Strategy & Tactics #333: Operation Unthinkable – Churchill’s Plan for World War III in 1945 is a two-player alternative history wargame that explores one of the most dramatic “what if” scenarios of the 20th century — a potential war between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union immediately after the end of World War II. Based on plans conceived by Winston Churchill and the British Chiefs of Staff, this simulation examines what might have happened if Allied and Soviet forces had clashed across war-torn Europe in July 1945.

• Historical Background: As Nazi Germany fell in 1945, tensions between the victorious Allies grew rapidly. Churchill feared that Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe would threaten the balance of power, and he quietly ordered his planners to prepare a bold contingency: Operation Unthinkable. The plan called for an Allied offensive — spearheaded by British, American, and remaining German forces — to push the Soviets back from Central Europe. The resulting campaign would have been the beginning of a new world war fought with exhausted armies and emerging technologies. This game explores that chilling possibility.
• Gameplay & Objectives: The Allied player commands British, American, and Commonwealth divisions, supported by remnants of the German Wehrmacht now fighting under Allied control. The Soviet player leads the Red Army’s massive corps formations poised across Central and Eastern Europe. The Allies must strike quickly and decisively before Soviet numbers and geography overwhelm them. The Soviets, in turn, must exploit their numerical superiority and strategic depth to drive the Allies back to the Rhine. Victory is determined by the control of key cities and the ability to sustain offensive momentum under immense logistical pressure.
• Game System & Scale: Operation Unthinkable is an operational-level wargame set on a detailed map of Central Europe. Each hex represents 5 miles (8 km), and each full turn equals half a week of real time. Soviet units are represented as corps or corps equivalents (similar to Western divisions), while Allied forces consist mainly of divisions, supported by independent brigades and regiments. Air power is abstractly represented under the assumption of Allied air supremacy, shaping combat effectiveness and operational flexibility throughout the campaign.
• Strategic Challenges: Both sides face daunting logistical and political realities. The Allies must fight far from home bases with limited manpower and strained supply lines, while the Soviets command overwhelming land forces but lack air parity and must maintain control across vast territories. The game captures the fragile postwar balance between cooperation and confrontation, inviting players to explore how easily peace could have collapsed into total war in 1945.

Game Components:

• 1 x 22” x 34” full-colour map depicting Central Europe, circa mid-1945
• 228 die-cut counters representing Allied and Soviet divisions, corps, and supporting formations
• Comprehensive rulebook covering movement, combat, logistics, and air power
• Turn structure representing half-week operations and supply cycles

Scale:
Players: 2
Level: Operational / Strategic
Hex: 5 Miles (8 km)
Turn: Half a Week
Units: Divisions / Corps

Gameplay Focus: Operation Unthinkable delivers an intense, alternate-history simulation of a potential World War III fought in 1945. With historically grounded orders of battle and realistic logistical constraints, it challenges players to test the limits of postwar strategy and examine what might have happened if Allied and Soviet cooperation had shattered at the moment of victory.

Strategy & Tactics #333: Operation Unthinkable – Churchill’s Plan for World War III in 1945 is an essential addition for wargamers and historians fascinated by Cold War origins, postwar strategy, and counterfactual military history.

Available now from Milsims Games — Australia’s trusted retailer for historical wargames, strategy titles, and military simulations for over 50 years. Price-match guarantee and fast local shipping from Mont Albert, VIC.

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