ABSTRACT
To all appearances, at least some national units survived in the USSR until the mid-1950s. Ibragimbeili states that by that time the maturing of Socialism at home, the appearance of the international Socialist camp, and the growing politico-military might of the USSR obviated the need for national military formations in the union and the autonomous republics. Existing national units and subunits were disbanded and their personnel were integrated into regular formations of the Red Army. 1 Interviewees report that the refusal of native Georgian troops to fire on their own population at the time of the uprising in Tbilisi in 1956 and general concern on the part of the leadership as to the loyalty of national units played a role in their demise. 2
