Che Guevara
Che Guevara was a Marxist revolutionary humanist, who believed in defeating Imperialism through world revolution. He wished for the world to be a better place, for mankind to leave the greed of money, capitalism and Fascism and turn its attention to important things focusing on moral values, education, the eradication of money, poverty, hunger and disease. His plans and campaigns failed, however, due to misfortunes. This time line will explore that what if Che Guevara's revolution in Cuba was a start of mass revolutions throughout the third world and would lead the entire earth into the next global war.
Revolution in Bolivia (1967-1969)[]
In 1967 Che Guevara traveled to Bolivia in hopes of starting a revolution there which would then further spark a continental uprising. The Communist Party of Bolivia helped organise a force of 500 dedicated guerrillas as well as Fidel Castro sending 200 Cuban soldiers to aid Che's campaign. Although the party was hesitant at first it eventually agreed to support the armed struggle. Juan Alvarado seized power in 1968 in Peru. Being a left nationalist and a communist ally he aids the rebels. Soviets and Cuban shipments to the rebels are sent through Peru. Intense fighting was ensued between the US trained Bolivian rangers and the revolutionary guerrillas. Ten months of fighting in the jungles and mountains resulted in the Bolivian army retreated with massive casualties. Che immediately went into the offensive with the help of peasants who now joining the revolution helped to ignite a full blown revolt in the country. Town after town, village after village began to fall to the revolutionaries until in May 1968 La Paz fell to the rebels who were 20,000 strong storming the city, arresting the president Che installed Raul Ruiz Gonzalez the head of the Communist Party as president and the "Democratic Republic of Bolivia" was established.
Communism spreads[]
Splinter and models of Che's resistance movements began to spring up in Mexico, Panama, Argentina, and others particularly in South America. Exactly what he had hoped began to begin and now this put him in a serious situation with the CIA. He was Number One on the CIA list, and was wanted by the International criminal court, this didn't scare him one bit but strengthened him. Guevara wanted to now build a strong unification of the revolutionary countries in struggle. In 1970 Juan Alvarado declares Socialist Republic of Peru. Salvador Allende, in Chile, purges the army and established Socialism in Chile in 1972.
Education, Welfare and Healthcare[]
As soon as the oppressed countries were liberated Che knew the importance of them being able not only to read and write but to have basic human needs and rights which the Latino and Black population so clearly lacked. He began to initiate the literacy campaign and to fulfill the peoples basic needs, exactly the way he did in Cuba, He helped build schools, hospitals, workshops, shops, roads, free healthcare, and welfare. Che initiated a five year plan which would guarantee that the revolutionary countries would gain all these values and luxuries within the next five years. Predicting that with good effort South America could become well advanced like the rest of the modern world, like Europe and North America.
