East - West Clash in 1945.
Gentlemen,
Please allow me to make some elaborate remarks.
1) You could use the map by Gary Skaar of the entire world (excl. South America) in his "World War II" scenario. It's small but pleasant to play and I'm sure he won't mind you using it. A smaller Europe / Middel East map is already available from Piero's "1992 - What If?" scenario. But if you want deatil, you need Jo van der Pluym's map of what we would now call the Central European Front used in his "Operation Krasniy Grom 1989" scenario. I'm sure he won't mind either you using it.
2) The reason. Most people think FDR sold out the West at Yalta. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've studied this part of history for more than years years and found a lot of evidence to the contrary, he only didn't plan on dying. His plan was to advance straight into Germany (into the Soviet Zone of Occupation agreed upon in Yalta) and discard Soviet objections. He knew that by then he would not only posses nuclear weapons (of which an initial production line of 100 was being set up), but also 40,000 antrax bombs the US produced for the British. With these WMD, he would then force the USSR to accept his propasal to place all WMD under UN supervision, have UN soldiers occupy all WMD research laboratories and all uranium ore mines worldwide. Those not complying would be forced by the UN's military might. His idea was to use the UN as a world-government with himself as President. With these intentions in mind, FDR simply didn't bother to argue with Stalin or Churchill at Yalta (Though he had weakened, his general health condition was not the cause of his death, a cerebreal hemmorage was). Cornelius Ryan, journalist and author of such works as "The Longest Day", "Is Paris Burning?", "A Bridge too Far" and "The Last Battle", discovered written evidence and maps by FDR's hand of this in a Pentagon vault. Others found notes on FDR's intentions concerning the UN when they cleaned out his desk after his death. Only the General Staff members were aware of FDR's imperialistic plans and they decided not to inform Truman of them to prevent that Third World War in case the Soviets would
refuse. This is history gentlemen, it would have happened had FDR not died. Furthermore Stalin had ordered his Generals and Marshals commanding those units close to the Western Allies to "accidently" launch huge artillery barrages into the Western Zones agreed upon in Yalta to impress the Americans and British of Soviet might. In these circumstances, a clash between East and West would have been almost unavoidable.
3) Several German intelligence officers were taken to the US, not as POWs but as Allies even before the offical end of hostilities. We are all aware of what happened with the rocket scientists and how their pasts were "cleaned up". Even SS scientists who had performed experiments in concentration and death camps were used as valueble assets in the struggle against communism. In an East-West confrontation, the Wehrmacht and the SS would undoubtably have found alongside the Western Allies while war crimes would have been minimalized and evidence destroyed. The US did this with the Japanese concentration Camps in China because they needed the scientific results of experiments that were conducted there. It was a massive cover-up and it worked. So why not in Europe?
4) Some practicle details. I can provide you with a complete list of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons available at any point in time as well as with a lists of delivery systems (missiles, aircraft and artillery shells). Furthermore I can give you a rundown of US nuclear warplans from 1945 onwards. An additional 10 US divisions (9 infantry and 1 airborne) could have been deployed to Europe in 1945. I can also give you a complete listing of all US Army units, the composition of major commands and units and their location throughout the war. This from US armies down to battalion level.
5) Personnaly, I would either use the map of Central Europe by Jo van der pluym, or the "1992 - What If?" map. In the first case, you'd have to use regimental/Brigade level but the second would require divisional/corps level. On the other hand the "1992 - What If?" map would be a bit pointless. As the Soviets didn't have any sealift capacity worth mentioning, operations would be limited to Central Europe anyway. Their Long-Range aviation was non-existant as well in 1945. There is no way they could have conquered either Britain, the Middle East (let alone Northern Africa) or Italy and Spain. The Red Army had no equipment for desert warfare and no aircraft suited for such climate. Neither would their heavy units have been able to cross either the Alps or the Pyrenees. As the Western Allies had complete control over the Atlantic as well, a map stretching beyond Europe would be pointless in my view. Details such as the attitude of India, Australia, Norway etc. would have to be considered carefully.
You can reach me at
Northpole@Skynet.be (for TOAW matters such as maps and scenarios) and at
Southpole@Skynet.be for technical matters (OOBs, TOEs, etc.).