ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the effects of post-Soviet changes on the Russian military, particularly how these changes have affected and are likely to affect the relationship of the armed forces with the political leadership and civil society. The author of the modern Russian state and its military institutions was Peter the Great, the audacious and ambitious autocrat whose personal power, brutal methods and centralizing tendencies have, arguably, established a model for Russian rulers ever since. To appreciate the evolution of the Russian military, one must compare Soviet and Russian force strengths and structure. Despite restructuring, the Russian interior and security ministries retain control of large, strategically placed military and paramilitary units. The most obvious change apparent between the current Russian and past Soviet forces is the drastic down-sizing of the former. The transformation of the Russian army from a predominantly conscript force to a predominantly volunteer-professional one has important implications for civil-military relations.
