One of the largest and most feared military forces in the world; the Red Army was a key player in advancing the cause of Soviet socialism. Rising out of revolutionary-era citizen militias; it aspired to the greatness needed to confront its Cold War adversaries but was woefully unprepared to change with the times.In this first comprehensive study of the Soviet officer corps; Roger Reese traces the history of the Red Army from Civil War triumph through near-decimation in World War II and demoralizing quagmire in Afghanistan to the close scrutiny it came under during Gorbachev’s reform era. Reese takes readers inside the Red Army to reconstruct the social and institutional dynamics that shaped its leadership and effectiveness over seventy-three years. He depicts the lives of these officers by revealing their class origins; life experiences; party loyalty; and attitudes toward professionalism. He tells how these men were shaped by Russian culture and Soviet politics—and how the Communist Party dominated every aspect of their careers but never allowed them the autonomy they needed to cultivate a high level of military effectiveness.Despite its struggle to develop and maintain professionalism; the officer corps was often hampered by factors inextricably intertwined with the Soviet state: Marxist theory; revolutionary ideology; friction between party and non-party members; and the influence of the army’s political administration organs. Reese shows that by rejecting the Western bourgeois model of military professionalism the state greatly limited its officer corps’ ability to develop a more effective military. While a sense of group identity emerged among officers after World War II; it quickly lost relevance in the face of postwar challenges; especially the war in Afghanistan; which underscored fatal flaws in command leadership.Red Commanders offers new insight into the workings of a military giant and also restores Leon Trotsky to his rightful place in Soviet military history by featuring his ideas on building a new army from the ground up. It is an important look behind the scenes at a military establishment that continues to face leadership challenges in Russia today.
#577532 in Books University Press of Kansas 1996-09-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.52 x .74 x 5.56l; .88 #File Name: 0700607846332 pages
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Edifying Rendering of the Antietam StruggleBy Steven PetersonAntietam featured one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. This is another fine work in the Army War College Guides to Civil War Battles series. I think I'm getting hooked. . . .The norm with this series is to begin with a bit of context about the battle. Then; reports of key officers--both Blue and Gray--are presented; to provide a sense of events from the eyes of the participants themselves. Finally; a chapter that explores larger issues; in this case the logistics of battle. To complete the volume; there is the always helpful "Order of Battle" (in which the units and their commanding officers for each army are listed) and the grisly listing of casualties for both sides.The book covers the entire campaign; by the way; not just Antietam itself. That means that we get first hand reports from South Mountain; Crampton's Gap; Harper's Ferry; Bolivar Heights; and; finally; Antietam. One problem with using official reports; of course; is that those who took part may well not take accountability for any errors that they made in command. Nonetheless; their own views as to what happened is useful in itself.Since I was born in the Midwest; I always pay attention to troops from that region in battle. In this campaign; once again; the "Iron Brigade" catches my attention. Indeed; its performance at South Mountain; in helping the Union forces to clear the pass; led to General McClellan making a comment that produced the label "Iron Brigade." Pages 42-44 provide Gen. John Gibbons' comments (he commanded the brigade) and those of Col. Solomon Meredith; commander of the 19th Indiana regiment in the Brigade.And on it goes; with the bloodletting at Antietam; as the two armies bled one another down. Most sanguinary. Both sides saw near successes and then near misses; as each side pounded away at the other. At the end of the day; as Burnside; unlikeliest of possible heroes; was hit hard by A. P. Hill's late arriving Confederate "Light Division." With that; both sides withdrew to lick their wounds. Shortly thereafter. Robert E. Lee began the withdrawal of the Confederate forces.The final substantive chapter deal effectively with issues of logistics.All in all; a fine work on a desperate struggle. If you find that battlefield reports are helpful; you will probably enjoy this work.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Timothy J StrunkBook is great! Service was even better!!!!!2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. AWC Battlefield GuidesBy JamesI have read and participated in the AWC staff rides of the battlefields and from that light these book can be instructive at they relate to events and field conditions. They are not for the casual reader or tourist. It is essential that the reader be versed in both the theory and tactics of the time before visiting the site and that you are to read these books while standing on the actual grounds.These books supplement case studies at the AWC in tactical and strategic thinking. Observe the battleground as a military officer would and try to put yourself in the mind of the writer. What you will be reading are the after action reports written by the officers assigned to write them; of their viewings of events on the field. Beware sometimes these reports can be self serving so take that in mind.Reading the reports and standing on location will help to give you an incite into field situations and problems that the military officer must see; recognize and solve. One key point to remember is that of communication is not what it is today. The field of battle only existed as far as the individual officer could see. He generally knew nothing of events occuring several hundred yards away let alone a mile or so away in real time. All he knew what what was right in front of him. He never sees the big picture that today's communications can provide or seek instant clarification of orders.With this in mind and a knowledge of the methods of Civil War fighting these books are very instructive.
