Soviet Military Management at the Troop Level

Herbert Goldhamer

ResearchPublished 1974

One of a series of studies of the implications of Soviet military policy and strategy for U.S. Air Force planning. The day-to-day life of the Soviet armed forces at the troop level is depicted, based on information from unclassified military journals and other open sources. With most of the population exposed from an early age to military training, including adults in civil defense work, recent emphasis has been on compulsory pre-induction military training for all 16-18 year olds. Objectives and methods of inductee training are examined; discipline, morale, and political indoctrination are described, along with an estimate of the current role of the Party in the military. Some peculiarities of Soviet military administration are cited and a number of constraints on Soviet military effectiveness are discussed. Despite the many difficulties reviewed, however, they are seen as not likely to prevent USSR troops from performing their peacetime and wartime functions with a substantial measure of success.

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Goldhamer, Herbert, Soviet Military Management at the Troop Level. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1974. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R1513.html.
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