The Red Army and the Great Terror: Stalin’s Purge of the Soviet Military - Peter Whitewood

Title: The Red Army and the Great Terror: Stalin’s Purge of the Soviet Military

Author: Peter Whitewood

ISBN: 978-0-7006-2117-0

Publisher: University of Kansas Press

Year: 2015

Hardcover

Pages: 360

Photos/Maps: 0

The Great Terror of 1937-1938 that resulted in the decimation of the Red Army’s Officer corps at the hands of their own government, has remained an enigma in the years following; why would Stalin undertake this action when he strongly suspected war was imminent? Popular conception has it that the German’s, in an unprecedented intelligence coup, planted material that implicated the Red Army leadership in subversive activity and therefore initiated the purge. Whitewood’s research shows that, while threat of foreign subversion was definitely a factor on the purge, the seeds had been planted long before, in the decades following the Russian revolution. Whitewood has drawn upon previously classified records to shed light upon the events and activities that set the stage for one of the greatest acts of self-mutilation that a nation has undertaken in recent history.

The author traces the civil-military relationship in the nascent Soviet Union throughout the 20’s and 30’s. His research is comprehensive and in-depth and shows a difficult and, at times, challenging interaction between the two entities. Policies such as collectivization of the agriculture industry in the 1920’s stressed the Army as a majority of its soldiers were from farming communities. Additionally, the necessity to integrate former ‘White” specialist officers into its ranks following the civil war left a lingering concern regarding loyalty; moreover, the stresses within the Soviet hierarchy between the Trotsky and Stalin camps left those officers who had been supporters of Trotsky with black marks against them. Finally, the lingering discomfort of the Soviet government, built upon a foundation of communism which eschewed a professional army, with the necessary evil (in their eyes) of maintaining a military capability consistently underlined and always coloured the relationship.

A perfect storm developed for the Red Army as a government, rife with insecurity, built upon a structure that promoted interdepartmental rivalry, in an international political environment which exacerbated internal tensions and fears of espionage was led by a brutally ‘real politique’ leader who ruled with no checks or balances upon his power. Whitewood shows that perception became reality and a government, already predisposed to find disloyalty, was able to prove their suspicions through the use of torture to elicit confessions, build cases based upon guilt by association and a legal system which rubber-stamped convictions. These stressors built over the decades leading up to 1937 saw minor purges and low level sweeps of the military until finally exploding in a flurry of denunciations, convictions, executions and imprisonment of literally thousands of officers on the flimsiest of evidence.

Whitewood’s book is an excellent analysis of the events and environment within the Red Army and Soviet government during this period. It seems incredible that the military hierarchy would allow itself to be decimated as it was with such acquiescence. I have issue with only two aspects of Whitewood’s excellent book. First, I feel that it would have been beneficial to have had more discussion on the response of the senior levels within the Red Army as things degenerated for them. Individuals such as Tukhashevsky, Uborevich and Iakir must have been aware of the environment given their high rank and yet Whitewood does not discuss their responses or actions to try and counter the allegations being leveled against them. Additionally, the author does not emphasize, as a possible motive, the ongoing competition for influence and power between the Army and the NKVD. This had to be a driving force in the aggressive and brutal means by which senior officers in the Army were sacrificed.  

The book overall is a chilling read and provides an outstanding evaluation of the human psyche in an environment in which leadership unchecked combined with a siege mentality results in perception and rumour being the basis for justice. His book contains a plethora of excellent references and a comprehensive bibliography. Strongly recommended.

Counterinsurgency - David Kilcullen

Title: Counterinsurgency

Author: David Kilcullen

ISBN: 978-0-199-73749-9

Publisher: Oxford UP

Year: 2010

Softcover

Pages: 251

Photos/maps: 7/1

Those of you actively involved in counterinsurgency operations are most likely to have heard about David Kilcullen. Both an experienced operator (infantry in East Timor, Indonesia as well as tours in Iraq and Afghanistan) as well as a renowned student of the insurgent/terrorism ‘art’ he has, in this book, put together a practical and common sense approach to tackling the challenges of insurgency and terrorism (he clearly delineates between the two) in different environments.  The book is a compilation of articles and concept papers that he has drafted based on firsthand experience, immediate debriefs with those involved in conflict, follow-on interviews with combatants from both sides as well as a deep engagement with local civilians.

His first chapter covers the 28 articles or ‘rules of thumb’ that a counterinsurgent must remember to maintain effectiveness. Based, very  loosely, as a companion piece to the original 27 articles of TE Lawrence (of WW1 Arabic uprising fame), it is updated and adjusted to reflect the realities of the modern counterinsurgent battle space. Each article is also preceded by an explanatory introduction that sets the stage for the focus of the article and provides for the reader the context within which to approach it. His points are succinct and eminently relevant and logical.

