ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of military power in the political processes, traditions and international behavior of the USSR. It highlights the implications of the ways in which the balance has changed, and examines the array of issues that are raised by the Soviet emphasis on military capacities. The USSR has achieved superpower status largely by virtue of its military capabilities, being relatively deficient in other indicators of national power. The magnitude of Soviet military spending and construction only partially explains the trends in the superpower military relationship. The Soviets draw distinctions between military art and military science. Soviet writings clearly indicate that there are military provisions for the failure of nuclear deterrence. The capabilities of the Soviet general-purpose naval forces are in the West seen in conjunction with many of the objectives.
