Lindsey, Forrest R. "A Fraternal War: The Sino-Soviet Disaster"
Divergence: c 1964 CE
What if: Lyndon Johnson pulled American troops out of Vietnam, and the Soviet Union interpreted the action as indicating the U.S. had no backbone.
Summary: In May 1968, the Soviet Union launches an attack on the Peoples Republic of China, confident that the West will not interfere. After months of slow warfare, special weapons are used to break looming deadlock.
Published: In Cold War Hot: Alternate Decisions in the East-West Struggle (ed. Peter G. Tsouras), q.v.