I don't think anyone will read this
August 1961 - tanks from the US and USSR stand off against each other at Checkpoint Charlie. An American lieutenant, Pike, crosses the border and looks around during a lull in the standoff. Pike is caught by a Soviet tank crew returning to their vehicle and detained, while other Americans rush in to free him. Weapons are drawn and it's unclear who shot first or why, but less than a minute later 3 Soviets and 2 Americans lie dead or dying and the rest scatter, both sides shooting rifles and machine guns at the fleeing enemy and in turn, the tanks start shooting at each other. Warhawks in Washington and Moscow see their chance, and the Third World War has begun. Luckily President Kennedy talks the American warhawks out of full-scale nuclear war, promising them that they can win without needing them - similar talks happen in Moscow, but they also know they're severely outgunned in that department so decide they have to win conventionally or not at all.
By the end of September, the communists have pushed across the Rhine but their forces are spent. Casualties have been immense and NATO forces have been strategically pulling back since their defeat at Fulda. Soviet forward detachments make it as far as the Netherlands, but with supply lines stretched, broken West German units acting as partisans in Germany, and increasing NATO air superiority as bases in France and the low countries draw closer, the Soviet advance is stopped fully by mid-October. There's a lull in the fighting over winter as more troops pour in, but 1962 is the year of NATO advances. In January a surprise attack through Luxembourg by British and French forces spearheads a more total advance across the lines. By the beginning of March, the Rhine has been reached and in some places crossed, and the Soviets are in a fighting retreat. Polish forces had been doing anti-partisan fighting (some of which had been horrific due to some Poles wanting revenge for the last war) and had to be redirected to the front lines to make up for the shortfall in Soviet troops as second-line units lacked experience and took a while to get to the front. By October most of Germany had been liberated and West German forces rejoined the front line in force, which would prove enough to push to Berlin. By the end of December, Berlin was in NATO control and most East German forces began to surrender if they became isolated. After another lull over the new year, the Soviets would counterattack through Czechoslovakia into Bavaria but to no avail, and in 1963 NATO pushes into Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. By April Czechoslovakia had surrendered, Hungary does so as well in June, and Poland holds out until August, although most of the forces of each were under Soviet control by now and fought on, but many did surrender as soon as they could. By the end of the year, the frontline had reached as far as the Vistula River and eastern Hungary. Yugoslavia would enter the war on the NATO side in December 1963, having stayed neutral until then. Throughout 1964 Bulgaria and Romania would also surrender, leaving the USSR alone. By February 1965 negotiations between the new Soviet leader Brezhnev and president Johnson end with the USSR surrendering under threat of total nuclear annihilation
By the end of September, the communists have pushed across the Rhine but their forces are spent. Casualties have been immense and NATO forces have been strategically pulling back since their defeat at Fulda. Soviet forward detachments make it as far as the Netherlands, but with supply lines stretched, broken West German units acting as partisans in Germany, and increasing NATO air superiority as bases in France and the low countries draw closer, the Soviet advance is stopped fully by mid-October. There's a lull in the fighting over winter as more troops pour in, but 1962 is the year of NATO advances. In January a surprise attack through Luxembourg by British and French forces spearheads a more total advance across the lines. By the beginning of March, the Rhine has been reached and in some places crossed, and the Soviets are in a fighting retreat. Polish forces had been doing anti-partisan fighting (some of which had been horrific due to some Poles wanting revenge for the last war) and had to be redirected to the front lines to make up for the shortfall in Soviet troops as second-line units lacked experience and took a while to get to the front. By October most of Germany had been liberated and West German forces rejoined the front line in force, which would prove enough to push to Berlin. By the end of December, Berlin was in NATO control and most East German forces began to surrender if they became isolated. After another lull over the new year, the Soviets would counterattack through Czechoslovakia into Bavaria but to no avail, and in 1963 NATO pushes into Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. By April Czechoslovakia had surrendered, Hungary does so as well in June, and Poland holds out until August, although most of the forces of each were under Soviet control by now and fought on, but many did surrender as soon as they could. By the end of the year, the frontline had reached as far as the Vistula River and eastern Hungary. Yugoslavia would enter the war on the NATO side in December 1963, having stayed neutral until then. Throughout 1964 Bulgaria and Romania would also surrender, leaving the USSR alone. By February 1965 negotiations between the new Soviet leader Brezhnev and president Johnson end with the USSR surrendering under threat of total nuclear annihilation
