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Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Tue 20 Apr 2021, 21:29
by Jizmack
Comment on the Beta Referee's Manual:
In order to prevent any other country, like China, from becoming more powerful than the USSR during as a result of nuclear war with NATO, the Soviets targeted capital cities and major military/economic centers of all the major nations in the world.
Basically, if my government collapses, so does everyone else’s!
I would definitely include that I the timeline.

Re: Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Mon 26 Apr 2021, 02:52
by aramis
If obeyed, it has the side effect of everyone else returning fire. Russia ceases to exist; the rest of the USSR likely follows suit. On the other hand, Chernobyl shows us that the long term effects aren't nearly as bad as expected for a given exposure.

Re: Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Mon 26 Apr 2021, 10:04
by andresk
Basically, if my government collapses, so does everyone else’s!
That sounds like the Israeli Samson option more than anything else. The existence and exact nature of said doctrine is up to anyone's imagination however.

Re: Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Mon 26 Apr 2021, 20:02
by Birdie_Sparrow
If obeyed, it has the side effect of everyone else returning fire. Russia ceases to exist; the rest of the USSR likely follows suit. On the other hand, Chernobyl shows us that the long term effects aren't nearly as bad as expected for a given exposure.
Chernobyl was not a multi-megaton weapon going off (or multiple high yield nukes as cities tend to be bracketed by multiple warheads). It was a relatively self-contained event with very limited impact. There is also a huge difference in half-life between fuel rods and the various weapons grade Pu that is used. There is literally no comparison.

Re: Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Tue 27 Apr 2021, 09:42
by andresk
Chernobyl was not a multi-megaton weapon going off (or multiple high yield nukes as cities tend to be bracketed by multiple warheads). It was a relatively self-contained event with very limited impact. There is also a huge difference in half-life between fuel rods and the various weapons grade Pu that is used. There is literally no comparison.
I'm fairly certain Aramis meant the radiation.
Airburst nukes generate negligible fallout when compared to an event like Chernobyl where an open nuclear reactor was spewing radioactive materials into the atmosphere. As for the larger effects of limited nuclear exchanges, we can only speculate.

Re: Soviet Doctrine: nuke everyone

Posted: Fri 07 May 2021, 11:14
by aramis
Also, most of the strategic warheads are NOT fission warheads (other than the initiator), but fusion. Much better yield per kg.

It's only the tac-nukes that are going to be fission warheads.