The influence of minorities on the Soviet military

Abstract

There are changes occurring in the demographic composition of the Soviet population, particularly in the Soviet armed services which could generate significant internal stress and hamper effective and efficient military command and control. The resultant potential consequences could be decreased morale, lack of troop cohesiveness and decreased combat readiness with an overall effect being a decline of the Soviet Union as a world military power. This thesis will examine language differentials between the non-Russian recruit and his Russian counterpart. Building on this foundation idea, however, will be the second, more complete subject of cultural oppression and ethnic discrimination as it is manifested today in the USSR. The value of this study is to suggest possible Soviet reaction to demographic shifts, effects of growing nationalistic tendencies in the outlying republics, and consequences of dissident action as they might all influence Soviet combat readiness.