Inside the Soviet Army
by Viktor Suvorov · first published 1982
43% recommend57% neutral
This book describes the general organization, doctrine, and strategy of the Soviet armed forces. It includes vast array of topics, ranging from the organizational structure of the armed forces in peace and war to personal reminiscences about life in the barracks and officers' clubs. The term 2Army3 in the title covers not only the land forces, but also strategic rocket, air, and naval forces. Much of what Mr. Suvorov writes about Soviet military affairs tallies with the conclusions reached in Western analyses.
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This translation of Suvorov's "Inside the soviet army" was a real treat to a history buff http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/index.html Actually quite topical given russias recent escapades - this details pretty well the society and the power dynamics…
on “Ask HN: What are your recommended reads that are available for free?” ↗This put me in mind of a passage from the (excellent) 1982 book Inside the Soviet Army, by the Soviet defector Vladimir Rezun (which can be read in English in its entirety here: http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/index.html), which explained why ammunition for Soviet weapons hadn't…
on “Clear is better than clever” ↗…even more. I read a good book once by a defector from the Soviet military, explaining the lessons he'd learned as an officer on the other side of the iron curtain (this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army). In it he described one thing he'd learned about how to lead people: Always try to remember the golden rule of controlling others -- NEVER PROMISE ANYONE ANYTHING! If you are able to do something for…
on “Becoming A Boss” ↗Great find, thanks! Some of his other works are also worth reading: 'Inside the Soviet Army': http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/index.html One excerpt: > The winter of 1969 was an exceptionally bitter one in the Soviet Far East. When the first clashes with the Chinese took place on…
on “Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?” ↗This is an except from the book "Inside the Soviet Army" by Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun, writing under the Suvorov pseudonym. You can find it on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Soviet-Army-Suvorov/dp/00261550... It's an interesting and fairly easy…
on “Inside the Soviet Army, what kind of weapons” ↗The Soviet defector "Viktor Suvorov" (real name Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Suvorov) suggested in his published-in-the-'80s book Inside the Soviet Army that contemporary Soviet doctrine called for a massive nuclear first strike immediately upon the opening of hostilities. From the chapter titled "The Axe Theory" (http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/05.html):…
on “How to Survive a Nuclear War: The York Experiment” ↗Sounds like the book might have been Inside the Soviet Army: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inside_the_Soviet_Army http://militera.lib.ru/research/suvorov12/index.html
on “The F-35’s Terrifying Bug List” ↗Oh yeah the reports about Russian army from beginning of war in Ukraine read like someone copying his book Inside the Soviet Army. Which in turn reads like stories you heard about the Soviets in WW2.
on “Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe” ↗I saw Russians depicted as drinking brake fluid in Beast of War and couldn't believe it. A few searches proved it true! Here's an excerpt from "Inside the Soviet Army in Afghanistan" by Alexander Alexiev (US Army document): You cannot imagine what they drink. They will drink shaving lotions and cologne. That's good stuff. Then they will drink toothpaste. The best…
on “Torpedo juice: Legendary, illegal WWII liquor drunk in Alaska and the world” ↗