This study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.
The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany’s Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Having been reduced in size and planning for modernization, the Red Army of the 1920s was employed to ruthlessly crush anti-Bolshevik opposition (real or suspected) in several regions of the USSR, notably Ukraine and Central Asia, and to fight a brief border war against Chinese Manchuria.
During the 1930s, Stalin virtually 'beheaded' the army by a needless series of murderous purges of the officer class; despite this, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in the Nomonhan region in 1938–39, where General Zhukov earned his spurs. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union sent instructors and pilots to fight for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39).
The non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany allowed Stalin to take over half of Poland in September 1939; but a few months later his 'Winter War' against Finland demonstrated serious inadequacies in the Red Army's readiness for modern warfare, which would be shockingly confirmed in the first days of Operation Barbarossa. Using rare photos and detailed colour artwork, this study explores the interwar history of the Red Army, describing its campaigns, organization and uniforms, and focusing on the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.
By:
Philip Jowett
Illustrated by:
Stephen Walsh
Imprint: Osprey
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 248mm,
Width: 184mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781472850454
ISBN 10: 1472850459
Series: Men-at-Arms
Pages: 48
Publication Date: 01 November 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
Professional and scholarly
,
ELT Advanced
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
INTRODUCTION THE RED ARMY IN THE 1920s Strength Clandestine contacts with Germany The role of political commissars CAMPAIGNS IN THE 1920s Anti-Basmachi campaigns, 1920s–30s The Sino–Soviet War, 1929 The ‘secret invasion’ of Afghanistan, 1929 THE RED ARMY IN THE 1930s Expansion and re-equipment Cossacks in the Red Army 1936–41 Formation of armoured units, 1922–41 Soviet security forces, 1922–41 Stalin’s purges, 1934–41 CAMPAIGNS IN THE 1930s Far Eastern border clashes: Changkufeng, 1938, and Khalkin Gol, 1939 Soviet invasion of Poland, September 1939 The Russo–Finnish ‘Winter War’, 1939–40 The Red Army in 1941 UNIFORMS, 1922–41 Headgear Helmets Field and service uniforms Legwear and footwear Greatcoats and protective clothing Rank and insignia Branch colours Branch insignia SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY PLATE COMMENTARIES INDEX
Philip Jowett was born in Leeds in 1961, and has been interested in military history for as long as he can remember. His first Osprey book was the ground-breaking Men-at-Arms 306: Chinese Civil War Armies 1911-49; he has since published the three-part sequence The Italian Army 1940-45 (Men-at-Arms 340, 349 and 353). He lives in North Lincolnshire, UK.
Reviews for The Red Army 1922–41: From Civil War to 'Barbarossa'
It is a very well laid out book in the series, that for a modeller would be a focal point for colour schemes and layout, and also for anybody researching or having an interest in this rather stark period of history. -- Susan Wilson * Army Rumour Service * Ideal for figure modellers and wargamers for painting references * Military Model Scene *
