Implications for the Soviet Military of the Population Explosion in Central Asia.
Abstract
For many years the Soviet military has sought to solve nationality problems within its ranks by populating the armed forces with mostly Slavic recruits and attempting to Russify non-Russian soldiers. Furthermore it has religated recruits from 'unreliable' nationalities, particularly Central Asians, to non-sensative units. Ethnodemographic trends, the increasing Central Asian birth rate accompanied by a declining birth rate in the European sector of the USSR, will eventually require the military to rely more heavily on non-Slavic, especially Central Asian, manpower. This, coupled with a resurgence of self-affirmation among Soviet nationalities, will pose significant problems for Soviet military planners. The growing technological requirements of the armed forces will necessitate a greater proportion of highly skilled soldiers. However, by the 1990's the available draft pool will consist of a growing number of poorly educated technologically unsophisticated individuals with an acute sense of national self-awareness. As a result, ethnic friction will become more widespread throughout the military and command, control and communication problems will increase. There will be an overall decline in the reliability and combat effectiveness of the armed forces. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA073321
Entities
People
- Dennis A. Deeny