Several years back I posted many relevant declassified documents concerning a "
Hot" Cold War. They actually might be in this thread. Below are some "
big picture" and references to the more "tactical" issues. I feel it's important to understand the "big picture" to set the odds if you will. What we can't apply are the misconceptions that both sides had, i.e. from those earlier documents I posted was an assessment that the Russians didn't advance because of our technical advantage (Some cite this below.) specifically with our ATGW primarily the
DRAGON and early
TOW (To a lesser degree.) they thought the use of them combined with existing armor would've have adversely affected their advance and slowed it long enough for reinforcements to arrive from the U.S. etc.
Thankfully the Russians never found out how poorly, especially the
DRAGON performed when firing across water etc. which we did know about and why
TOW was rushed into service.
Of course there are many others factors such as we could track their SSBN's but at that time ours were much quieter. Three things are generally accepted into what brought the end of the Cold War
1. Massive spending on our part for defense.
2. "Star Wars" anti missile system (Reality was this would end up being a perception/propaganda issue as we were years away form getting it when the wall came down.) which was cancelled at the end of the Cold War.
3. The
TRIDENT submarine which they could never track and could hit anywhere in Russia.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/d...138256.htm#top
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingr...aw-pact-forces
https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...aw-pact-forces
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/su...nd-oppression/
http://www.kentstateuniversitypress....e-warsaw-pact/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kONMKmWQyE8
(Assuming war in 1989.)
http://insidethecoldwar.org/sites/de...ons—1982.pdf
(1982 Force levels and analysis.)
https://www.thesun.co.uk/living/2074...orched-europe/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/...45.2014.950250
There's so much out here now then even a few years back-amazing.
Regards,
Pat
