Inside the Soviet Army
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Inside The Soviet Army (ISBN 0-241-10889-6; Hamish Hamilton, 1982; also published in the United States, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-02-615500-1), a book by Viktor Suvorov, describes the general organisation, doctrine, and strategy of the Soviet armed forces (the term “Army” being used to cover not only the Land Forces, but also Strategic Rocket, Air Defence, Air, and Naval forces).
Suvorov first explains the political realities of the USSR, where everything subordinated to maintaining the Communist regime's dominance, hence the rationale behind Soviet strategic planning. Second, explains the organisation of the Soviet armed forces, from the top down, emphasizing the Land Forces. Technical details are presented where useful, but primary concern is explaining the underlying philosophy and culture, often contrasted with the Western military approach. Third, concluding with descriptions of the daily life inside the Soviet Army for the soldier and the officer, including the bullying, dedovshchina, then almost unknown to the West at the time of publication, but that now is notorious in the Russian Army of the post-Soviet period.
