Hunt for Красный Октябрь (Russian Side)
Topic 1: The Enemy Among Us: The Red October’s Disappearance
Following the appointment of Captain Marko Ramius as its commanding officer, the Red October submarine has gone missing during a training exercise with the Konovalov submarine. The Red October is equipped with caterpillar drive technology, which makes it undetectable through sonar, it also carries nuclear weapons. It is an important asset to the Soviet navy and its disappearance presents a danger to the stability of US-Soviet relations and international security. What happened to the submarine? Where is it now? Why is it missing? This meeting of Soviet leaders has been called to address the issue and uncover the mystery of the missing submarine.
Topic 2: Literally 1984: Relations with the United States
The year is 1984, and Cold War tensions continue to be a prevalent issue. In a speech last year, President Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” and further painted it as an enemy of the American people. Allegedly, his administration has also taken action to destabilize Soviet-backed governments around the world, though this issue has not been publicly acknowledged by the US. The Soviet Union had boycotted the 1984 Olympics held earlier this year in Los Angeles, on account of security concerns and anti-Soviet sentiment. Will the diplomatic situation between the two nations continue to escalate on account of the missing submarine? Or will they be forced to collaborate to find out what has happened to it?
Topic 3: The Fallout of Brezhnev: Stagnation at Home
Besides the missing submarine and its international concerns, the Soviet Union is also facing problems at home. Despite General Secretary Brezhnev’s achievements in improving Soviet military power before his death in 1982, the problems of corruption and declining economic growth have gone under-addressed. During Brezhnev’s rule, Soviet production focused on heavy industry and consumer goods were neglected. Rumors of corruption among the higher ups in the production sector are also circulating, claiming that there are many goods being produced without supervision of the party. Will the Soviet economy continue to decline or will reform policies be enacted to improve it? How will the issue of corruption be addressed?