Fighting in Palestine (1970 - 1972)[]
Che Guevara, disguised as "Sayyid Al Mansour" a Moroccan economist in Israel, 1969
The spark Che needed in Latin America despite the hard won victory in Bolivia did not take place, therefore Che decided to take the revolution into one of the worlds hottest war zones, the Middle East. "The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine" was formed in 1969, as soon as Che was done in Bolivia, he smuggled himself to the main base of the DFLP in Palestine, offering his help and knowledge of guerrilla warfare. For him Palestine was yet another nation under the occupation of American imperialism simply under the guise of the Jewish state of Israel, murdering and launching genocide against the free Palestinian people. He once again disguised himself as he had done in Bolivia, but instead of shaving part of his head let it grow, and did not die his hair black, he came under the name "Sayyid Al Mansour" a Moroccan economist. Che did not favour some of the DFLPs extreme terror tactics such as hijacking and civilian targeting, but he did see the justification of it and benefits. Che flew with 3000 Cubans and 180 Bolivians into Palestine, with their intense knowledge of guerrilla warfare they proved to be highly successful against Israeli Defence Forces. Che started off by using his regular tactics of ambushing convoys supply lines and communication. Tel Aviv, Bethlehem and Gaza were the center points of Che's attacks, seizing tanks, weaponry and building became vital, meanwhile popular support became fierce from among the Palestinian Marxist community. With three months 545 IDF soldiers had been killed and several hundred wounded. With mass casualties the IDF began a heavy crackdown on DFLP bases, command posts and everything they could kill, in order to disrupt their operations Israel, however, still had no idea that the Palestinian revolutionaries were being aided and led by Che Guevara, and had no idea how the DFLP were getting so successful with each operation. The IDF failed miserably in their crackdown as they didn't have input into where their bases were or who their leaders were. In September 1971 Che led a large force of DFLP fighters into the Gaza strip and assaulted IDF positions and bases successfully killing hundreds of soldiers, while their own were fewer then 45, it forced the IDF to retreated from large parts of the strip and this gave a huge victory to the rebels who quickly established the "Peoples Democratic Revolutionary Republic of Palestine", the first free Palestinian state since 1948. Situations in other countries was forcing Che to leave Palestine, but he made sure Bolivian and Cuban revolutionaries would continue to come in order assist the Palestinian comrades.
US intervention in Bolivia (1974)[]
A squad of DFLP fighters celebrating in Gaza, 1970
The former President René Barrientos was executed by the Bolivian revolutionaries in 1970, he had been declared an enemy and traitor of the nation, not only him but most of the former members of government were also brutally executed. The US responded with full force claiming that they were barbaric and unacceptable therefore the US began a 48 hour bombardment of Bolivia as punishment. However Peru had a large air force. The US Air Force targeted Santa Cruz, La Paz and other major cities killing 40,000 people, mostly civilians. The US Air Force did not expect a counterattack in the air. 47 planes US planes were destroyers. The revolutionaries, however, managed to shoot down 11 US planes, Bolivia, Peru and Chile responded afterwards by destroying the US embassy, cutting all ties with America and nationalising all US held property in their territories as well as declaring a state of war against the United States.
Vietnam (1972 - 1975)[]
Che heavily condemned the attack on Bolivia declaring it "an outrageous and blatant act of war against the free nation of Bolivia". Although victorious in Bolivia Che still hadn't got that full blown revolutionary war he wanted in South America which would lead to third world uprisings. Che believed this was due to disunity and nationalism. He decided to try his luck in Asia traveling to Vietnam in 1972 seeing that the revolutionaries were well on their way to victory as American troops began to pull out. There were no more Vietcong since the Tet offensive. However, Che organised and formed guerrilla groups with NVA forces and the general remnants of the Vietcong, managing to kill over 201 American soldiers and 54 South Vietnamese troops by the end of the war.
Terrorist Movement (GRM)[]
GRM troops
After the American withdrawal Guevara continued to fight, however, he also worked on unifying Communist forces, he brought in volunteers from Cuba, Congo, Bolivia, Laos, China and North Korea, Palestine along with minor Soviet Spetnaz. He called this large force "The Global Revolutionary Movement for the Freedom of Humanity" "GRM" for short it was to be a highly trained specialised guerrilla group which Che took the large force of over 600 men back to Bolivia after the North Vietnamese conquest of South Vietnam in 1975. The Bolivian Revolution made him realise that the USA wanted to get rid of him by any means possible even by training specially trained troops to deal with him, to modify his tactics he organised the militant faction of GRM. However, the CIA was already well aware of the creation of the terror movement.
Most Wanted[]
The CIA's official picture of Che Guevara which became extremely popular in the early and mid 70s.
Ernesto Che Guevara was now the most wanted man on the CIA hit-list and had been condemned by the West as a terrorist and Communist. President Nixon had issued the order for his elimination in 1969. However, due to the growing and worrying concern of the rise of Communism Che had to be stopped, but this proved to be extremely difficult the rise of Marxism in the Third World had allowed Che to live in many countries in safe haven with the Communist movements who all welcomed him as a hero. Also Che's frequent alteration of his appearance was an extreme irritation for the CIA.
