Soviet equipment to the middle east might be to literally GIVE a starter batch of something to someone who is poor but looking to tool up. Then help them exploit natural resources to be paid for with additional military equipment.

Not sure it would work for all countries but it might be useful for a few of them.

There's also the "We came to put down an insurrection and left our stuff" method, but I don't think the Soviets have a lot of transport available for that sort of behavior.

Belushi TD

Belushi,

The question would be who. The options are Israel; the Arab Union of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Arabia; and the Kingdom of North Yemen. All other states are British protectorates or colonies.

The Arab Union is made up of Hashemite monarchies who enjoy their increasing independence and not being occupied by British or American troops; Iraq, Arabia, Syria and Jordan all have British bases and advisors. They aren’t particularly poor due to their share of oil revenues.

The bigger question is Why. The Western equipment has a very high reputation, whereas Soviet equipment has not won. Even accounting for cultural differences, it does not seem a great deal.

Simon

[Vendetta]

Belushi,

The question would be who. The options are Israel; the Arab Union of Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Arabia; and the Kingdom of North Yemen. All other states are British protectorates or colonies.

The Arab Union is made up of Hashemite monarchies who enjoy their increasing independence and not being occupied by British or American troops; Iraq, Arabia, Syria and Jordan all have British bases and advisors. They aren’t particularly poor due to their share of oil revenues.

The bigger question is Why. The Western equipment has a very high reputation, whereas Soviet equipment has not won. Even accounting for cultural differences, it does not seem a great deal.

Simon

A further extension of that question might be why the Middle East would need to be heavily armed at all, if there's no active Arab-Israeli conflict and the whole region is effectively under British/American dominion. Would you be able to give a quick summary of the post-WW2 Middle Eastern history?

[Simon Darkshade]

A.) Reasons for armament:

1.) The Soviets/The Great Game
2.) Regional tensions with the Turks and Persians
3.) Nationalist desires to have all the trappings of a de jure independent state
4.) British, American and French arms manufacturers, among others, wanting markets

B.) It isn't quite under British dominion, certainly in comparison to pre WW2. The Americans have been trying to elbow in, but haven't quite had the opening or the opportunity to assert their power, so that the area is definitely in the British sphere of influence.

C.) Post WW2 in the Middle East

The Arab kingdoms of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Arabia and Yemen began the process of discussing stronger ties of defence, commerce and political cooperation in early 1946 at a conference in Damascus. The question of a regional confederation was too difficult to contemplate in the immediate future, given the rivalries between Arabia, Iraq and Egypt over leaderships of such a league and the broader questions of relations with Ottoman Turkey and Qajar Persia, but the seeds of a unifying Pan-Arab identity were sown. Britain, cognisant of the strategic importance of the Middle East, encouraged the development of regional security arrangements and cooperation as a means of shoring up her own position in the area. These seeds would grow to a bitter harvest within a decade.

The two other superpowers were also beginning to pay greater attention to the affairs of the Middle East and its future in 1946 and 1947. The Soviet Union looked southward longingly, always keeping the old Russian dream of a warm water port close to its heart. The Arab monarchies were seen as backwards and ripe prey for destabilization over the course of time. A friendly southern flank would remove the threat of British and American airbases in Egypt, Israel and Arabia that allowed the strategic bombers of the USAF and RAF to potentially reach deep into the Urals and beyond. The highly publicised flying tour of four new Vickers Valiant jet bombers through the Middle East and Persia in October 1947 increased Soviet suspicions further and the attentions of the Comintern and NKVD shifted from the Balkans and the Straits to the bazaars and souks of Damascus, Baghdad and Cairo. The United States was also eager to extend its influence in the area and to break the monopoly of British oil companies on its rich pickings. USAF B-29s and B-36s had been rotated through RAF airbases since the end of the war, but no permanent arrangements had been able to be made. The close links between the established Arab aristocracy and Britain made it difficult for the US to exert direct political influence, but its economic power was succeeding in beginning to break down the barriers built up since the Great War. Relations with Israel began to grow, stimulating particularly by the large Jewish diaspora in the United States.

However, as the year drew to a close, the British Empire remained the effective regional hegemon of the Middle East, acting as the guarantor of its security, an honest broker for the resolution of differences between the states and the major external trading partner of the area. The aircraft of the RAF, now with many jets among their number, continued to patrol its skies and troops from Britain and India stood watch on its uneasy borders side by side with the Arab Legion. December 1947 saw the beginnings of discussions in Arabia, Persia and Egypt regarding the revision of previous petroleum royalty agreements in an effort to maintain the privileged position of British Petroleum, Shell and Anglo-Saxon Petroleum. Behind the scenes of the royal courts and palaces, the myriad agents MI6 and SOE worked tirelessly to ensure that the factions most friendly to Britain remained in prime position of influence through gold, sorcery and rumour. Relations between Israel and the Arab states continued to cool as the war years drifted further back into memory and London had to dance a delicate quadrille between its obligations and interests. Where once Britain had stood alone, now there was a complex and intricate web of intrigue with several other powers. The Middle East was beginning to take a new shape and only time would tell what it would be.

(From 'Crossroad of Civilisations: The Middle East’, S. Baldrick, Oxford University Press, 1975)


The Middle Eastern states of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Arabia, Transjordan and Yemen formed the Arab League in 1949 and took several steps towards greater independence. Several of them deployed contingents to the Korean War, which quite coincidentally included some of the more politically ambitious younger officers. In May 1950, there was a Tripartite Agreement negotiated between Britain, France and the United States not to sell arms to Middle Eastern states without prior consultation.

Egypt saw increasing rumblings that were suppressed by British pressure and troops deployments, whilst a Syrian coup attempt was put down by loyalists. In late 1951/early 1952, the King of Egypt launched a more concerted crackdown on rebellious elements in the Army, with dozens of Egyptian army officers and politicians arrested on charges of treason after British intelligence agents uncover a plot to overthrow King Farouk, followed by their executions and imposition of martial law. Also in 1951, Iraq and Britain signed a 25 year extension of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty, causing some public disquiet. Meanwhile, a religious fanatic attempted to destroy the Great Pyramids of Giza with a rock hammer and fell to his death.

In 1954, Britain and Egypt signed a new Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, allowing the presence of British military bases for the defence of the Suez Canal for the next 25 years.1955 saw the signing of the Baghdad Pact, a regional mutual security agreement by Britain, France, the United States, India, Iraq, Persia, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Arabia and Egypt. The non-participation of Israel attracted considerable criticism from British and American politicians and newspapers.

