Questions tagged [cold-war]
For questions set during between 1947 – 1991, when the Soviet Union and the United States were openly hostile without resorting to violent measures.
31 questions
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Are nuke companies feasible?
In my alternate Earth Cold War setting, I have an insular, non-aligned, theocratic continent particularly obsessed with nuclear weapons. It views nuclear weapons as a revolutionary new frontier to war ...
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What is the lowest feasible depth for lightly-armed military submarines designed around the 1950s-60s?
TL;DR: What is the lowest feasible depth, with some wiggle room, that a smaller, lightly-armed military submarine designed around the 1950s-60s would be capable of reaching? Are there examples of such ...
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How does a military fight while trying not to be nuked?
To avoid detail in the name of getting at the underlying question, I've got a modern-adjacent military being invaded by well-equipped nomads supported by angry aliens in space who have far too many ...
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Name for a neutral region created by multiple states
Four warring countries sign a compact to cease aggression.
The compact establishes a city to act as neutral territory for economic and foreign policy meetings. The city has an independent government ...
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Would the successful creation of nuclear powered bombers in the 1950s have had any meaningful impact on the Cold War?
As far as I am aware nuclear powered bombers were the first attempt by the USSR and USA (either unintentional or not) at enhanced nuclear deterrence. Intending to place a nuclear reactor in a plane ...
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What would happen if a huge solid ball (temperature zero kelvin) of helium appeared suddenly in a deep sea?
I'm writing a story about an icy alien culture which applies ultracold helium bombs that they can make appear at any place. The battle between good and evil translates in hot and cold. Though of ...
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Military/Government Breakdown in Post-Apocalyptic USSR
Background:
In an alternative universe the Cold War (circa 1975) turns hot after some satellite communications errors. Nukes start flying — but for the purpose of the question, let's just focus on the ...
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Uses for a 1950s-era nuclear-powered land vehicle?
I have heard of the Chrysler TV-8 design, an amphibious armored vehicle powered by an onboard nuclear reactor...basically a nuclear-powered tank. The TV-8 never made it off the drawing board; the ...
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What key positions in 1969 USA would aliens need to influence to control the US nuclear arsenal?
It is 1969, the conspiracy theorists are all correct and aliens are secretly trying to control everything. But
the Reptoids are refugees
very limited in number
concerned about being exposed
Other ...
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Could the President stop an alien President copy from nuking Washington DC?
My world is parallel to ours, except alien doppelgangers have infiltrated human society for generations to hide from their enemies in space. They have positioned themselves to stop their rivals from ...
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How to make non-tradable sector unattractive for ambitious entrepreneurs?
I'm writing a story about a government of a former colony who wants to industrialize the country and build its manufacturing base. However too many entrepreneurs prefer to invest into non-tradable ...
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How to prevent electronic advancement beyond the early cold war era?
Here are what I wants in my world:
Early generation of computer with a bulky size and very limited capability, like the text-based computer in Fallout universe.
Limited guidance and detection system. ...
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Was it possible to keep the nuclear mechanism of the atom bomb a secret?
After the bombing of Hiroshima, US President Harry Truman issued a speech talking about the use of an "atomic bomb". But was it possible to keep this mechanism a secret? Perhaps by pretending it was a ...
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How big can my tank be? [duplicate]
In an alternate 1950s cold war, the Soviet Union and the United States (and their NATO and Warsaw pact allies) are locked in an arms race not unlike our own. What's the difference you ask? Instead of ...
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Could social score be implemented without internet & social networks?
My hero is western tween born to rich emigres from fictional country, inspired by Romania. His parents escaped in the west, before demonstrators toppled the regime and took quite a wealth with them.
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