Inside the Soviet Army

Inside the Soviet Army (ISBN 0-241-10889-6; Hamish Hamilton, 1982; also published in the United States, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-02-615500-1), is a book by Viktor Suvorov, which describes the general organisation, doctrine, and strategy of the Soviet armed forces (the term “Army” being used to cover not only the Land Forces, but also Strategic Rocket, Air Defence, Air, and Naval forces).

Suvorov explains his view on the political realities of the USSR, where everything is subordinated to maintain the Communist regime's dominance, thus explaining the rationale behind Soviet strategic planning. He then goes on to explain the organisation of the Soviet armed forces, from the top down, emphasizing the Land Forces/Soviet Army. Technical details are presented where useful, but the primary concern is explaining the underlying philosophy and culture, often contrasted with the Western military approach. Suvorov then concludes with descriptions of the daily life inside the Soviet Army for the soldier and the officer, including the bullying and hazing practice known as dedovshchina, a practice then almost unknown to the West at the time of publication, which has become notorious in the Russian Ground Forces of the post-Soviet period.