The strategic position of Denmark.  The position of Denmark on the map as “the Cork in the Baltic” was vital to NATO during the cold  war. The only way out of the Baltic Sea was through Danish waters.  No Warsaw Pact transports or warships were able to pass Danish waters without being observed or  even fired upon.  As an example, the ships that carried missiles to Cuba in 1962, were observed from the Langelands  Fort the first  time.  The only route form the Baltic to the Kattegat  and North See was the tree narrow straits  Oeresund,  Storebaelt and  Lillebaelt.  Because of the strategic position mentioned above, Denmark was an obvious target for the Warsaw  Pact.  According to the Soviet plans, forces from East Germany and Poland should land in The Fakse Bay  and large armoured forces should advance through West Germany and among other places, into  Jutland from the south.  The attack on Denmark was scheduled from the 5th´to the 9th day of the attack. During this attack  nuclear weapons were planned used against the two cities Esbjerg and Roskilde. Esbjerg because  of the very big harbour. NATO forces were planning to use Esbjerg  landing i Jutland. Roskilde  was chosen as a demonstration of the ability and the will to use nuclear weapons.    Map from a Polish exercise in 1954  The map illustrates an amphibious  operation against the Danish island  Sjaelland (upper left corner)  Bornholm (right) and southern  Sweden (top).  The interesting about this exercise  is Sweden. Sweden was declared  neutral, and a scenario like this  would send Sweden to war, either  to defend their neutrality or on the  NATO side.   The Positions  An eventual third nuclear weapon was also planned to be used eighter against the area around The   Langelands Fort or the Stevns Fort. Possibly both.  The areas picked out as possible nuclear targets were chosen in order not to disturb the advance of  the Warsaw Pact troops.  The nuclear weapons in question were far too big for the actual targets, and after the nuclear  accident in the Soviet reactor in Chernobyl, the Russians decreased the size of planned nuclear  weapons.     Denmark had tactical nuclear weapons stored just south of the boarder in West Germany, but it is a  question if there would have the time or American permission to bring it up to the artillery in Jutland  and Sjaelland.  To secure the Danish straits, two forts were build during the 1950’s.  The Langelands Fort and the  Stevns Fort.  Together with The Bangsbro Fort, an old German WW2 fort in Northern Jutland, it was possible to  control and defend the  passage of the Danish straits.  Expected opponents, among a lot others, to the Danish Defence:

TU-26 backfire

MIG-27 Flogger D

Hind

T-72 ZSU-23 Sverdlov-class  There is no doubt, that a conflict between the Warsaw Pact and NATO on Danish soil, would have  been very  serious for Denmark. Both the army and the civilians as well.