In 1956, the stuff hits the fan. A major war precipitated by an Egyptian coup, resulting in a full British invasion of Egypt, Iraq and Syria to restore their regimes and subsequent occupation that only really lifts in 1960. The Arab armed forces, already equipped with aging WW2 surplus, are limited to gear a generation behind British Empire forces for good measure. Egyptian politics largely turns away from Arabist policies in favour of a more African/Egyptian focus; the impaled bodies of the coup leaders remain in Ismailia Square for years.

The result of this is to really put a shuddering halt to the type of Pan Arabism tinged with Soviet dalliance and nationalist socialism seen in @, replaced by a more circumspect consideration of “How can we achieve our goal of independence, unity and full freedom?” As this develops, there is an adroit bit of influence/soft power going on, in the form of transformative weather and fertility enchantments over parts of Iraq, Syria and Jordan showing results after a decade.

In 1958, American, British and French troops intervene in Lebanon and Jordan to support their governments on their request. However, the real seeds of the next stage comes in November 1960, with an Arab military conference in Alexandria resulting in British guarantees of the supply of defence aid, modern weapons and aircraft for the Arab armies under the framework of the Baghdad Pact. This was followed in May 1962 when Prime Ministers of Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon signed a memorandum of understanding in Baghdad regarding an Arab Union. In June 1962, British and U.S. forces intervened in Persia after the Shah invoked the Baghdad Pact and sought help to suppress a Tudeh uprising.


In mid 1963, representatives of Arabia, Syria, Iraq and Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a federal Arab Union, followed by the Military Charter of the Arab Union, combining their military forces under the command a single High Military Council based in Baghdad. It culminated in June 1964 with the declaration of the establishment of the Arab Union of Arabia, Iraq, Syria and Jordan as a confederal state with a common currency, ministries and defence force, with the Sultan of Arabia heading the council of kings. Lebanon and Yemen were given observer rights with capacity to join at a later date.

At the beginning of 1967, we had this:
https://alternate-timelines.proboards.c ... -castellan

1956 War Details

Spoiler!

1956
Egyptian anti-British and anti-Western protests begin the year alongside a reduction of the garrison at Suez in the post Korean War shift to a European posture. The ruling Saadist minority government collapses, leading to general elections in February, amid U.S. agents meeting clandestinely with opposition groups in Cairo.

The April general election resulted in victory for a strongly nationalist coalition that enjoyed considerable support among the military and Mameluke nobility and campaigned for the removal of British forces from Egypt. King Farouk reluctantly allows the Wafd lead nationalist coalition to form a new government under intense internal pressure.

Wasting no time, in May, the new Egyptian government issued a formal protest with the British Viceroy in Cairo regarding the inequity of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1954. This lead to the Admiralty and Imperial General Staff to begin reviewing contingency plans for the reinforcement and support of British forces in Egypt and the Middle East. Back in Egypt in June, Nationalist Egyptian Army officers began clandestine planning for a coup. Amid this, a general international crisis was beginning to mount, with flashpoints in the Far East and Europe, leading to British PM Eden starting the rolling mobilisation process of readying reserves and defence industries.

July saw things start to fire up:

On July 2, British patrols and garrisons in the Suez Canal Zone in Egypt came under attack from local police and irregular units. 8 British soldiers and airmen and over 170 Egyptians were killed as they returned fire.


July 3: Riots on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Suez follow the earlier fighting in the Canal Zone, leading to an ineffectual declaration of martial law and a general breakdown in public order. British Army garrisons in the Cairo Citadel and Iskandar Citadel in Alexandria are essentially besieged and contingency plans for their evacuation by air and sorcerous means are prepared.

July 5: British military airfields around Cairo are sealed off by Egyptian troops as a protective measure.

July 6: A meeting of the British Cabinet agrees to the Prime Minster's proposal for the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet to be reinforced and prepare for a retaliatory blockade of Egyptian ports, while a combined British expeditionary force be organised for operations in the Middle East.

July 10: Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies declares that Australia will back Britain unconditionally in any conflict. Preparations are made to move a combined Australian and New Zealand division to the Middle East by air at short notice and Australia, New Zealand and Indian warships depart Trincomalee after joint Commonwealth naval exercises are bought to an early end.

July 11: Israel calls up 25,000 first line reservists in response to the Egyptian unrest.

July 12: A top level meeting of British and American military and intelligence officials to form a unified front on the developing crises in the Middle East and India collapses into intractable arguments regarding preferable global strategy and the nature of the threat.

July 13: British troops are evacuated from Cairo and Alexandria in the dead of night by helicopters deployed from RAF skyships. Egyptian fighter aircraft do not intervene at this time.

July 15: Nationalist officers of the Royal Egyptian Army launch an anti-British coup in Cairo, taking advantage of the King’s absence in the south of France.

July 17: The Chicago Post publishes an exclusive expose charging British Commonwealth troops and security forces in Malaya with conducting hidden massacres, widespread torture and running concentration camps, sparking widespread outrage and criticism, both of the Post and of the British Empire. The story is later revealed to be the product of KGB disinformation, but for the moment, it is effective in pushing a wedge between the two largest English speaking powers at an extremely unfortunate time.

July 18: General Zadeh, head of the Egyptian Army junta, proclaims that he is officially repudiating the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty and calls for the complete withdrawal of all foreign imperialist forces from Egypt and a restoration of its pre-1902 borders; the latter demand is seen as not only a direct challenge to Israel, but a reassertion of Egyptian claims on the Sudan.

July 19: Pan-Arabist and anti-royalist protests in support of the Egyptian coup turn to riots in the streets of Baghdad and Damascus

July 20: RAF combat squadrons begin arriving in bases in Malta, Corfu, Crete and Cyprus.

July 21: The Iraqi Royal Family arrive at RAF Habbaniya to seek refuge from the tenuous situation in Baghdad, with only their escort battalion of the Royal Guards remaining loyal.

July 22: The Soviet Union and Ottoman Turkey sign a general statement of amity and cooperation in Ankara, surprising the world and horrifying Byzantine Greece.

July 23: President Thompson issues a statement supporting freedom and democracy in the Middle East, which is widely interpreted as being critical of British imperialist influence in the region. In a subsequent telephone call with Prime Minister Eden, he explains that his position is motivated by internal pressure from within the Republican Party and a desire to prevent any further penetration of Soviet influence in the Middle East. Eden accepts his reasoning, but insists that Britain will act to protect its interests and support its allies under the Baghdad Pact, leading to a heated disagreement.

July 24: Egyptian financial assets in Britain and the Commonwealth are frozen. The King of Syria and the Royal Family fly to Beirut after receiving a warning of an imminent coup and their murder. Syria descends into a state of confusion, with rival factions within the Syrian Army maneuvering to gain power with any new government.

July 29: A US delegation meets with members of the Egyptian military government in Cairo, aiming to circumvent Soviet influence and intervention by offering full recognition, military aid and a security alliance. Royal Navy amphibious vessels depart Plymouth for the Mediterranean.

