tc.redstormrising-第184章

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。　We　have　learned　ourselves　that　the　reality　of　war　can　be　different　from　the　theory　of　war。〃
〃So　you　support　our　decision　to　use　tactical　nuclear　weapons？〃　the　Foreign　Minister　asked。
No！　The　lie　rolled　off　his　lips。　〃If　you　are　certain　that　you　can　prevent　retaliation；　of　course　I　support　it。　I　caution　you；　however；　that　my　reading　of　NATO's　response　might　be　very　different　from　what　we　might　otherwise　expect。　I　would　expect　retaliation　to　fall　some　hours　later　than　we　think；　and　against　strategic　rather　than　tactical　targets。　They　are　more　likely　to　hit　road　and　rail　junctions；　airfields；　and　supply　facilities。　These　do　not　move。　Our　tanks　do。〃　Think　on　what　I　just　said；　rades。　things　will　quickly　go　out　of　control。　Make　peace；　you　fools！
〃So　you　think　we　could　use　tactical　weapons　with　impunity　if　we　simultaneously　threaten　strategic　targets　of　our　own？〃　the　General　Secretary　asked　hopefully。
〃That　is　essentially　the　NATO　pre…war　doctrine。　It　overlooks　the　fact　that　the　use　of　nuclear　weapons　over　friendly　territory　is　not　something　undertaken　lightly。　rades；　I　warn　you　that　the　prevention　of　a　NATO　response　will　not　be　an　easy　exercise。〃
〃You　worry　about　the　battlefield；　rade　General；〃　the　Defense　Minister　suggested　lightly。　〃We　will　worry　about　the　political　questions。〃
There　was　only　one　more　thing　he　could　say　to　discourage　them。　〃Very　well。　In　that　case　I　will　need　direct　control　of　the　weapons。〃
〃Why？〃　the　General　Secretary　demanded。
So　they　won't　be　fired；　you　fucking　idiots！　〃We　have　here　a　question　of　practicality。　Targets　will　appear　and　disappear　on　a　minute…to…minute　basis。　If　you　want　me　to　blast　a　hole　in　NATO　lines　with　atomic　arms；　I　will　not　have　the　time　to　get　your　approval。〃
Alekseyev　was　horrified　to　see　that　even　this　did　not　dissuade　them。
〃How　many　would　you　need？〃　the　Defense　Minister　wanted　to　know。
〃That　is　a　question　contingent　upon　the　time　and　place　of　the　breakthrough　operation；　and　we　would　use　small　weapons　against　discrete　point　targets…not　population　centers。　I　would　say　a　maximum　of　thirty　weapons　in　the　five…　to　ten…kiloton　range。　We　would　launch　them　with　free…flight　artillery　rockets。〃
〃How　soon　will　you　be　ready　for　your　attack？〃　Marshal　Bukharin　asked。
〃That　depends　on　how　quickly　I　can　get　veteran　troops　into　the　new　divisions。　If　these　reservists　are　to　survive　on　the　battlefield；　we　must　get　experienced　men　to　firm　up　their　ranks。〃
〃A　good　idea；　rade　General；〃　the　Defense　Minister　approved。　〃We　will　not　detain　you　further。　In　two　days；　I　want　to　see　detailed　plans　for　your　breakthrough。〃
The　five　members　of　the　Defense　Council　watched　Alekseyev　salute；　pivot　on　his　heels；　and　depart。　Kosov　looked　up　at　Marshal　Bukharin。
〃And　you　wanted　to　replace　this　man？〃
The　General　Secretary　agreed。　〃That's　the　first　real　fighting　soldier　I've　seen　in　years。〃
Alekseyev　waved　for　Major　Sergetov　to　follow　him。　Only　he　felt　the　cold　lead　weight　in　his　belly。　Only　he　knew　how　weak　his　knees　were　as　they　trod　down　the　marble　steps。　Alekseyev　didn't　believe　in　God；　but　he　knew　that　he　had　just　seen　the　door　to　hell　cracked　open。
〃Major；〃　he　said　casually　as　they　entered　the　staff　car；　〃since　we're　in　Moscow；　perhaps　you　would　like　to　visit　your　father　the　Minister　before　we　return　to　the　front？〃
〃That　is　very　kind　of　you；　rade　General。〃
〃You　have　earned　it；　rade　Major。　Besides；　I　want　figures　on　our　oil　supply。〃
The　driver　would　report　what　he'd　heard；　of　course。
〃They　want　me　to　use　nuclear　weapons　at　the　front！〃　Alekseyev　whispered　as　soon　as　the　Minister's　door　was　closed。
〃Yes；　I　was　afraid　of　that。〃
〃They　must　be　stopped！　There　is　no　predicting　what　catastrophe　this　could　bring　about。〃
〃The　Defense　Minister　says　that　a　tactical　nuclear　environment　could　easily　be　controlled。〃
〃He's　talking　like　one　of　those　NATO　idiots！　There　is　no　wall　between　a　tactical　and　a　strategic　nuclear　exchange；　just　a　fuzzy　line　in　the　imagination　of　the　amateurs　and　academics　who　advise　their　political　leaders。　The　only　thing　that　would　then　stand　between　us　and　a　nuclear　holocaust…our　survival　would　be　at　the　mercy　of　whichever　NATO　leader　is　the　least　stable。〃
〃What　did　you　tell　them？〃　the　Minister　asked。　Had　Alekseyev　retained　his　wits　enough　to　say　the　right　thing？
〃I　must　be　alive　to　stop　them…I　told　them　it's　a　wonderful　ideal〃　The　General　sat　down。　〃I　also　told　them　that　I　must　have　tactical　control　of　the　weapons。　I　think　they　will　agree　to　that。　I'll　make　sure　those　weapons　are　never　used。　I　have　just　the　man　on　my　staff　to　do　that；　too。〃
〃You　agree　then　that　the　Defense　Council　must　be　stopped？〃
〃Yes。〃　The　General　looked　down　at　the　floor；　then　back　up。　〃Otherwise…I　don't　know。　It　is　possible　that　their　plan　might　start　something　that　no　one　could　stop。　If　we　die；　we　die　in　a　good　cause。〃
〃How　do　we　stop　them？〃
〃When　does　the　Politburo　meet？〃
〃Every　day　now。　We　usually　meet　at　nine…thirty。〃
〃Whom　can　we　trust？〃
〃Kosov　is　with　us。　There　will　be　a　few　others；　Politburo　members；　but　I　do　not　know　whom　I　can　approach。〃
Wonderful…our　only　certain　ally　is　the　KGB！
〃I　need　some　time。〃
〃Perhaps　this　will　help。〃　Sergetov　handed　over　a　file　he'd　gotten　from　Kosov。　〃Here　is　a　list　of　officers　in　your　mand　who　are　suspected　of　political　unreliability。〃
Alekseyev　scanned　the　list。　He　recognized　the　names　of　three　men　who　had　served　with　distinction　in　battalion　and　regimental　mands　。　。　。　one　good　staff　officer　and　one　terrible　one。　Even　when　my　men　fight　a　war　for　the　Motherland；　they　are　under　suspicion！
〃I'm　supposed　to　formulate　my　attack　plan　before　I　return　to　the　front。　I　will　be　at　Army　Headquarters。〃
〃Good　luck；　Pavel　Leonidovich。〃
〃And　to　you；　Mikhail　Eduardovich。〃　The　General　watched　father　and　son　embrace。　He　wondered　what　his　own　father　would　think　of　this。　To　whom　do　I　turn　for　guidance？

