The Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939-40

ISBN-13: 9780714643144 / Angielski / Miękka / 1997 / 257 str.

Carl Van Dyke

Opis

This work uses Russian archival and previously classified secondary sources to document the experience of the Red Army in conflict with Finland. Van Dyke examines the diplomatic, organizational and social aspects of the Soviet strategic culture by first exploring the Leninist interpretation of violence in international relations, and how this legacy influenced Stalin in his use of diplomacy and threat of force to enhance the Soviet Union's forward defence and to address the Baltic problem in 1939. He documents the Red Army's poor battlefield performances and looks at how it relearned the techniques lost during Stalin's purge in the late 1930s. The book examines the Soviet high command's post-war evaluation of the lessons learned, the debates of the re-professionalization of the officer corps and the effectiveness of the unified military doctrine.

Spis treści

Slavic Review - "In short, this is a first-rate acount of the Finnish War, a readable and well-iillustrated book with many good maps and photos. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the history of the Soviet armed forces."



The Journal of Military History - reviewed by Jacob W Kipp - Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas

"....the significant contribution that Van Dyke has made to the literature on the Winter War...Carl Van Dyke"s new study of the Russian campaign of 1939-40 makes several important contributions to the study of the Soviet side of the Winter War."



Military Review - reviewed by LTC Jeff Leser



International History Review- March 99



RUSI- " Soviet Invasion of Finland 1939-40 is an inspiring adventure even for a Finnish reader... we do hope that some publisher will be enthusiastic enough to publish it in a Finnish translation, too"



Intelligence and National Security, Vol 14, No 2, Summer 99

"Overall this is an excellent addition to the study of the Winter War and the evolution of Soviet doctrine."



"An impressive book...a very good book that should appeal to a broad range of readership interested in the Russo-Finnish war in particular, and military issues in general."

- Journal of Strategic Studies

O autorze

Carl Van Dyke