July 30: The Comintern passes a public declaration calling for international peace in Europe and the Middle East. American military commanders of US forces in Britain meet secretly with their British counterparts at RAF High Wycombe, agreeing to continue cooperation, even in the event of political differences between the United States and the British Empire; the so-called Pinetree Convention later proves to the foundation for the rebuilding of amicable relations between the two Western superpowers.

August 1: Prime Minister Eden announces a mobilisation of selected British forces in response to the Middle East Crisis and the deteriorating situation in Europe in a speech broadcast on the BBC. All reservists are recalled to active duty, further elements of the Reserve Fleet and RAF reserve are activated and the Territorial Army is called up. The remainder of the Ashes series is called off in light of the prospect of imminent conflict.

August 2: Stalin orders a defensive mobilisation of certain Soviet forces to defend against 'imperialist aggression'. This is followed by matching steps by France and Germany and, within the hour, an announcement of a call-up of US military reserves and reinforcement of American forces in Europe and the Far East. Significant elements within the Thompson Administration are privately incensed at what is seen as precipitous British action pushing the world to the brink of war on account of imperialist ambitions.

August 3: British Labour Party leader Hugh Gaitskell gives a strong speech in the House of Commons, condemning the actions of General Zadeh and the Egyptian regime as aggressive tools of fascism and international communist expansionism. In Sevastopol, the Soviet Black Sea Fleet is ordered to prepare to sortie. A fast convoy carrying Canadian, New Avalonian, Newfoundland and West Indian troops departs Halifax for Liverpool.

August 4: The Sublime Porte declares a general mobilisation of the Imperial Ottoman Armed Forces to defend its interests and those of its neighbours from external aggression. KGB and GRU intelligence sources conclude Britain alone possesses a limited capacity for intervention in the Middle East given its heavy force commitments in India, the Far East and Germany, but additional Commonwealth forces give it the capacity to act with substantial effect.

August 5: Intelligence reports indicate the presence of a number of former SS and Nazi personnel in Cairo since the July coup. The Imperial War Cabinet in London provisionally authorises preparations for Operations Musketeer, Huntsman and Trident, the invasions of Egypt, Syria and Iraq, aimed at restoring their pro-British regimes.

August 6: Leader of the Opposition Hugh Gaitskell dies of a sudden heart attack in London, aged 50. British officials meet with their French counterparts in Paris to formulate a united response to the current global crisis in light of the growing rupture with the United States.

August 7: Three Egyptian divisions move up to the border of the Suez Canal Zone, but do not make any overt moves to engage the British garrison at this time. General Zadeh calls for the complete removal of British forces and influence from the entire Middle East.

August 8: US Secretary of State Earl Warren calls for an international conference in Geneva to resolve the Middle East Crisis, a step swiftly echoed by Soviet Foreign Commissar Molotov. The United States places intense financial and political pressure on Britain to acquiesce with the opportunity for a diplomatic solution.

August 9: Prime Minister Eden announces that Foreign Secretary Wooster will take part in the Geneva conference, whilst still moving forward with preparations for military operations in the Middle East. This dual track approach is aimed at exhausting all possible opportunities for peaceful resolution before war and giving the armed forces of the British Empire sufficient time to mobilise and move into place.

August 10: A reported sighting of a UFO over the North Sea causes a brief air defence emergency in Britain and the Low Countries. Elements of the Grand Fleet depart Scapa Flow and Portsmouth for Malta.

August 11: The arrival of the Martian Convoy provides Britain with a welcome boost of hard currency in the form of gold and rare minerals.

August 12: Opening of the Geneva Conference on the Middle East. The Soviet delegation calls for the removal of all external military forces from the area to support its movement towards full independence and true democracy. Secretary of State Warren counters by supporting the rights of all states to form their own regional security arrangements such as the Baghdad Pact, whilst Foreign Secretary Wooster reiterates the British position supporting legitimate regimes, stating that the British Empire will honour its treaty commitments.

August 13: Both Soviet ballistic missile submarines sortie from Murmansk, silently shadowed by British and American atomic submarines. As this movement has not been accompanied by any changes in the deployments of Soviet bombers or the readiness of their strategic rockets, the nuclear forces of Britain and the United States remain at a heightened status of alert, but not yet on the outright brink of atomic war.

August 14: A weird and noxious miasma pervades over New York City for most of the day, sickening hundreds, but doing little to disrupt the preparations of mobilisation. SS United States departs for France carrying an entire infantry division and a large convoy of over 120 ships is forming up in New York Harbor.

August 15: Belgian Foreign Minister Paul Henri Spaak suggests that the Middle East Crisis be resolved through the replacement of the British garrison at Suez with a neutral Multilateral Force guaranteeing the international status of the Suez Canal. It attracts support from both the US and Soviet delegations, while Britain argues against the proposal and France describes it as a dangerous precedent.

August 16: Two Soviet freighters leave Leningrad carrying special cargoes.

August 17: The Geneva Conference on the Middle East Crisis collapses after the British delegation indicates that it will not abrogate its responsibilities and alliances in the region, bringing negotiations to an impasse. USAFE begins to step up combat air patrols over Germany and Austria-Hungary.

August 18: Secretary of the Treasury George M. Humphrey orders the US Federal Reserve to prepare to sell part of their sterling bond holdings as part of the American effort to exert pressure on Britain. RAF tactical bombers begin to arrive on Libyan airfields.

August 19: An agreement is signed between France and Britain to coordinate military operations in the Middle East in the event of conflict.

August 20: Soviet diplomats advise the Egyptian government to curtail their demands for the withdrawal of British forces at this time in the light of London's apparent determination. The Central Intelligence Agency issues a Special National Intelligence Estimate predicting that Britain will invade Egypt within a week. President Thompson, under the influence of certain cabinet members, decides to oppose any hostile action whilst still supporting Britain.

August 21: The British Ambassador to Egypt issues the Egyptian government with an ultimatum calling for the cessation of all aggressive actions against British forces and interests and the restoration of the rightful King and his government. It is coldly refused and Egyptian forces are ordered to their highest state of alert. The Egyptian Army musters a total of 10 divisions - four deployed along the Suez Canal, two at Alexandria, one at Port Said and three around Cairo, equipped with 240 Crusader tanks and 345 artillery pieces - and the Egyptian Air Force operates 258 modern aircraft, including Gloster Meteors, Supermarine Warriors and de Havilland Venoms.


August 23: British Empire and French forces begin offensive operations against Egypt, aimed at eliminating the rebel government and restoring King Farouk to his throne, and in Syria and Iraq to support their teetering monarchs.

