Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides a contribution in military multinationalism, with respect to the Russian and Soviet military establishments. It examines the policies and practices adopted by Russian imperial rulers since the time of Peter the Great to involve minorities in military activities while maintaining Slavic dominance and control. The book shows how the number of ethnic groups drawn into the Russian military has consistently expanded throughout the centuries. It identifies the types of units and operational roles to which non-Slavic nationalities have been assigned, and discusses the difficulties arising from language differences and the conflicting political loyalties of non-Russian soldiers. The book analyses the ethnic dimension of the Soviet experience in Afghanistan. One of the key aspects of the "human element" that is ignored in research on the Soviet military is the ethnic factor and its implications for Soviet operational capabilities and strategic planning.