ABSTRACT
Military institutions of learning in the Soviet Union are "designated for the training of command, political, technical engineer, and specialist cadres for the Armed Forces." They consist of "military faculties at civilian institutions, courses for training and retraining the officer corps, and also the Suvorov Military Schools and the Nakhimov Naval School." Soviet military and higher military schools to some extent resemble the three United States service academies at West Point, Annapolis, and Colorado Springs. The origins of officer education in the Soviet Union can be traced back to the rule of the czars of Imperial Russia. Military and higher military schools are the basic sources of officers for the Soviet Armed Forces. Courses in schools of this service generally are of four years duration, although the engineering schools' courses are five years. These schools prepare cadets to be commissioned as officers in the four basic Ground Forces branches: motorized rifles, tanks, rocket troops and artillery, and troop air defense.
