The Transformation of Russia's Military Leadership

Abstract

The wartime transformation of the Russian military leadership has brought an end to the modernization of the armed forces that had been taking place over the previous thirty-plus years. The last generation of Soviet-era officers was supposed to be a generation of winners. But they found themselves in a race to avoid responsibility for the failures of the war and to maintain the political bargain with the Kremlin that makes them beneficiaries of the current authoritarian regime in exchange for total loyalty. In turn, the educational and cultural backgrounds (and consequently the moral qualities) of the younger generations of military officers make it simply impossible to restore lost military capabilities along the lines of modern advanced armies. However, the main problem facing the Russian leadership is how to prevent the military elite from becoming political actors.