ABSTRACT

For almost 70 years Soviet and Russian military theorists have been fascinated with the concept of airborne operations. Now Russian theorists tackle the problems posed to such operations by high-precision weaponry. This work, using newly released and formerly classified Soviet and East German archives, provides a detailed record of the performance of Soviet airborne forces during peace and war.

chapter 1|46 pages

The Interwar Years (1919–1941)

chapter 8|27 pages

Across the Dnepr (September 1943)

chapter 9|16 pages

To War’s End

chapter 10|17 pages

Reconnaissance and Diversionary Operations

chapter 11|14 pages

The First Postwar Years (1946–1953)

chapter 14|16 pages

On the Eve of the Twenty-First Century

chapter 15|8 pages

Conclusions