NATO

### HQ

Formally Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), in Mons, Belgium. In practice, none.

### Military Strength

Around 8,000 troops still responding to order

### Allies

Free Poland

NATO, aka the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, was a combined military structure intended to implement the mutual defensive structures of the North Atlantic Treaty. Although theoretically directed at any external threat to its members, in practice the overwhelming focus of NATO was the defense of a Soviet attack on Western Europe, with a particular focus on frontline states such as Norway, Turkey and West Germany.

When World War III broke out, the North Atlantic Treaty was invoked by the West German government and NATO's military forces and combined command structure sprung into action. Although unable to stop the initial Soviet thrust, NATO troops managed to maintain cohesion and command and control as they were forced back across the North European plain. At the Venlo Salient, a combined force of American, British, West German, Dutch and Belgian troops outflanked and defeated the elite Soviet 20th Guards Army in a combined arms battle which was hailed as one of the most masterful and critical military victories since Stalingrad. Exploiting weak Soviet supply lines and discontent within Eastern European satellite state, NATO troops recaptured West Germany and drove into East Germany. It seemed that NATO had made Western Europe safe, but the organisation's military and political leaders agreed that this was not enough - they needed to end the Soviet threat, and an opportunity existed that might not continue if the USSR was allowed an armistice in which to regain control of its satellites and reorganise its military. Despite Soviet warnings that entering Poland would be considered an existential threat to Soviet sovereignty, NATO forces crossed the border.

The war changed when the USSR made good on its warning and launched a tactical nuclear strike against NATO forces in western Poland. While NATO's political leaders had not expected this, pre-existing tactical counter-force plans went into effect. The NATO offensive into Poland was blunted but not broken, and NATO's own nuclear arsenal took a heavy toll of Warsaw Pact forces. Despite heavy casualties and severe supply disruption, NATO forces were intact and continued to press forward into Polish territory, albeit much more slowly and cautiously.

When the second nuclear exchange came, NATO's command structure was eradicated. Soviet long range nuclear missiles obliterated NATO's headquarters in Belgium and its field command structure. Orders no longer came from SACEUR or even from national governments. The highest ranking NATO officers in Poland were left to improvise in the field in an increasingly difficult situation as their units suffered attrition due to desertion, sickness and supply issues. Some units simply stopped responding to orders, some were left as nothing but a command staff as troops took their weapons and went off alone to try to find food, water and shelter. The only consolation was that Soviet forces had exactly the same issues.

The NATO forces that invaded Poland initially numbered some 80,000, not counting their Polish allies. Now it is estimated about 8,000 soldiers are still in units that consider themselves part of NATO and continue to pursue the goals of the alliance. Of course many more former NATO soldiers are scattered across the country, some having joined local communities, some having formed or joined Marauder bands, and some simply holing up in the countryside and doing their best to survive. The existing units try to coordinate with one another and with Free Poland but the lack of any long-range communication makes strategic cooperation all but impossible.

Most of the NATO troops engaged in Poland were from the US Army or the West German *Bundeswehr*. There was also a substantial British contribution, mostly focused on the Baltic coast, as well as smaller but significant Dutch, Belgian, Danish and Canadian components.