Forged in War

A military history of Russia from its beginnings to today

Mark Galeotti (New York University, New York, USA)

$42.95

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Osprey Publishing
07 May 2026

European history; Early history: c 500 to c 1450&1500; Military history; Geopolitics

A masterful history of how war and insecurity, both real and perceived, have driven Russia’s destiny for centuries, including the disastrous invasion of Ukraine.

Putin retains his stranglehold on his position in Russia despite an almost ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer as to how and why can be found in Russian history. With no naturally defensible borders, and environmental factors constraining its economy, Russia has been pitched against the pre-eminent military powers of the age across the centuries, and often at a technological disadvantage. To respond to these challenges, it has had to sit heavily on the backs of its people, and so war – and the need to be able to fight it – has shaped its evolution, from tsars to commissars and presidents.

The national identity has been forged in the furnace of war. From the medieval kingdom of Rus battling against a Scandinavian princes and Mongol emperors, to its own empire-building conflicts in 19th-century Asia, to the formative wars of the 20th century which saw Russia pitch from Tsarist empire to communist state and defender against Nazism, all these conflicts stained the lands of Russia red with blood. A weak post-Cold War Russia then turned to Putin,

who created a new mood for martial triumphalism which led directly to the Ukrainian war.

Packed with contemporary accounts, Forged in War strips away the myth to give an insider’s view on Russia’s past and present.

By: Mark Galeotti (New York University New York USA)
Imprint: Osprey Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
ISBN: 9781472862501
ISBN 10: 1472862503
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 07 May 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Mark Galeotti is a scholar of Russian security affairs with a career spanning academia, government service and business. He heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy and is an Honorary Professor at University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies as well as holding fellowships with RUSI, the Council of Geostrategy and the Institute of International Relations Prague. He is the author of over 25 books including Putin's Wars (Osprey, 2022).

Reviews for Forged in War: A military history of Russia from its beginnings to today

Galeotti’s absorbing book shows how Putin’s Russia has been defined by endless wars against often more sophisticated neighbours and by its spluttering attempts to modernise itself in response. * Sir Rodric Braithwaite, former UK Ambassador to Russia * A well-informed, thoughtful and readable introduction to a vast, complex and immensely important subject. * Professor Dominic Lieven, author of 'Towards the Flame: Empire, War and the End of Tsarist Russia' * The battles, the geopolitics, the palace ideologies and intrigues are set forth in Mark Galeotti’s masterful and absorbing narrative. * Leon Aron, author of 'Riding the Tiger: Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Uses of War' * Confused policy-makers and curious students will benefit greatly from this impeccably researched and succinctly written account. * Professor Pavel Baev, Peace Research Institute Oslo * [Mark Galeotti] has produced what is not only a succinct tour d’horizon of Russia’s simultaneously rich and brutal history, but a real tour de force of analysis ... a masterful study. * Lord Lothian *