ABSTRACT
In the Soviet Union military doctrine is the military policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In theory, Soviet military doctrine is formulated by the Central Committee. Soviet spokesmen seek to convince the West that their military doctrine consists of a “purely defensive character,” even claiming that this always was the case. Many in the West hope that current statements by Soviet leaders about their forces being maintained at a level of “reasonable sufficiency” mean a change in Soviet thinking. Soviet spokesmen are very vague on the meaning of “reasonable sufficiency.” Soviet spokesmen press the matter of “reasonable sufficiency” in television programs and radio broadcasts. Since the mid-1950’s the idea of internal Soviet military “doctrinal” debates dominated United States’ perceptions of Soviet military writings. The training of the Soviet leadership, whether they be industrial managers, Party apparatchiki, or military officers, is political and conceptual.
