Russian Army
Formed from amalgamating the ad hoc armies that had formed to fight the civil war. The current Russian Army is successor to these, and also claims descent from the Imperial Russian Army.
Convincing someone to lay down their arms once the fighting is done is no easy feat. When he may still have enemies about, it becomes even more difficult. The solution was, rather than attempting the impossible task of convincing everyone to put down their weapons, was to reform the various armies into one, all new, all singing, all dancing, national army. That too took some convincing, but enough saw the sense of it one of the first, and easier, tasks of the new provisional government was the formation of the new Russian Army, which was made simply by the expedient of taking 3 or 4 armies which already existed and fitting/forcing them all together, an approach that worked in a (mostly) orderly manner, and was done within a few months.
Based on the structure of the Imperial Russian Army, of which many soldiers and officers of the new army had once belonged to, the new Russian Army was, however, not a carbon copy. For one thing, the army now boasted modern weapons such as tanks and aeroplanes, the result of international support during the civil war, and was now comprised entirely of men who had seen months, if not years of fighting in two brutal wars.
In the immediate aftermath of the civil war, the army saw a dramatic downsizing in its first few months. Everyone was tired of fighting and most men simply wanted to go home and rebuild what the could of their lives. With no obvious enemies and now desire to go looking for one, this was allowed to happen, and the demobilisation saw the Russian Army drop to its smallest size in centuries.
As the yers passed and a new generation of boys reached adulthood, the army began to grow again. Not reaching its wartime heights of several millions, but still the largest in Europe by a considerable margin. The new army does not use conscription to gain new recruits, instead relying on volunteers. Though the government reserves the right to call men up in case of emergency. The use of fully professional volunteers as opposed to short term conscripts has been done in the hopes of creating an army which is more capable on a man for man basis, and will also balance the burden of responibility within the army, be creating a class of long term, professional, non commisioned officers in the mold of other Europen armies, where they are the backbone of day to day discipline and administration, while currently, most, if not all of this is done by junior comissioned officers, which often leads to them becoming over worked and stressed. Which then places more stress on senior officers, until it reaches someone who simply ignores whatever problems have arisen rather than attempting in vain to solve a problem they can't.
The army today enjoys a degree of presitge as the force that saved (most of) Russia from the ravages of the Bolsheviks. Victory in the civil war largely washing away any sour tastes the Great War had left in the mouths of most people, where the army had gathered a deciedly mixed, though by no means poor, record. In addition, the years of war and revolution weeded out most of the officers who were weak, corrupt, or simply incompetent. As a resut, the army presently enjoys a solid officer corps that is well experienced in the demands and horros of modern war. At least ath the higher levels, whether they have managed to pass their knowledge on to their subordinates, and eventual successors, remains to be seen.
Structure
For the purposes of administration, the entire country is divided into regions known as military districts, units are then grouped into these districts on the basis of where they are at any given time.
The army's hgih command, known as STAVKA, operates from the ministry of defence in Petrograd.
The primary unit for the soldier is the section, which is part of a platoon, which is part of a battalion, which is part of a regiment, then a division, then a corps, then a front. The division is the smallest unit which uses a combined arms composition, while the corps is usually the largest to exist in war time. If the use of large forces is required for a situation, a front may be formed as needed or handled by the regional military district as required.
The major arms of the army are: Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, Tanks, Army Aviation (not to be confused with the air force), Engineers, Signals, and various second line and support roles such as dedicated catering, musician, maintenance, logistics, forces.
The army also boasts one of the highest proportions of naval infantry/marines, in the world, a legacy of the role Admiral Kolchak and his men played during the civil war.
Culture
The army often relies on strict discipline and harsh enforcemnet of penalties to keep men in line. This works in peace time, but if the experiences of the civil war are anything to go by, such an approach will not be enough to keep men in line in a war. With the loss of the Tsar, the army lost its leader. Yes some men would follow this general or that, but those are the last veterans of the civil war, many are not keen to fight or die for a country lead by an "Acting" President. Many who join are from the poorer parts of society, seeking a full belly, or bottle. There are also a few who seek to become genuine soldiers, or are looking for adventure, for such men, there is no shortage of remote places to send the in Russia.
In terms of organisation, the army relies on a heavily top-down approach. Even senior non comissioned officers have little by the way of responsibility, especialy in comparison with other European armies. Consequently, many junior comissioned officers often find themselves severely overworked.
Public Agenda
The army is now strictly non political as an institution, unlike many of its leaders. It's main concern is the security of Russia's vast borders, especially in Asia, where about half a dozen different civil wars rage in China, and in the Caucasus, where the break away Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the last remnant of the Bolsheviks who did so much damage to Russia.
Assets
The Army's chief asset is its manpower, able to draw on the vast populations of Russia, the Russian Army numbers well over a million men overall, housed in border posts, barracks, fortresses, and bases all across the country. However its sheer size can make it difficult to control, and any effort at reform or modernisation can never be done quickly. Like many armies it relies primarily on horse and train for transport and logistics but is attempting to modernise by introducing cars, lorrys, and other such automobiles. Its weaponry has not seen any major changes since the end of the civil war. Though it's tank forces are in the process of developing new machines.
History
The Russian Army, as it currently stands, was created in the Summer of 1920, by amalgamating the various white armies that had fought alongside one another in the Russian Civil War.
Disbandment
N/a
DISBANDED/DISSOLVED
It can always get worse (unofficial)
1920 - N/a
Type
Military, Army
Alternative Names
The New Army (often used when comparing it to the Imperial Russian Army, or Old Army)
Training Level
Trained
Veterancy Level
Trained
Head of State
Head of Government
Related Ethnicities
Comments