Operation Musketeer: 124 RAF Vickers Valiants flying from Crete, Cyprus and Malta bomb Egyptian airfields and military targets around Alexandria, Cairo and Port Said at 0300, followed forty five minutes later by 238 Canberra medium bombers operating from Libyan and Israeli airfields striking at power stations, coastal and communications facilities. Paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division land around Port Said and move to secure key airfields and launch attacks into the city. At 0525, elements of two Commando brigades are landed by helicopters behind Egyptian lines and swiftly link up with the airborne forces. This is followed at dawn by an amphibious landing by the 2nd Royal Marine Division, heavily reinforced with tanks, war machines and armoured carriers and supported by substantial naval gunfire.

Troops of the 5th and 9th Infantry Divisions attack Egyptian forces from their bases along the Suez Canal, capturing Ismaila in a pincer movement and scattering their lightly armed opposition, which had been devastated by rocket artillery and carpet bombing by RAF, RAAF and RNZAF Canberras. Armoured heavy infantry prove virtually invulnerable to Egyptian small arms fire. Four Israeli divisions strike across the Sinai in two armoured columns from El Arish and Eilat to support the Suez Force in its drive on Cairo. A composite Australian-New Zealand division lands at Suez and destroys localized Egyptian resistance through heavy air and naval firepower and South African-Rhodesian and Gurkha brigades are landed at Beni Suef by skyship in a surprise vertical envelopment, having flown non-stop from Salisbury and Nairobi respectively.

At Alexandria, a reinforced brigade of the 4th Royal Marine Division lands after a 45 minute naval bombardment and waves of airstrikes from over 400 carrier aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. They meet stiff initial resistance, but Egyptian forces are broken by a combination of naval guns, combat magic, guided missiles and dragonfire by three RFC dragons. A simultaneous combat drop by brigades of the 1st Airborne Division and the 12th Canadian Airborne Division seizes RAF Aboukir and Alexandria International Airport. Heavy fighting continues throughout the day as further Royal Marines and Commandos are landed, establishing a strong perimeter bisecting the city. Resistance is heavy and many Egyptian civilians take up arms in answer to the calls of their radio stations before British jamming takes them off the air. A large convoy carrying the main body of the British Expeditionary Force moves in towards Alexandria to prepare for landing.

RAF Hawker Hunters, Fairey Deltas and Supermarine Swifts and RN Fairey Rangers and de Havilland DH.116 Vipers conduct hundreds of sorties throughout the day, destroying the remnants of the Egyptian Air Force that survived the strategic bombing raids overnight. The English Electric Lightning makes its combat debut, shooting down three Egyptian Venoms over Port Said. Virtually all communications out of Egypt by telegraph, wireless and arcane means are jammed by RAF electronic warfare skyships and initial reports are confused. The Avro 707 Avalon supersonic light bomber makes its combat debut, causing great damage with guided bombs and terrible new heat rays.

Operation Huntsman: French paratroopers of the 1ere and 2eme REP, a brigade of the British 1st Airborne Division and Israeli paratroopers land around Damascus as French Marines and Foreign Legionnaires conduct an administrative landing at the Syrian port of Tartus. A joint British-Israeli reinforced division crosses the Syrian border and pushes towards Damascus to relieve the airborne contingent. British, French and Israeli jet fighters maintain comprehensive combat air patrols above Damascus and Southern Syria, but earlier sabotage efforts by SIS and SOE agents ensure that no Syrian Air Force combat aircraft rise to challenge them.

Operation Trident: Two Indian infantry divisions, two Royal Marine battalion and a brigade of Royal Indian Marines land at Basra before dawn and quickly secure the city, facing only token opposition. A composite British and Anzac airborne brigade lands at Habbaniya and prepares to drive on Baghdad in conjunction with the Arab Legion, advance elements of which have driven up from the Jordanian border, the loyal Assyrian Regiment and the Royal Air Force Brigade. RAF Hunters and Canberras strafe and bomb rebel held Iraqi air bases around Baghdad.

August 24: The British and French action in the Middle East sparks global consternation and outrage from many quarters and measured expressions of support from others. Massive international protests and spontaneous street marches occur in South America, Asia and many European states, along with bitter recriminations in US Congress and in the American press. The British and French Embassies in Washington D.C. are the scenes of vocal protests. British public opinion is reasonably well aligned behind Prime Minister Eden and opposition in Parliament at this early stage is limited to left wing members of the Labour Party, the Radicals and the Socialists.
President Thompson publicly decries the action and calls for an immediate ceasefire. In a tense telephone conversation with Prime Minister Eden, he labels the invasions as 'sheer madness that will drive the Arabs into the arms of the Soviets; Eden responds that he would not stand to let aggression grow into general war once again and, that if he did not act, he would have presided over the eclipse of the British Empire and the end of Britain as a world power.

In Syria, Damascus is nominally secured by British and Israeli mechanised forces, but the situation remains tense as French troops advance from Tartus and through Lebanon to complete the restoration. British Empire forces in Iraq push 40 miles halfway towards Baghdad, facing only limited opposition as RAF bombers put rebel Iraqi formations to flight with a terrible combination of napalm, wildfire and carpet bombing. The twin-pronged Indian advance from Basra along the Euphrates and Tigris is similarly dramatic, leapfrogging opposition through skyships airlifting brigades to Nasiriya and Amara before noon.

The situation in Egypt is extremely tense as the first elements of the British Expeditionary Force, consisting of the 3rd Infantry Division, Guards Division and the 7th Armoured Division, begins to disembark at Alexandria. The bridgeheads occupied by the airborne forces, Royal Marines and Commandos are now contiguous and formal Egyptian resistance has been gradually reduced to sniping and ambushes as the heavy use of armour and relentless firepower eliminates strongpoints and any organised countermeasures. Extensive employment of combat magic, particularly illusions and enchantments, and new electrical stunguns has lowered civilian casualties somewhat, but urban fighting in a modern city continues to be a bloody proposition. Precision bombing, guided missile attacks and rocket strikes by RAF Avalons continues to isolate and destroy the movement of any large scale forces.

Along the Suez Canal, Port Said and Damietta have been secured by the Royal Marines and 6th Airborne Division and advanced tank units have linked up with Suez Force and the Israelis at Ismailia. The Anzac Division has pushed 32 miles up the railway towards Cairo and the Sarac and Gurkha force, now reinforced by a further South African mechanised brigade has closed to within 80 miles of the Egyptian capital from the south, facing little organised resistance. Aside from isolated units still fighting around Port Said, Ismailia and Alexandria, the main force of the Egyptian Army, some 5 divisions, is increasingly concentrated around Cairo and subjected to continual air attack from British and Commonwealth aircraft. USN carrier aircraft and ships continue to harass Royal Navy and Commonwealth ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, but no accidental clashes have occurred at this time.