Bolivian-Paraguay War (1976)[]
Now back in Bolivia, Che aged now 49, dispatched his GRM forces throughout the Latin American countries including Argentina, launching attacks against those countries' oppressive armies. Suicide bombing was a new trait which Che picked up in Palestine, This helped a lot especially considering it had never been used in Latin America. It inflicted enormous casualties for the enemy and less for the GRM. However, this caused the surrounding countries to become extremely hostile with the new Bolivian nation. Bolivia threatened to declare war if the surrounding countries were to attack it, Cuba, Soviet Union and other Communist countries pledged support for Bolivia on January 1976, two days later Paraguayan troops were seen near the border Bolivian troops opened fire and chased them over the border, Paraguay declared war and the revolutionary Bolivian army invaded the North of the country. The US and NATO backed themselves behind Paraguay, sending supplies and even special forces into the country, as did the Soviet Union send small contingents and Fidel Castro sending in a strong Cuban force of 30,000 men. Within weeks the Paraguayan army had been destroyed and the capital Asuncion was taken, the US criticized the rest of the Latin American countries for not participating directly rather only sending supplies to Paraguay for a baseless fear of Communist uprisings on their own soil. The United Nations declared Paraguay under illegal occupation by Bolivian occupation forces, the United States continued to fund the small anti-Bolivian insurgency that operated in the harsh, uninhabitable jungles.
Latin America's situation (1977)[]
Latin America did not 100 percent go to what Che was planning but he had successfully overthrown the military dictatorship Bolivia, which also had now liberated Paraguay from imperialism. His plans for starting up World War 3 in Latin America seemed what unfeasible, Che realised this was to do with the oppressed being too oppressed that they were unable to rise off their knees. Despite that however, small splinter-Guevarist guerrilla groups did form in Venezuela, Peru and even Argentina.
The Second Russian Civil War (1978)[]
Che in Georgia, 1978 aged 51.
Che like many Marxists believed the the Soviet Union had "forgotten Marx" and were only serving their own interests, although they had a liability of being an example due to being the first nation to rise in the name of freedom. He got into contact with hardline Communists from the Soviet Union around late 1977, and decided that it was time to once again revolutionise the decaying USSR. He travelled to the USSR in February 1978 at the age of 51, with Global Revolutionary Movement comrades meeting up with militant Ultranationalist Russian Marxists deep inside the Soviet Republic of Georgia. The leader of the Ultranationalists was a former Soviet General named "Reznov Dragovich" he had served in World War 2 as a private and later became a General in 1960, he had become displeased with the Soviet government, his father had fought in the original revolution bringing about the Bolshevik regime. He lured Soviet troops and Spetnaz commandos from the Red army managing to convince them that the Soviet government had become corrupt and weak, similar to what Che believed that the USSR was becoming more democratic, more Western friendly.
Ultranationlist Soviet General, Reznov Dragovich
Unlike Bolivia or Palestine, fighting irrupted almost immediately against the Kremlin. In North Ossentisa, Che's small guerrilla force joint with Reznov's squad of Spetsnaz brigades successfully engaged in a small skirmish with police forces, pushing them back killing 56 officers, also taking a few towns too. This victory in Georgia signaled to the locals a rebellion was at hand causing hundreds of Georgians to sign up. However, Che was regretful especially when he knew these people would be fighting for independence. However, the real objectives remained a secret from them. In March the Soviet army retaliated by sending in the 9th army into Georgia hoping to smash the guerrillas. For three months heavy fighting occurred and by May both sides had suffered immense casualties, the Soviet army declared a unreasonable victory over the state. To ensure the Kremlin that the armed struggle was not over Che although not favouring it agreed with Dragovich to launch guerrilla attacks inside the Soviet Union itself, hitting police stations and even acts of terrorism such as destroying tube stations, and airports killing hundreds of people. The Soviet Union had to declare martial law. However, to make matters even worse the on July 5th 1978 terrorists seized the Chernoble nuclear power plant threatening to detonate if the Politburo and the Premier step down and let the people take control. Before the Kremlin could organise a force to deal with the crisis other hardliners of the Communist party began a coup swiftly seizing Leningrad and surrounding Moscow, while Che and Dragovich's forces aimed the nuke at Moscow now, 24 hours later the hardliners sent into the 3rd army and stormed the city, meeting little resistance. Dragovich and Che entered the city, Guevara finally revealing himself after all these years. Che was appointed as chairmen of the party and a general in the army, now that the Ultranationalists were in power revolution could begin. For the US and the rest of the world everything had happened to quickly and now they were seriously threatened they were on the brink of World War 3.
