Russian Civil-Military Relations

From the author of Rumsfeld's Wars, "an important addition to the bookshelf of any analyst of post-Soviet security affairs" ( Slavic Review). Dale Herspring analyzes three key periods of change in civil-military relations in the Soviet Union and postcommunist Russia: the Bolshevik construction of the communist Red Army in the 1920s; the era of perestroika, when Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to implement a more benign military doctrine and force posture; and the Yeltsin era, when a new civilian and military leadership set out to restructure civil-military relations. The book concludes with a timely discussion of the relationship of the military to the current political struggle in Russia. "The history is both fascinating and timely." — European Security "When military reform returns to its deservedly prominent place in the Russian political agenda, Herspring's book will offer invaluable guidance." —Mark von Hagen, American military historian