Canadian Prime Minister Richardson gives an expansive press conference on the fighting, outlining the direct role of Canadian troops, decrying any suggestion of appeasement and plainly stating that he would have no truck with aggression or unjust war. This statement by a widely respected international elder statesman is seen as a boon for the British cause by some in the United States, although many in both the Democratic and Republican Parties see the fighting as simply naked imperialism. In Moscow, the course of events have caused great alarm and disquiet, as Stalin's gambit of encouragement and support for the Arab rebels now seems to be moving the USSR towards the brink of a global conflict that it could not possibly win.

August 25: The United States begins to implement economic sanctions against Britain and France, sparking a run on sterling and the franc, which, although initially painful, does not threaten either state with existential damage due to their financial preparations for conflict. More consequential is a US oil embargo, which has the immediate effect of sending international oil prices soaring. Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria-Hungary and the Scandinavian countries cautiously condemn the Anglo-French operations under US pressure, but the German governments provide statement of general support and Spain and Greece endorse the action. Protests continue across the Arab world and there is considerable rioting in Libya and Jordan. A Soviet attempt to condemn the action in the Council of the League of Nations is vetoed by Britain and France, with the United States abstaining at the last moment after an intense internal debate within the Thompson Administration.

In Syria, Commonwealth troops begin to fan out from Damascus, seizing key airfields as they proceed. Resistance is sporadic, but protests mount in the capital as French troops arrive from the Lebanon. Turkish commandos cross the border on reconnaissance missions. To the east in Iraq, Habforce continues its advance towards Baghdad, encountering increasing resistance. Skyship airlifts of Indian troops result in the capture of Diwaniya and Kut, moving a brigade at a time in a leapfrog strategy. A British infantry brigade is flown to Mosul from Britain by RAF Brabazons as the 21st Infantry Division crosses the Iraqi-Persian border in the central mountains.

The British Expeditionary Force continues to disembark in Alexandria as the remainder of the 4th Royal Marines and 1st Airborne begin to break out from the city, pushing towards Damanhur and Kafr El Sheikh. The Port Said Force, reinforced by the West Indian Division, captures Mansoura in a helicopter assault and continues to advance through Nile Delta. The Suez Force reaches Kassassin and prepares to push on Zagazig. Organised Egyptian opposition is beginning to break down given British air supremacy and the ubiquitous naval gunfire by Royal Navy cruisers and battleships offshore and civilian resistance is breaking down in the face of sheer numbers.

The Ottoman Sultan issues a declaration that Turkey will not allow any threats to its sovereignty and interests in the region and will take all necessary actions to protect them and secure the territories unjustly separated from the rule of the Sublime Porte. Nine Red Army divisions begin to move into Armenia and Azerbaijan in what is regarded as a dangerous escalation.

Public protests and riots in both Jordan and Arabia are suppressed by loyal troops and police and the situation remains extremely tenuous. In Britain, there is a firming of opinion in favour of the military response due to the great success enjoyed thus far and joint determination by the two major political parties to see matters through to their end. Across the Atlantic, there are some voices speaking in support of the Anglo-French operations, but a small majority of public and political opinion remains vocally against the conflict; many Republicans declare that such imperialist moves make it difficult to oppose Soviet oppression in Eastern Europe with any sense of consistency.

August 26: Irregular advance units of the Imperial Ottoman Army cross the Syrian and Iraqi borders. This is seen as a dramatic escalation of the entire Middle Eastern War given Soviet-Turkish ties and a possible precursor to direct intervention. Southern Syria is largely secure and the King is due to return to Damascus by tomorrow, but with forces concentrated in Egypt and Iraq, there is comparatively few forces available to defend against a thrust by 15 well armed Ottoman divisions outside of two heavy divisions of the Israeli Army.

RAF Valiants bomb government targets in Baghdad and blast the city with sonic booms in direct psychological operations aimed at demoralising rebel forces and bringing about their capitulation. 'Habforce' reaches its planned destination 8 miles outside of Baghdad and begins bombarding the city with arcane and propaganda rounds. By late afternoon, discussions under flag of truce are underway with rebel Iraqi forces for their surrender.

After being rebuffed in the Council of the League, the Soviet Union introduces a motion in the Assembly of the League to condemn British and French aggression and bring about an immediate ceasefire and return to international arbitration and negotiation. It is supported by its Romanian, Tartar, Mongolian and Polish satellites, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Finland, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Persia and most of the South American states; the United States and its Central American allies are leaning towards endorsement, but intense British diplomacy succeeds in delaying the vote through administrative tactics.

Field Marshal Sir Charles Keightley, commander of all British and Commonwealth forces engaged in Operation Musketeer, after considering the toll of the urban fighting in Port Said and Alexandria, orders a lightning thrust by the 7th Armoured Brigade and Royal Marine tanks towards Cairo before Egyptian defences can be properly prepared. The attack makes rapid progress, smashing through the thin screen of an Egyptian infantry brigade towards its first objective of Tanta, where the main Egyptian line of defence lies. By nightfall, Egyptian positions are being bombarded by long range British 8" howitzers along with regular carpet bombing by the ubiquitous RAF Canberras and Avalons.

The southern force has advanced to within 36 miles of Cairo and the vanguard of the combined Anzac, British and Israeli force from the east has paused just 25 miles to the east of the city, allowing the Royal Marines to consolidate their northern flank. As Egyptian attention is focused upon the north, east and south, dozens of RAF Wessex and Buckingham helicopters fly at low altitude to deliver a crack force of Commandos and Gurkhas to the desert on the western outskirts of Giza. They proceed to advance into the city, using the Great Pyramid as an observation post.

August 27: The initial phases of Operations Trident and Huntsman come to a successful conclusion with the restoration of the Kings of Syria and Iraq in Damascus and Baghdad under the watchful eye of British garrisons. Ottoman Turkish forces continue to advance at a slow pace; whilst the Grand Vizier declines to grant the British or French Ambassadors an audience to present their ultimatums, the rapid progress of facts on the ground in favour of Anglo-French forces is shifting the tides of power and influence within the Sublime Porte.

The main field force of the Egyptian Army is destroyed in a series of running battles with British armour between Tanta and Cairo in a devastating display of firepower. Self propelled artillery, machine cannons, tanks, dragonstrikes, multiple rocket launchers, guided missiles, spellfire and flamethrowers turn the battlefield into a smashed charnel house. The deadly effectiveness of tactical close air support from both RAF and RN fighter-bombers in the relatively open conditions is noted by observers and troops alike. Reconnaissance armoured cars penetrate to the northern outskirts of Cairo before halting at the last line of resistance to allow for heavier units to catch up; the speed of advance is significantly faster than that of Korea and World War 2, a development ascribed to improved logistics and aerial resupply by helicopters.