The New Russia[]
The Official flag used by the Ultranationalists throughout the civil, which eventually became the official flag of the new USSR in 1979.
The New Russia was based upon the pure principles of Marx and the core teachings of Communism as well the new introduction of Trotskyism to Russia. The first thing Ernesto Guevara did was to re-establish Soviet-Sino relations he personally went to Beijing to meet the Chinese premier, and also began joint training sessions with Soviet and Chinese soldiers, which eventually led to both countries soldiers having bases in each others countries. Che re-implemented Stalinsation as well as Trotsky's methodology of "World Revolution" along with non-interference and exploitation of smaller countries, and most of all creating anti-Western, anti-American sentiment within Russia. Relations with Cuba and the USSR were further strengthened although Fidel originally opposed the civil war in Russia. Fidel Castro personally visiting Moscow to meet high ranking Ultranationalists as well as Che Guevara himself.
Afghanistan (1979)[]
The newly created "Peoples Democratic Republic of Afghanistan" depended solely on the support of the former Russian government who, planning to send the 40th army in to secure the country from an Islamist uprising. However, with the swift revolution in the USSR this was put completely off. Che Guevara did not support sending in the Red Army at all especially since the people of the country did not support the Communist government which also was a backed government by the former regime. With no help coming from the new Kremlin the Communist Afghan government fell within only two years of holding on its own and were completely crushed by the Mujahideen (Islamic holy warriors) who in turn established an Islamic State in 1982.
Escalation[]
The Year was now 1982 and for two decades Che Guevara had successfully overthrown US backed-Imperialist governments, spread Communism and united anti-Western regimes. But the tension had now truly built up, the CIA had several attempts to kill him all had failed now military action might just start. The Ultranationalist Soviets had amassed the Red army along the Eastern bloc, this, in turn, led to NATO piling up their military forces on the West German front.
The Mexican Revolution (1983)[]
Che at his base in rural Mexico, 1983 at the age of 55.
