Military Geography of the Sino-Soviet Border.
Abstract
Relations between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Soviet Union have been strained for some 20 years. Evidence of this train abounds in the harsh political rhetoric directed toward the Soviets by the Chinese, in their continuing attempts to paint the Soviets as hegemonists to Third World and other countries, and even in military confrontations in disputed border areas. In view of this prolonged hostility, and China's frequently-repeated statements on the inevitability of war between the PRC and USSR, some appreciation of likely Soviet invasion routes, and the geographic factors influencing them, is important. Postulating a Soviet attack against the PRC, this study provides background on Soviet military formations and doctrine. Then the geography of the Sino-Soviet border is analyzed with respect to military considerations, and likely invasion routes are depicted, both for general and limited-objective attacks. The study concludes that geography is no significant impediment to the Soviet's ability to launch devastating conventional force attacks against the PRC in virtually any region along the border, or several regions, at any time. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 31, 1981
- Accession Number
- ADA102820
Entities
People
- Alan D. Tompkins
- Bernard D. Tolassi
- Burton D. Kurland
- Kenneth E. Moorhead
- Peter A. Kelly
Organizations
- United States Army War College