David M. Glantz - The Military Strategy of the Soviet Union

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CASS SERIES ON SOVIET MILITARY THEORY AND PRACTICE

THE MILITARY STRATEGY OF THE SOVIET UNION: A HISTORY

CASS SERIES ON SOVIET MILITARY THEORY AND PRACTICE

Series Editor - David M. Glantz
Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas

This series examines in detail the evolution of Soviet military science and the way the Soviets have translated theoretical concepts for the conduct of war into concrete military practice. Separate volumes focus on how the Soviets have applied and refined theory in combat and on how they have structured their forces to suit the requirement of changing times.

1. David M. Glantz, Soviet Military Deception in the Second World War

2. David M. Glantz, Soviet Military Operational Art: In Pursuit of Deep Battle

3. David M. Glantz, Soviet Military Intelligence in War

4. David M. Glantz, The Soviet Conduct of Tactical Maneuver: Spearhead of the Offensive

5. David M. Glantz, The Military Strategy of the Soviet Union: A History

The Military Strategy of the Soviet Union

A History

David M. Glantz

First published in 1992 by
FRANK CASS & CO. LTD.

Reprinted 2004
by Frank Cass
2 Park Square Milton Park Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN

Transferred to Digital Printing 2005

Frank Cass is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Glantz, David M.
Military Strategy of the Soviet Union: History. - (Cass Series on Soviet Military Theory & Practice; Vol.5)
I. Title II. Series
355.033547

ISBN 0 7146 3435 2 (HB)
ISBN 0 7146 8200 4 (PB)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Glantz, David M.
The military strategy of the Soviet Union : a history / David M. Glantz.
p. cm. (Cass series on Soviet military theory and practice; 5)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7146-3435-2
1. Soviet UnionMilitary policy. 2. Soviet UnionHistory, Military1917- I. Title. II. Series: Glantz, David M. Cass series on Soviet military theory and practice; 5.
UA770.G55 1992
355'.0335'47dc20

91-43411
CIP

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Frank Cass

Typeset by Regent Typesetting, London

Contents

Guide

Chapter 1
Introduction

Since the formation of the Soviet state, the concept of military strategy ( voennaia strategiia ) has occupied a dominant position in the intellectual framework the Soviets use to explain the nature and content of war. In their view military strategy is the highest realm of military art ( voennoe iskusstvo) "encompassing the theory and practice of preparing a country and its armed forces for war and of planning for and conducting war and strategic operations". Within the context of national and military policy, military strategy investigates the laws, mechanisms, and strategic nature of war and methods used to conduct it, and works out theoretical bases for planning, preparing for, and conducting war and strategic operations.

In a practical sense, military strategy:

• - determines the strategic missions of the armed forces and the manpower and resources necessary to accomplish these missions;
• - formulates and implements measures to prepare the armed forces, theaters of military operations, national economy, and civilian population for war;
• - plans war and strategic operations;
• - organizes the deployment of the armed forces and their guidance during the conduct of strategic-scale operations; and
• - studies the capabilities of probable enemies to wage war and conduct strategic operations.

The Western concept of national strategy approximates what the Soviets refer to as policy (politika), which they have, until now, defined as a class-derived, party-oriented, and historically predetermined concept related to the organic evolution of class and, hence, state relations. The Soviets recognize the unique realm of military policy ( voennaia politika) as "the relations and activities of classes, governments, parties, and other social-political institutions, directly connected with the creation of military organizations and the use of means of armed force for the achievement of political ends". Military policy receives concrete expression in military doctrine and military strategy. The Soviets claim their military policy and the derivative fields of military doctrine and military strategy reflect the unique policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, although this may change in the future.

While policy determines the goals and means of statecraft, military policy governs the use of the nation's armed forces within the context of general state policy. In its turn:

military strategy is closely interlinked with policy, emanating from it and serving it.... This interdependence is produced by the nature of war as a continuation of the policy of classes and states by forceful means. The chief role of policy with respect to military strategy lies in the fact that policy elaborates the objectives of war, defines the methods to be used to conduct it, assigns military strategy its tasks, and creates the conditions required for their accomplishment, mobilizing the materials and human resources necessary to meet the needs of war."

Thus, military strategy reflects the political aims and policies of the state as well as its economic and socio-political character. Conversely, military strategy in peacetime and wartime "exerts an inverse influence on policy". As such, strategy also reflects military doctrine, whose tenets guide strategy in the fulfillment of practical tasks and are grounded upon the data of military science. Military strategy provides a framework for operational art and tactics, the other components of military art, and exploits the capabilities of operational art and tactics to convert operational and tactical successes into strategic success the achievement of strategic aims.

Strategic force posture is the peacetime manifestation of military strategy and facilitates transition of the Soviet Armed Forces from peace to war. Force posture embraces active forces and forces which can be mobilized in time of crisis or war, and it provides the fundamental basis for deployment ( razvertyvanie ) of the armed forces prior to and during war. In essence, armed forces deployment encompasses the creation of armed forces groupings to conduct war and operations. The Soviets consider the most basic and important level of armed forces deployment to be strategic - that is deployments in accordance with strategic plans.

Strategic deployment ( strategicheskie razvertyvanie) consists of a series of interrelated issues, the most important of which are the following:

• - transition of the armed forces from a peacetime to a wartime footing;
• - concentration of forces on selective strategic axes (directions - napravlenie );
• - operational deployment of forces to required wartime locations;
• - deployment of "the rear" (rear services).

Strategic deployment has "traditionally" been expressed in peacetime by Soviet force generation (mobilization) systems and in wartime by the creation of strategic echelons. Force generation involves the distinct and varied processes either for manning the force during transition from peace through crisis to war (mobilization) and, conversely, for shrinking the force in transition from war or crisis to peace (demobilization). Strategic echelonment permits phased generation and application of military forces in combat on a geographical basis. Strategic echelonment embraces all Soviet armed forces designated to perform strategic missions and achieve strategic objectives. It normally consists of two echelons and a reserve, each assigned a specific function.

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