Soviet Army Training

The Soviet Union repelled Nazi invaders and was a formidable rival to the United States.

The Soviet Army was largely responsible for defeating Nazi Germany and was America's only military rival throughout the Cold War. A great deal of Soviet military might came from the fact that its army was made of ideologically fervent, well disciplined troops. The website Lone Sentry quotes a 1946 publication entitled "Red Army Infantyrman" which says, "The Red Army recruit goes into the actual military establishment already prepared to carry out his duties as a soldier. He has been a part in a gigantic training program since the first grade of school."

Political History

Political indoctrination was integral to the Soviet Army. After the Soviet Revolution of 1917, Leon Trotsky, a prominent Communist Party leader, organized a new army where military service was not an option for the workers and peasants it was supposed to serve. Trotsky put a political officer in each unit which ensured ideological loyalty throughout the ranks of the Soviet Army. Major Claude Sasso notes in his essay "Soviet night operations in world war II" that the Soviets thought political indoctrination was essential to a soldier's training as it could work the soldier into a "rage of patriotic fervor" and motivate him to do everything possible to destroy the "Fascist Beast."

Pre-World War II Training

Although the Nazi and Soviet Non Aggression Pact theoretically meant that there would be no hostilities between Germany and the Soviet Union, the citizenry of the Soviet Union was in fact training for the eventual conflict. Under Stalin, Soviet society was already militarized and disciplined. Additionally, participation in games and sports with barely concealed military applications was strongly encouraged. The eventually mandatory 'games' included activities like rifle use, piloting, and parachuting.

Adversity and Battlefield Training

Soviet troops have always been willing to engage their enemy in the forest, in the winter, and particularly in the dark. Of all the armies in World War II, the Soviet Army was especially successful at conducting night-time military operations. Nights with especially cold or snowy weather were thought to be advantageous to Russian soldiers who were used to a harsh environment. To train for night maneuvers, Soviet soldiers participated in live fire drills on terrain similar to where the actual conflict would take place. Sasso notes that in at least one battle zone on the Eastern Front " three battalions from each division trained specifically for night operations, and up to one-half of all training was at night."

Spetsnaz, Russian Special Forces

Robert Boyd speculates in his essay, "Spetsnaz Soviet Innovation in Special Forces," the Soviet Union may not have formed the Spetsnaz, Soviet special purpose forces, "until the mid -sixties, perhaps as a response to increased U.S. emphasis on unconventional warfare." Like the American army, the Soviet Union's Army trained and utilized their own highly skilled and distinctive special forces. Soviet Spetsnaz trained intensely in parachuting, hand to hand combat, silent killing techniques, explosives and sabotage, foreign languages and surviving in foreign environments. The Spetsnaz were trained to operate in foreign countries wearing either civilian or military clothing.

References

• Russia in World War 2
• RussiansAbroad.com: Russia Historical Background
• Command and General Staff College: Soviet night operations in World War II
• Lone Sentry: "The Red Army Infantryman" from Intelligence Bulletin
• Spetsnaz Soviet Innovation in Special Forces