Cairo is hit by continual bombing raids by Valiants, Canberras and Avalons throughout the morning and both the eastern and southern forces have occupied the outskirts of the city. Just before noon, a composite Special Air Service battalion drawn from the British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South African and Rhodesian regiments is inserted by illusory cloaked helicopters from an overhead skyship onto the roof of the Abdeen Palace and Cairo Citadel. After a short but intense battle, the surviving coup leadership is killed or captured, including the erstwhile General Zadeh, caught in the tendrils of a web spell. Public pronouncements of the fall of the regime are broadcast over radio and aerial loudspeakers to the citizens of the city and the remaining Egyptian troops entrenched on its outskirts.

The US government orchestrates a full run on the pound and applies further sanctions on British trade, sending the global economy to the edge of a major collapse. This constitutes the highpoint of US pressure as the conflict shifts from its initial combat phase and represents the nadir of postwar relations between the United States and the British Empire. Even at this point, there are already quiet back channel communications from both sides working towards moving back from the brink of a full Anglo-American rupture. President Thompson refuses to take a telephone call from Prime Minister Eden, but accepts a private audience with the Canadian Ambassador, who conveys the British and Commonwealth position that the matter is rapidly becoming a fait accompli.

August 28:
Stalin threatens Britain and France with atomic rocket attacks on London and Paris in a public pronouncement and formal note to their governments. Eden responds by ordering RAF Bomber Command's V-Force of 326 Avro Vulcans and 624 Vickers Valiants to disperse to their wartime alert bases and readied the RAF missile force of 87 Super Vanguard LRBMs for launch. Red Army troops in Poland go to a high state of readiness and prepare for offensive operations against Germany and Austria-Hungary. US Army and BAOR forces move to their forward wartime positions and disperse tactical nuclear artillery. Strategic Air Command increases the number of B-52s and B-47s on airborne alert.

A British backed coup in Turkey replaces the Grand Vizier and government with one that leans towards Britain and the West with the Sultan further persuaded by Avro Vulcan demonstration flights over Turkish cities. The Imperial Ottoman Army halts its advance and begins withdrawing behind its borders. The Turkish-Soviet Agreement is annulled after the former Grand Vizier and his supporters are strangled.

King Farouk returns in triumph to Egypt, where he is greeted by empty streets and a capital under martial law and Commonwealth military occupation. The remaining elements of the Egyptian Army are kept prisoner under careful guard at large camps in the desert. International travel and media communications are still kept under tight control by British authorities. Across the Middle East, British forces and aircraft are held at high readiness to respond to large scale unrest as the Arab monarchs struggle to keep control of their restive populations.

A momentous Cabinet meeting in Washington D.C. sees the resignation of Secretary of State Warren after relations between the different Cabinet factions broke down into a series of shouting matchs. President Thompson declares that matters have now gone beyond the level of disagreement with the British and French and that the Soviets were moving towards full scale war due to the fractures in the Western alliance and therefore the first order of the hour was unity; recriminations over the Middle East War would come later. Britain begins full transition to war, mobilises her remaining forces and closes British ports and airports to all civilian traffic. Panic spreads across many cities in Western Europe, with thousands flocking to buy supplies and flee urban centres for fear of nuclear attack.

August 29:
Two Soviet freighters operating under false flags are boarded at sea by British special forces after a complicated and highly secret SIS operation. Each is carrying a 100kt atom bomb. Their targets were to be Newcastle and Southampton. In response, the Royal Navy atomic submarines Warspite and Dreadnought, operating in the Barents Sea, are ordered to sink both Soviet SSBs currently at sea in response and thereafter to sink any other Soviet warships encountered as a clear signal to Moscow.

RAF and Soviet fighters clash over Persia and Northern Iraq as the world creeps closer to war. USAF fighters shoot down a Soviet patrol aircraft over the Baltic Sea east of Bornholm. SAC moves to its highest status of alert for the whole crisis and two squadrons of Atlas intercontinental ballistic missiles are readied for launch. A B-47 disappears in flight over Alaska and is suspected to have crashed.

An angry dispute breaks out between Britain and France, with the latter accusing the former of a cavalier approach coming from Britain's greater distance from Soviet rocket bases, whereas France is far more vulnerable to nuclear missile attack. From the Soviet arsenal of 4 R-6 Slava LRBMs and 25 R-5 Pobeda MRBMs, only the former are considered capable of striking the British Isles. The majority of the Soviet strategic nuclear forces aimed at Europe consists of long range flying bombs and strategic jet bombers, the former being concentrated around the Kola Peninsula.

In the Far East, China begins to move troops back from the Indian border and announces that the Soviet-Chinese Treaty of Amity and Cooperation has been temporarily suspended for full administrative review. The pro-Soviet faction within the Imperial Court is finally and thoroughly purged at the direction of Chancellor Fu Manchu and their screams last long into the night. Chinese troops move up to the Mongolian and Tartar borders, leading to a Soviet defensive reaction that continues over the next 18 months.

August 30:
British forces and Soviet-backed rebels clash in Northern Iraq, including a brief engagement between Centurion and T-54 tanks. Stalin works himself into an incredible fury over the reverses in China and Turkey over the course of several hours and finally orders the Strategic Rocket Forces to prepare to launch their nuclear missiles against Europe. Preparations are observed by the orbiting Royal Space Force spy telescopes onboard King George VI Station. The rocket base at Plesetsk is destroyed by a 2.5 Mt Blue Danube hydrogen bomb dropped in a secret RAF preemptive attack by a high flying specially modified Avro Vulcan. The world teeters on the edge of war for two hours. Stalin dies in mysterious circumstances at his dacha outside Moscow and is replaced by a troika of Molotov, Malenkov and Ivan Serov, who seek a peaceful end to the crisis.

Prime Minister Eden announces the resolution to the crisis, Stalin's demise and the Soviet offer of peace to the world over the BBC. The globe dares to breath once more.

August 31:
The aftermath of the Middle East War and the world crisis is an uncertain one, with Egypt, Syria and Iraq still restively lying under British military occupation, yet without any hope of external aid or intervention. Israel finds itself decidedly isolated from its Arab neighbours, having reinforced its status as the greatest local military power in the region. The relationship between Britain, the United States and France, the very cornerstone of the Western alliance, has been smashed asunder, leaving both sides of the Atlantic to pick up the myriad pieces amid bitter recriminations of betrayal. The new leadership of the Soviet Union are severely chastened and shocked by how close they came to utter destruction and are unified with a determination to never again be faced with such inferiority. Britain has achieved a great victory and kept its dominance over the Middle East, but the ruthlessness and power displayed in the fighting has been in many ways a double-edged sword in regard to how other peoples and states view the Empire; it gives additional credence to voices within India that call for a more independent path.