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Good　afternoon；　I　am　Major　General　William　Emerson。　This　is　Colonel　Lowe。　He　will　act　as　interpreter。
〃General　Major　Andreyev。　I　speak　English。〃
〃Do　you　propose　a　surrender？〃　Emerson　asked。
〃I　propose　that　we　negotiate；〃　Andreyev　answered。
〃I　require　that　your　forces　cease　hostilities　at　once　and　surrender　their　weapons。〃
〃And　what　will　bee　of　my　troops？〃
〃They　will　be　interned　as　prisoners　of　war。　Your　wounded　will　receive　proper　medical　attention　and　your　men　will　be　treated　in　accordance　with　the　usual　international　conventions。〃
〃How　do　I　know　you　speak　truly？〃
〃You　do　not。〃
Andreyev　noted　the　blunt；　honest　answer。　But　what　choice　do　I　have？
〃I　propose　a　cease…fire〃…he　checked　his　watch…〃at　fifteen　hours。〃
〃Agreed。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃How　long？〃　SACEUR　asked。
〃Three　days。　We'll　be　able　to　attack　with　four　divisions。〃
What's　left　off　our　divisions；　SACEUR　thought。　We've　stopped　then　all　right；　but　what　do　we　have　to　drive　them　back　with？
They　did　have　confidence。　NATO　had　begun　the　war　with　an　advantage　only　in　its　technology；　which　was　even　more　pronounced　now。　The　Russian　stocks　of　new　tanks　and　guns　had　been　ravaged；　and　the　divisions　ing　into　the　line　now　had　twenty…year…old　castoffs。　They　still　had　numbers；　though；　and　any　offensive　SACEUR　planned　would　have　to　be　carefully　planned　and　executed。　Only　in　the　air　did　he　have　an　important　advantage；　and　air　power　had　never　won　a　war。　The　Germans　were　pushing　hard　for　a　counterstrike。　Too　much　of　their　land；　and　too　many　of　their　citizens；　were　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　line。　Already　the　Bundeswehr　was　probing　aggressively　on　several　fronts；　but　they'd　have　to　wait。　The　German　Army　was　not　strong　enough　to　push　forward　alone。　They'd　taken　too　many　losses　in　their　prime　role　of　stopping　the　Soviet　advance。

KAZAN；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　youngsters　were　too　excited　to　sleep。　The　older　men　were　too　worried　to　sleep。　Conditions　didn't　help。　The　men　of　the　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　were　crammed　into　passenger　cars；　and　while　all　had　seats；　it　was　at　the　cost　of　rubbing　against　their　rades　even　as　they　breathed。　The　troop　trains　moved　along　at　a　speed　of　a　hundred　kilometers　per　hour。　The　tracks　were　set　in　the　Russian　way；　with　the　rail　segments　ending　together　instead　of　offset；　so；　instead　of　the　clickity…click　familiar　to　Western　riders；　the　men　of　this　C　division　heard　only　a　series　of　thuds。　It　test