Review
"...a handy one-volume military history of the Soviet Union that will delight enthusiasts and assist instructors."--Dr. Matthew R. Schwonek, Air and Space Power Journal



Book Description
Volume two of the set provides an introduction to the history of the Soviet armed forces from 1917 to 1991.The sixteen chapters show how the Bolsheviks survived the end of the First World War, the struggles against the White Armies and the Poles, the Leninist, Trotskyite, and Stalinist reconstructions, the Red Air Force, the Five-Year Plans, and more. Robin Higham and Frederick W. Kagan highlight the many facets of the Cold War, including the rise of the Soviet Navy after the Great Patriotic War, the disaster in Afghanistan, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.



About the Author
Robin Higham is Professor of History at Kansas State University.

Frederick W. Kagan is Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the US Military Academy, West Point.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The second volume of a two-volume set, The Military History of the Soviet Union is a collection from distinguished contributors and provides us with an introduction to the history of all the Soviet armed forces from 1917 to 1991. The sixteen chapters show how the Bolsheviks survived the end of the First World War, the struggles against the White Armies and the Poles, as well as the Leninist, Trotskyite, and Stalinist reconstructions that created the Red Army, the Red Air Force, the Five-Year Plans, and the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, a victory that vastly overshadowed the dismal adventures in Spain and Finland, and the success against Japan in the Far East. Robin Higham and Frederick W. Kagan highlight the many facets of the superpower USSR in the long Cold War, including the rise of the Soviet Navy after the Great Patriotic War, the disaster in Afghanistan, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

SYNOPSIS

Presents sixteen essays, a few written in a florid style typical of some military historians, addressing the history of the Soviet armed forces from 1917 to 1991. The first part, focusing on the formation of the Soviet army and navy, includes such topics as the Russo-Polish war, the rise and fall of Soviet operational art, and the Russian/Soviet navy. The Soviet army and navy in the Cold War and beyond are also covered. Chapters address Soviet/Russian strategic nuclear forces, the Soviet-Afghan war, and contemporary Russia in historical perspective, among other topics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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