Recommendations for a small, modern, cold war inspiration?

[brasidas19004]

Looking at some of my aging novels, like "The Wild Geese" and FF's "Dogs of War" I like the idea of a relatively *small* conflict involving larger international and national government, corporate, and domestic concerns of the location as a setting for a fictional military solution. 

ERGO, I am looking for an historical military event / intervention, that involves less than a battalion or so of "professionals" with support, so say 1,000 in the force altogether [but preferably less, more like 200-400].

I have zero concern for the relative merits of the historical conflict in the eyes of anybody at all.

Truth be told, I intend to use it as inspiration for an ongoing Traveller 1e campaign that I am running for a group of similarly aging grognards. I want them to recognize the themes, but not the specific sci-fi conflict which will be set 4,000 years in the future... or so.

So, imagine that someone comes to you and says, "Hey, we want to re-write a classic cold war novel like Wild Geese or Dogs of War, perhaps use it as a script for a movie... where should we get inspiration for the setting?" and you'll be on the right track.

If you feel your suggestion is too modern for this board, just PM me instead, not interested in getting anyone "moderated".

Thanks for your informed suggestions!

[commissarmoody]

Nothing wrong with that idea as a setting. mike hoare "commando" is a good read for such a setting. Along with anything about executive outcomes.
If you going for a future setting I know in the movie Elysium has  mercy named Kruger who was a vet for the South African border wars in 32 Battalion. And kept youthful by means of an advanced medical bay that uses space magic.

[robh]

Plenty of inspiration for obscure small scale combats arising from the break up of the Soviet Union;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_conflicts_in_territory_of_the_former_Soviet_Union

This one would give you the sort of numbers and political background you are after:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Ossetia_war_(1991%E2%80%931992)

[brasidas19004]

I assume you mean the book by Mike Hoare, "Mercenary"?  Commando is used in a lot of other titles.

[Fred Mills]

Lots of Cold War scenarios can be generated by looking at major countries' operations outside the NATO area (e.g., Belgian Congo, Malaya, SW Africa involving the South Africans, Portuguese in Angola, French and Spanish in North Africa, Brits in Oman, Arab-Israeli wars and raids, or - farther afield - China-India border, USSR-China, and Iran-Iraq). All could be scaled as needed. Lots of fictitious possibilities too. My favourite part of 'Hunt for Red October' was the fighting in Iceland - from skirmish upward.

Dunnigan's "Quick and Dirty Guide to War" is a bit of an encyclopedia, with lots of possibilities.

Good luck!

[Inkpaduta]

You could also just create a country. Place it in Latin America, Africa or the former Soviet Union.
That way you can create it the way you want. The troubles in the country, the world response,
why certain corporations are interested ect.

[CapnJim]

You could also just create a country. Place it in Latin America, Africa or the former Soviet Union.
That way you can create it the way you want. The troubles in the country, the world response,
why certain corporations are interested ect.

That's what I do/did.  Soo far, we've had fights set in Balczakistan (former Soviet republic in 1991 - in which we are currently playing) and Northern Gambola in 1993 (equatorial African state that belongs to the Coup of the Month Club), in my "Modern Stuff" thread.   And there's also La Republica del Perdomo (Central America) in 1987 (which so far has been played in out Top Secret RPG campaign, but I'm planning a transition to wargames later his year).

Real history (that outside the fictional country) plays into things, but we have some latitude on local events...it works very well.

[FifteensAway]

Either Antarctica or the Moon seem logical places to present a too likely future conflict.  First you have to survive and only then can you even consider fighting.  Of course, you could update one of those balkanized maps of North America. 

And if you want to go down the terror road, some force is going around the planet and completely destroying data centers, especially back-up centers.  Imagine the resulting chaos from that - whole generations won't know what to do with themselves!

[Daeothar]

Even though it's part of a larger Cold War gone Hot WW3 narrative, I found that Team Yankee by Harold Coyle has some excellent representation of a company/battallion level combat featuring a an armoured company in a conventional warfare scenario...

[v_lazy_dragon]

Not quite what you're after, but it might help - Spleenrippa's "New Leyland" setting is a 'Bush war in space' that seems to align well with your end goal https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=144387.0

[mellis1644]

Many of the African/Asia' conflicts in the cold war likely would give you good inspiration as well.

Note, these conflicts always get more complicated (and thus more interesting) with multiple sides involved. So look for any that have 3 or more sides involved. 

[brasidas19004]

It seems that the OP isn't sufficiently clear.  I have modified it.

I'm looking for an HISTORICAL event / intervention that will provide some inspiration for a fictional wargame campaign.

I'm already well aware that I can make stuff up.  My experience is that real life is so strange and interesting, and has so much depth, that it is better than the things that people make up. 

I think Victor Hugo said something about fiction and reality that applies here...

[mikedemana]

Nothing beats the Congo independence shitshow, from the moment that the Belgians granted them independence to today for multiple faction craziness. That's what I based my modern Africa games around, at least in the beginning.

Mike Demana

[CapnJim]

How about Operation Eagle Claw (the US's ill-fated Iranian hostage rescue attempt in 1980)?  Less than 200 attacking ground troops trying to rescue 53 hostages in multiple locations in an arid metropolitan area, with aircraft and locals involved.  In Traveller, the aircraft would be easy to switch out for spacecraft of Various sorts.  It's in a desert environment, which is a classic Sci-Fi trope.  Ought to be easy to convert to Sci-Fi...

 

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Operation Barras, Operation Thunderbolt or the Battle of Mogadishu.