For some time now Communism and revolution was building up in Mexico, and this is what Che and his ring-wing followers needed in order to spark the final ignition to World War 3. Mexico was perfect it had the rich history of standing up to the United States and had a rising Communist party which was looking more to armed struggle then Democratic elections. This was to be Che's finally stand which he hoped would bring an end to the United States as a global superpower and to replace the Latin American countries under Marxism. However, many of the Soviets hoped to bring down the US with a general strike, a full scale invasion in Western Europe and the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Guevara with no more then 600 men traveled to rural Mexico, joining up with the Mexican Communist fighters, Che's force was made up of mostly Cuban and Bolivian guerrillas along with few Spetsnaz contingents he was forced to take with him, making the KGB happy. The Mexicans were honoured that Che had chosen Mexico for his next revolution, deeply honouring him, serving him and offering their allegiances. Che was in his mid-fifties. However, he was still fighting strong, rebels swiftly defeated most of the governmental forces within three to four months in the rural areas in a vicious guerrilla campaign. They started to take key cities: Oaxaca, Palenque and San Cristobal, and were so close to Mexico City, this highly alerted the US who now sent forces into the country, this is what Che had hoped for now for the first time his forces would be fighting the US army directly. But US forces in Mexico would greatly anger the general population who would mostly in turn join and side with the rebels, especially in the South. But that was a risk America took and the United States army officially intervened in Mexico on July 1983 when Rebel forces laid siege to the capital, through the use of airplanes and tanks they successfully pushed the guerrillas away from the Mexico city, and attacked the rebel held cities. Despite his traditional way of fighting in the mountains and jungles Che did not want to leave everything they had gained and so had no choice but look into urban warfare. During these periods of the war the rebels were able inflict massive casualties upon the US army who didn't expect to be fighting so many large numbers and facing guerrillas in the open. The Americans now faced peasant revolts in the North, when they seized Monterrey killing 450 occupation troops and then marching on Sallito further killing 170 troops. While the lost Northern cities were recaptured within hours the American army brutally crushed the peasants who had revolted killing up to 40,000 of them, this is finally what Che needed in order to win the hearts of the average Mexicans. The guerrillas finally went back onto the offensive in August when massive support from the villages and towns poured in, with a strong force of almost 50,000 the largest force Che had ever commanded he marched on Mexico City laying siege to it for almost 12 days straight. Both sides sustained enormous casualties, by the end of it the Americans had 3000 dead while the guerrillas had suffered the lost of 20,000 regardless. However, the Americans retreated from the city. Giving the guerrillas a massive victory over the US it showed especially for Che's ethics that even the strongest superpower could be defeated with popular support. Defeat in Mexico was not an option for the United States allowing its neighbour to into the plague of Communism even if this meant sending fresh troops and deploying a fresh assault, with the help of NATO if it had to. The revolutionaries set up the new government in Mexico city, the "Socialist Republic of Mexico" its forces continued to push the American army north. The Americans suffered heavy casualties up to the point that four of their contingents were being destroyed at the same time, they assumed that the Mexicans were going to be easily defeated due to lack of arms and morale. However, fresh re-inforcements were ever coming. Bolivian, Cuban, Russian and even Vietnamese troops were arriving on Mexican soil in order to help the guerrillas. Now that half of Mexico was under Communist control, NATO officially intervened sending in bombers hitting all camps, bases, trucks, supply convoys and even Mexico City. This, however, truly was a very big mistake because the Ultranationalists were waiting for the moment to take the war to Europe.
Russo-European War[]
Mexican Guerrillas in near Oaxaca, 1983
Since the Ultranationalists seized power in 1978 extreme tension lay on the border of East and West Germany, military build ups on both sides of the border alarmed much of the world. Although it was not Guevara's plan for Russia to get involved the leaders especially Premier Reznov Dragovich took the moment to launch World War 3. He statement was made by the politburo that there was an American plot to bring down the Berlin wall and evidence to this was a small explosion near premises over the West side of the wall. Though almost completely baseless, many Russians believed this idea including top generals who were now willing to invade West Germany. The Red Army's advance into Western Europe proved swift, destroying the US 6th Armoured Division in Berlin and demolishing the Berlin Wall within 48 hours into the invasion, uniting Berlin. The direct act of war was