Managing the Ethnic Factor in the Russian and Soviet Armed Forces

An Historical Overview

Susan L. Curran, Dmitry Ponomareff

ResearchPublished 1982

This report examines the history of Russian (pre-Soviet) and Soviet attempts to employ and manage national minorities in military establishments and campaigns. The analysis concentrates on policies and practices adopted to involve minority manpower in the military while maintaining Slavic dominance of and control over the armed force of the state. In particular, the study traces how the number of ethnic groups drawn into the military has consistently expanded throughout the centuries, identifies the types of units and operational roles to which minorities have been assigned, and discusses the difficulties encountered by virtue of language differences and the potential unreliability and disloyalty of non-Russian soldiers.

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  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Available
  • Year: 1982
  • Print Format: Paperback
  • Paperback Pages: 54
  • Paperback Price: $23.00
  • Document Number: R-2640/1

Citation

RAND Style Manual
Curran, Susan L. and Dmitry Ponomareff, Managing the Ethnic Factor in the Russian and Soviet Armed Forces: An Historical Overview, RAND Corporation, R-2640/1, 1982. As of September 8, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2640z1.html
Chicago Manual of Style
Curran, Susan L. and Dmitry Ponomareff, Managing the Ethnic Factor in the Russian and Soviet Armed Forces: An Historical Overview. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1982. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2640z1.html. Also available in print form.
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