Economically, the impact of the crisis, mobilisation and the international financial chaos thrusts a number of states into a sharp recession; Britain, Canada, France and the United States record their worst economic performance for a decade. The wounds inflicted on world trade and economic confidence will take many years to heal and efforts to lower tariff barriers seem further away than ever.

British and Commonwealth casualties in the fighting of August amount to 532 killed and missing and 4945 wounded and French losses are 129 killed and 892 wounded. Over 20,000 Egyptian soldiers have been killed or are missing, along with at thousands of civilian casualties in the bombings and invasion. Syrian and Iraqi casualties are mainly military in nature and amount to an estimated 5200 killed and missing and twice that many wounded. The atomic bombing of Plesetsk resulted in at least 3264 known deaths and injuries, with others to follow from the effects of radiation; the sinkings of Soviet submarines and shipping add another 653 to that final figure.

- Events in Egypt have really been bubbling up since WW2 and now boil over, as previous attempts at repression have just delayed a nationalist explosion.
- The Chicago Post story is a concoction of the KGB and is soon written off as fake black propaganda, but has enough impact at a crucial time to influence a significant minority of American public opinion.
- The Pinetree Convention represents the general amity between the professional military staff of the USA and Britain; this carries on over the years, even if political relations are damaged.
- American entreaties towards the Egyptian military government are an understandable and realistic reaction, but it does muddy the waters with Britain.
- The snowballing mobilisations put the world on a track that is very difficult to escape.
- Soviet conclusions regarding British force capacity is flawed and reflects some British misdirection efforts by agents inside the Soviet intelligence services. Britain is scraping the bottom of the barrel and commits virtually her entire strategic reserve, leaving home defence for the Territorial Army. Essentially, the choice is between deploying a suitable field army to Europe (particularly Germany) or intervening in the Middle East; choosing the latter sends some very consequential signals to Britain's European allies and is one of the factors that sends the Atlantic Alliance into freefall.
- The British garrison in the Suez Canal Zone acts as a trigger for the active period of crisis, but also distracts Egyptian and world attention while mobile forces move into place. One consequence of the crisis is that the USA and Soviet Union reappraise their opinions of Imperial power projection.
- The failure of the Geneva Conference is the nadir of Western unity, with a number of states viewing the Soviet-American agreement on the Spaak Plan and the Multilateral Force (something of an analogue to the UN Emergency Force from @, with the name being familiar from a different source) as a betrayal. Foreign Secretary Bertie Wooster doesn't particularly help things, even with Jeeves preventing a complete disaster. It does drive Britain and France together in a marriage of convenience, although French forces are concentrated on their former Syrian possessions.
- The shootdown of the USN plane over the Taiwan Strait happens at exactly the wrong time and almost kicks off a world war.
- Operation Musketeer's five initial assaults divide Egyptian attention, surrounding Cairo and denying them strategic space.
- In Iraq, the airborne advance up the Tigris and Euphrates is based on WW2 island hopping and leads to other nations taking careful note of its success.
- The Avro 707 Avalon gets a brief moment in the sun in Egypt and Iraq; it is powered by an afterburning Avon and is ultimately an evolutionary dead end, reflecting the rushed rearmament production choices during the early part of the Korean War.
- British military authorities keep very careful and close control of all coverage of the fighting in Egypt and are largely successful in their efforts, but this leads to allegations of having something to hide. Sometimes, you just can't win.

[Simon Darkshade]

1971 Notes Part 3

July
- The quote about patrolling the Mojave is taken directly from the superb game Fallout New Vegas
- The supercomputer simulation of the Battle of Isandlwhana is more a case of trying out its capabilities on a known outcome with alterable parameters. The inclusion of modern weapons and close air support for the 1870s is a bit silly on the surface, but represents the combination of a visual simulation (a la some of the Total War videos on the Internets) with equipment that can be assigned realistic numerical values (based on some of the Soviet material that can be found online that assigned different NATO and WP equipment a numerical value). The result is quite a powerful simulation tool that is a fair bit in advance of what was available in @. It will get a further workout in 1972, when it will be used for an earlier iteration of the 1974 Operation Sealion war game at Sandhurst
- New US aircraft displayed at the Independence Day air show show some different developments to @; the FB-111 is a larger plane equivalent to the proposed FB-111H
- The British Commonwealth South Atlantic Fleet is one of several Fleet Units that in and of themselves are superior to next to every regional navy around the world, such as the nominally formidable Royal Argentine Navy
- The Nile crocodile is Gustave
- 22 Acacia Avenue is an Iron Maiden reference, with Bananaman coming along for good measure
- The Wonka chocolate bar's ingredients are quite informative, with D-IX containing 5mg cocaine, 5mg oxycodone and 3mg Pervitin. Combined with the ketamine, it is supposed to be the closest thing to a healing potion + super soldier pill, but with some potential drawbacks that may be obvious to readers...
- The Pan-Arab Liberation Organisation has goals that are historically familiar
- RMS Titanic II is quite the powerful and impressive superliner with an eventful career ahead
- Southampton Cathedral is competed by its dwarven master builders
- Soviet semi-atmospheric testing is leading up to some future developments
- Whatever hit the SR-71 over Laos is keeping quite mum
- In their defence, the Flying Squad members who indulge in egregious Cockney rhyming slang hadn't had any dinner
- The Ocean class commando carriers are much larger than the earlier converted aircraft carriers, with additional armament and accomodation for more troops
- The escaped reptiles will be heard from again, what with their deathly claws and all that

August
- The increased incidence of home fallout shelters is considerably above the historical level of 1.4% in 1962, thanks to a decade of growth and promotion by Vault-Tech
- Restoration of the King of Ecuador is hinted at being supported by foreign mercenaries from a tea drinking country
- Bristol becomes BAC, which carries on alongside many of its @ components in the other major aircraft groups
- Leonard Nimoy becomes the host of In Search Of earlier, with the amusing kicker that it is a cover for a secret investigative group
- On August 9, young Theodore Bundy picks up a rather interesting hitchhiker who turns out to be a vampiress. His night ends up very, very differently from his plan...
- Joe Friday and Dirty Harry catch the confounded Tambourine Man before he can corrupt any more youngsters!
- The archaeologists in Spain discover a tomb where the reference to the Riddle of Steel is mistakenly translated
- August 15 is a direct reference to the great Marty Robbins song
- Bahrain has a different ethnic make up, arising from earlier migration patterns attracted by oil
- Little John Smith is a quite formidable boxer to counter
- The Oregon killer whale - let's call him Willy - is freed by the actions of the nice young boy. His dog, Boomer, is from the television show Here's Boomer and Ted the professor is Theodore Kaczynski
- There seems to have been evidence of something that looked like an atmospheric nuclear test over the USSR
- August 26 refers to the Iron Maiden song Dance of Death
- The leader of the Eskimo Rangers is the Mighty Quin; his dogs are Buck (The Call of the Wild) and White Fang
- Britain continues to have all manner of coins, not going down the path of decimalisation
- The Road to Miklagard is a lesser known British children's historical novel of the 1950s/60s, but has quite the story. Indeed, all of Henry Treece's works have a decent plot