unbelievable, the entire Russian army had begun sweeping through Western Europe, NATO air superiority were able to neutralize ground forces of the Red Army. However, the large divisions were still able to get through, which now caused NATO forces to fight on the ground. The battle becomes a war of attrition that the Russians expect to win, having greater reserves of men and material. NATO holds the Warsaw Pact forces to small but continual advances, inflicting heavy losses upon the Red Army but only through unsustainably high ammunition usage, and as the Guerrilla success in Latin America it only maintains NATO's prospects of appearing bleak. General-Commander Pavel Leonidovich Alekseyev takes over on the German front Alekseyev commands a successful Soviet attack on the town of Alfeld, finally giving the Soviet Army the breakthrough it needs. As the 30th Soviet Army is deployed, NATO loses all of Germany east of the Weser River. The lighting victories by the Soviet Army troubled NATO considerably who were now being worn out in the war of attrition. Despite American forces engaged in the Communist Guerrilla war, the United States were able to send more additional forces to the European Front, arriving swiftly to London, Paris and Bonn. The Russians were now opening up a second front through Austria, deploying their forces through the Austrian Alps but were already the target of NATO warplanes. Near Enzersdorf east of Vienna, 30 M1 Abram Main Battle Tanks raided the forward Soviet positions inflicting heavy casualties. This forced a Soviet Armored Division that had penetrated to a mile of Vienna to withdraw eastward and move to counter the threat. It failed to reach its objective as two Royal Air Force Vulcan Bombers dropped high explosive on the main road heading into Vienna and the tanks were caught in the open by US F-15E Fighters firing Anti-Armor missiles destroying most of the tanks and causing the remaining crews to flee on foot, this was a significant NATO victory which had come just at the nick of time, when the Soviet Union looked like it was about to break through Austria and invade Northern Italy. With Soviet Army shattered farther south, the US 3rd Army Group opened an offensive aimed at Dresden and the Oder in an attempt to begin to push back Russian ground forces, At the same time. the US 2nd Army Group and the West German Army opened up its offensive aimed at recapturing Berlin. Supporting this was the Royal Air Force Vulcans which made an air raid designed to create gaps in the Berlin Wall and cause East Berliners to flood west into West Berlin. However, they were met with a strong force of 13,000 Soviet soldiers who opened fire killing 150 people successfully halting escape, while at the same time West Germans ran through into East Germany surprisingly. Fresh tank divisions were being sent on their way to Dresden, but NATO finally concluded to a pact offered to them by an exhausted Soviet Union, Western Europe was to pay for the rebuilding of the Berlin and recognise all of Berlin as a Soviet protectorate. The Soviet Union had won the war officially on July 10th 1983.
American withdrawal from Mexico (January 1984)[]
The Russian Tanks storming through the Austrian Alps, 1983.
The American army had suffered far beyond what they had inflicted upon them in the whole of the Vietnam war in Mexico, the guerrillas had pushed them back almost all the way back to the border, retaking Monterrey and other major northern cities. The victory in Europe allowed Russia to send large contingents to Mexico further increasing urban warfare, and so the US retreated completely on January 1984 from the Socialist Republic of Mexico which it refused to recognise. Che Guevara established the major reforms, establishing free healthcare, education, food and medical supplies, as he usually did. Many would see this as Che finally achieving a Latin America and the World as a whole revolutionary and free.
Decline of the American Capitalist Empire[]
American Abram 141, 1983 on the West German Front.
The United States of America had spent billions into fighting Communism, lost tens of thousands of troops and morale and support from its citizens who by now were heavily anti-war where ever the United States decided to send forces. America could no longer afford to base troops in Western Europe, moreover it could not afford to base troops anywhere. The United States had been zapped as a military superpower and faced riots and chaos in the country. All because of one man, Ernesto "Che" Guevara.
Death of Che Guevara the Great[]
Ideally Che did not want to die an old man in bed and always dreamed of dying fighting abroad in a revolution. Although most would see that Che had won what he wanted, a free and revolutionary Latin America, he still wanted to die in combat to be a revolutionary example. So at the age of 57 he set out to Peru in hopes of starting a revolution within that country. Joining the Communist insurgency he fought for four bitter months in the harsh jungles. On 5th of April 1985 he and his small band of Peruvian and Cuban guerrillas were surrounded by Governmental forces and killed to the last man. Ernesto's body was taken back to Cuba where he was given an international wide funeral where millions attended. His headstone is engraved "Here Lies Ernesto Che Guevara, revolutionary hero of a new, better humane world. Long Live the Revolution!!!!"