ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOVIET MILITARY ACADEMIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 27, 2001
• Content Type: IRR

Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
1-.1.1, -US-"
AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT
1956
27 Feb 1957
N: Red Star,
20 October 1956
ORIGIN AND D VELOPMENT OF SOVIET
L'lnelassifieu~ MILITARY ACADEMIES
Forwarded herewith is a report entitled "Origin and Development
of Soviet Military Schools," representing a summary of the
article entitled "Creation and Education of Commanding Cadres of
the Army and Navy" ISozdaniye i vospitaniye komandnykh kadrov
armii i flotal, by Colonel T. Kolctilov,-published in the
N: Red Star [Krasnaya Zvezdal, Moskva, No. 245, 20 October 1956,
ppp. 2-3.
This article describes the difficult task of the Soviet Armed
Forces, at the beginning of their ;~x.hstence, in creating corrnnand-
ing cadres. It describes the organization of the first Soviet
military schools, their development and the new schools and
higher military academies organized in later years.
Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
AF FORM 112-PART II
APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948
~e k..
AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOVIET MILITARY ACADEMIES
The task of creating the new commanding cadres was from the first
days of organization of the Soviet armed forces not only one of the
most important but also one of the most complicated tasks.
The complexity of this task consisted in the fact that the building
of the new Soviet army proceeded during the wrecking of the old
[Imperial] army; secondly, there were no qualified military specialist
among the working classes, and, thirdly, that the situation of the
foreign military intervention required an inaediate solution of this
problem of commanding cadres.
The complexity of this problem was aggravated by the lack of ex-
perience in this matter and by difficulties of economical and politi-
cal character.
Under difficult conditions the Communist Party under the.leadership
of V. I. Lenin took a number of measures, directed to provide the
Army and the Navy with the necessary commanding cadres. In a short
time a network of military courses and schools for the training of
Red commanders was unfolded. These courses and schools admitted for
training for the most part soldiers and sailors, workers and peasants
and the "foremost representatives of the intelligentsia," members
of combat teams [boyevaya druzhina) and soldiers of Red Guard detach-
ments. By the end of 1918 sixty-five military schools and short
term courses were already organized and in October, 1920, their num-
ber was 153. The majority of graduates of these schools were of
working people's origin. The predominant part of these graduates
were communists.
Courses and schools for the training of commanding personnel were
organized also directly in the units and groupings not only in the
rear areas but also in the front zones.
The Soviet army needed also senior and high military commanders. Their
training could be made only through a higher military school. Ac-
cording to V. I. Lenin's direction at the end of 1917, classes began
at the Military Engineering Academy. In February, 1918, the Artil-
lery Academy was opened, and in December, 1918 - the Academy of
General Staff, which later was renamed the Military Academy im.
M. V. Frunze. Other military schools were opened, including the
higher school for training of political workers, which later was re-
organized into the Military Political Academy im. V. I. Lenin.
During the 1918-1920 period [schools and) courses under the adminis-
tration of the Main Administration of the Military Schools [Glavnoye
upravleniye voyenno-uchebnykh zavedeniy] prepared approximately
NOTE: THIS DOCUMENr CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF T!11 ESPIONAGE ACT, 50 U S. C.-
31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PFR ON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW.
IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART. BY OTHER THAN UNITED STATE$ AIR FORCE AGENCIES. EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF
INTELLIGENCE. USAF.
Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP65-00756R000600070004-4
AF FORM 112-PART II
APPROVED 1 JUNE 1948
40
(CLASSIFICA O )
AIR INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION REPORT
PAGE 3
PACES
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40,000 Red Commanders or almost one third of the Red Army's command-
ing personnel. In addition, over 20,000 commanders were trained in
courses organized directly at the fronts. Many capable and energetic
men, who according to V. I. Lenin "did not attend any courses ex-
cept the cruel course of the war," were advanced to commanding posts.
Commanders and military leaders of the new type played a decisive
role in the building of the Red Army and Navy, in direction of mili-
tary operations and in securing the victory in the Civil War.
During the 1924-1928 period, for the purpose of further strengthen-
ing of the Army and Navy, the Central Committee of the Party and the
Soviet Government passed a number of measures, which entered the
history of the Soviet armed forces under the name of "military re-
form."
Great attention was paid by the Communist Party to the improvement
of military-technical culture of the commanding cadres in connection
with the technical reconstruction of the army and navy and with the
development of new kinds of troops.
In 1931 the Central Committee of the Communist Party obliged the
party organizations to select the best communists and Komsomol mem-
bers for the military schools. In 1931 and-in 1932 special mobili-
zation was made for the recruitment of students. for the, military
technical and flying schools. In this matter, : great assistance to
the Party and Soviet Government was rendered by the Komomol, which
took the patronage of the Naval and Air Forces.
In 1932, five new Academies were opened and among them: Military
Academy of Tank Troops, Electrotechnical and Military Transport
Academies.
For the purpose of strengthening of the Naval commanding personnel,
a special mobilization was made for recruitment of students for the
naval school and especially for the Naval Academy.
For the preparation of higher military cadres the creation in 1936
of ,the Academy of General Staff of the Workers' and Peasants' Red
Army im. K. Ye. Voroshilov [Akademiya General'nogo Shtaba Raboche-
Krest'yanskoy Krasnoy Armii] was of great importance.
After World War II, a considerable part of Soviet officers, generals
and admirals received once more their higher education in higher
military schools.
NOTE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT. 50 U S. C.-
31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION OF ITS CONTENTS #AANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15 PROHIBITED BY LAW.
IT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN WHOLE OR IN PART. BY OTHER TH4M II FORCE AGENCIES. EXCEPT BY PERMISSION OF THE DIRECTOR OF
INTELLIGENCE. USAF. a 3 + Ai o ...
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