September
- The various ship commissionings represent quite the increase in the Andrew’s strength and capacity. Consider also where the DLGs are built
- Chinese mushrooms will cause no trouble whatsoever
- MELF is contracting as forward deployments are replaced by flying in troops
- Electric shock guns are one thing, but prisoners really have no answer to an angry giant short faced bear. They are big buggers
- Tesla might even start up a company with his name…
- The Baker Street robbery is foiled through a combination of police believing reports and divination narrowing down the possible locations. Assault rifles and police lions take the fight out of unarmed robbers
- Development of outfield protection spells cuts the loss of play in cricket matches to rain. How else might this be employed?
- Pyramids in the Indus Valley points towards certain connections
- The events at the O.K. Launderette are from the pilot episode of Minder
- Hawaii 5-0 and Kolchak the Night Stalker combine to raid the Love Boat and capture the dastardly Captain and Tennille!
- Denmark starts to get more attention and aid as the Soviets and WP increase their capabilities
- The mystery of the dead bodies in SF is perplexing. It is as if they left their hearts in San Francisco
- Arnold Schwarzenegger having a flawless accent is …interesting…
- The Internal Security Act of 1950 remains on the books

[jemhouston]

Captain and Tennille was arrested for having ear worm music?

[Vendetta]

This may be an odd direction to take things, but I think Israel might be the state most liable to dally with the USSR. Israel’s refusal to participate in the Baghdad Pact is one seed of discord you’ve already sown into the narrative. Historically, there was a strong socialist camp within the Zionist movement, and in your world where there they aren’t constantly fighting wars with Arab nationalist states, where there’s no pervasive sense of existential threat and the ethnic conflict is much more muted and suppressed, the rise of the Israeli right may be forestalled.

Israel has always had strong expansionist tendencies, and I can only imagine those desires being stronger in a world where the conquest of the Palestinians has gone much more smoothly for them. A strong British hegemon maintaining close relationships with the Arab monarchies is the biggest obstacle to any expansion of Israel, and that will naturally fuel resentment.

Israel took part in your Middle East War, invading Egypt and Syria alongside British forces, but while Britain sought to restore friendly regimes to power in these countries, I think the Israelis would have had other motives - they’d have sought territorial gains in the Sinai and the Golan as rewards for their participation. For the sake of maintaining their relationships with the Arabs, the British cannot allow this. Given the balance of power situation, the Israelis would back down when Britain confronts them and insists on the maintenance of the pre-war borders. Backing down is the pragmatic choice, of course, but it would be a very unpopular and humiliating decision. Similarly to Italy after the historical WWI, there may be a widespread feeling of resentment for having been denied their rightful spoils of war.

Imagine then, that this leads to the rise of a far-left populist movement, one that denounces the mainstream parties as stooges of the British, cowards who gave up what could have been held. If only we had been in charge, it would have been the British who gave in and let us have the Golan. Israel is a beacon of progress and modernity; the Arab states are reactionary backwaters, and it is only the self-interested British who stand in the way of Israel spreading progress through the region. Such would be their rhetoric.

British intelligence would obviously be concerned at the rise of such a party - but perhaps it would be too slow to respond pre-emptively, failing to appreciate how quickly this new party would win converts not only from the far left, but from the Israeli right. In a shocking electoral upset, this new party is swept into power, and its loudly outspoken firebrand of a leader is suddenly the prime minister of Israel.

What ensues is a situation somewhere between that of Chavez’s rise to power in Venezuela and Erdogan’s in Turkey in our own history. Israel’s new leader is wily enough to understand that there is no hope of winning an actual war with the British Empire, but with a keen instinct for controversy, he happily steps into the role of antagonist, becoming a ceaseless source of outrageous threats, bluffs, insults, and provocations, while always keeping an eye open for opportunities to insert himself into regional issues and pouncing on each chance to take advantage.

This new leader becomes a major nuisance to the British, but one that has to be handled delicately - Britain cannot do what it did in Egypt because Israel is a nuclear state. But the Israeli leader remains frustratingly popular, and continues to dominate the elections, in spite of British efforts to support his opposition. The Israeli security services prove unwilling or unable to execute a coup against him, having either been won over or purged.

The Soviets recognize the situation as an opportunity to gain their long-desired foothold in the region. Their efforts with the Arabs have been an utter failure. Israel is clearly the strong horse; its a switch they’ll be happy to make. The Israeli leader will always be too much of a loose cannon for their liking, never the pliable puppet they really want, but the opportunities in this relationship for them are immense.

Israel’s relations with Britain and the West in general will plummet as it develops closer ties with the USSR; naturally this will lead to difficulties acquiring arms from anyone but the Soviets. But there’s a major difference here if Israel becomes your Soviet arms client instead of the Arabs, one that could add a lot of drama to your story: the Israelis have their own own well-developed military-industrial complex, and a sophisticated understanding of the Western technologies they have been supplied with. So they are not going to just be buying Soviet gear and stashing it in their stockpile - they will be fitting it out with their own modifications, equipment, and ordnance. And it wouldn’t be a one way relationship either - Israel has samples of advanced Western hardware, which the Soviets would be willing to pay quite a bit to get their hands on. It would have immense implications for your universe if the Soviet Union were able to get access to these technologies through Israel.

That’s the best angle I could come up with. What do you think of it?

[Simon Darkshade]

It is a very well thought out and detailed attempt. As such, I really hate to pull it down, but it has a few assumptions at the base which make it collapse:

- Israel didn’t refuse to take part in the Baghdad Pact. Rather, that was a decision by the Arabs with some American nudging. Britain and Israel were in favour of it joining
- Israel is part of the Empire and Commonwealth as a Dominion. It is easily the most independent and ‘different’ of the Dominions, due to ethnic and religious difference, but it still a full member and partner
- It didn’t conquer anyone, but rather was established in the 1930s with its current borders, including the Golan and Sinai
- It received its nuclear weapons from Britain and fought in 1956 as part of the Empire, not as a separate entity. It also fought in WW2, Korea, Malaya and Vietnam
- As British forces have progressively pulled back from Egypt, they shifted a whole division, the 5th Armoured, to Israel. As this unit deployed back to Britain, their equipment has been left behind as a POMCUS type set up
- There are still British air, sea and land forces based in Israel, along with a US Marine brigade

There is a lot here:

https://alternate-timelines.proboards.com/post/43322

(The absence of the archived board is vexsome for situations like these, but needs must)

So excellent argument and reasoning, but off base.