His next chapter discusses the value and merit of metrics. He acknowledges the critical requirement of being able to measure success (or failure); however, he posits that the traditional methods of measurement are not relevant or accurate to the asymmetric conflicts that we are engaged in. For example, the traditional body counts or military accessibility levels into regions do not provide for accurate measurements of enemy capability. Rather, he suggests that a series of non-traditional metrics based upon the four ‘pillars’ of counterinsurgency (the population, the supported government, the security forces and the enemy forces) should be adopted. Examples that he provides are not exhaustive but do adjust the paradigm of the reader into a more correct avenue. Things such as: price of exotic vegetables, tax collection or participation in sponsored programs can act as indicators for population stability, Government Indicators: where officials sleep, capital flight, rate of budget execution; Security Forces: ratio of guilty to innocent detainees, ratio of kills to wounds/captures, night operations and, finally, Enemy Forces: Insurgents villages of origin, insurgent medical health, price of black market guns and ammunition and midlevel insurgent casualties.

In the following chapters he discusses the success of the Indonesian forces in suppressing the West Java insurgents in the late 1950’s and how the tactics used so successfully there were a failure when it came to East Timor (and why). This chapter is extremely interesting as it reinforces the importance of appreciating how there is no standard solution to an insurgency that can be applied universally. Changes in motivation, geography and technology (to name a few) can have profound effects upon the methodology best suited to countering it. The Indonesian example is particularly relevant when viewed from the perspective of the impact of world opinion on the activities of Indonesian security forces in East Temor mirroring the of ‘media’ and communication technology as a factor (both positive and negative) on operations.

He next discusses the environment within which insurgencies are able to flourish. He postulates that identifying regions as being pro-government or pro-insurgent is missing the fundamental truth that populations seek security, predictability and stability and they will follow whatever group or organization that can guarantee it locally. This is one of the main reasons for the frustrating tendency in Afghanistan for locals to ‘switch’ from government to Taliban and back. It is not loyalty; it is pragmatism that is their driving force. Thus it is that concurrent to an armed challenge of an insurgency, it is imperative that issues of poor governance, corruption and mismanagement amongst the governing body be addressed aggressively.

He concludes with an examination of the modern phenomenon of the global insurgency, its make-up, methods of operation, strengths and weaknesses.  Starting with an assessment of the differences between ’terrorism’ (seen today as synonymous with any act of violence against the government) and ‘insurgency’ he clearly delineates not only the difference between  two, but also, the forces behind them and the paradigm shift needed to address them effectively. He concludes with a discussion on the critical weaknesses of the global jihadist style movements and how best to exploit these weakness in the ‘competition for government’.

Kilcullen has a great wealth of experience to draw upon when contemplating these issues. There are those who would make the argument that much of what he writes is common sense and not new revelations. That may be; however, it is also true that while many of the successful techniques used against jihadist movements have been used in the past, it took much blood and treasure to begin applying the lessons of yesteryear. The shift in paradigm and approach to the modern global jihadist with its access to instantaneous communications requires not only a reinforcement of our previously learned but forgotten lessons, but  further enhancement to meet the unique challenges of today’s modern insurgent. Kilcullen’s book is an excellent place to further enhance that education.

Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914 - Prit Buttar

This review has been published in Soldier Magazine.

Title: Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914

Author: Prit Buttar

ISBN: 978-1-78200-648-0

Publisher: Osprey

Year: 2014

Hardcover

Pages: 472

Photographs/maps: 32/17

 Histories of the First World War tend to focus on the events of the Western Front encompassing land, air and sea operations. Rarely, other than in passing, are the no less dramatic or critical events of the Eastern Front discussed in any degree of detail. The Eastern Front in this case encompasses not only the Russian Empire but also Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empires. Buttar has done an excellent job at highlighting the major challenges and battles of the Eastern theatre up until the end of 1914. He adroitly emphasizes the significant difference if fighting styles and doctrine application that the geographic realities of the east demanded of the protagonists. 

He commences his study with an analysis of the individual national strategies and aspirations as well as the events leading up to the outbreak of hostilities. He then follows this with a detailed look at the initial deployment phase of he war with special emphasis on mobilization plans, particular national strengths and weaknesses and the impact of the execution of those plans on the effectiveness of the early engagements. It is interesting how the demands of allies dictated the priority of operations and yet there was little to no formal planning for combined operations between the different nations.

Once Buttar has provided the reader with the background he focuses upon the major engagements of 1914: Tannenberg, Masurian Lakes, Galacia, Serbia and  Lodz. Echo's of future challenges are seen in all cases as logistics, time/space and speed of maneuver are all recognized quickly as key elements unique to the East. Additionally, the impact of modern technology on out of date doctrine asserts itself in the form of horrific casualties amongst all of the protagonists. Buttar is able to draw out the lessons in stark detail without breaking the flow of his narrative. Added depth is provided through his use of quotes from personal recollections, histories  and biographies of survivors.

His writing style is engaging and fluid and his research thorough. He has provided a comprehensive bibliography and notes section. It would have been beneficial to have had more detailed maps of the battles themselves but that was a minor distraction. His book was a pleasure to read.

The New Scramble for Africa - Padraig Carmody

Title: The New Scramble for Africa

Author: Padraig Carmody

ISBN: 978-0-7456-4785-2

Publisher: Polity Books

Year: 2011

Softcover

Pages: 244

Photographs/maps: 0

Africa is a continent that has almost unlimited potential. Rife with both resource and human capital, it has however been limited in its realization of said potential due to the legacy of colonialism, rampant and systemic corruption within a majority of its governments/institutions and a resulting failure to translate its resource based economy into manufacturing. African leadership and its wealthy elite, looking to draw financial advantage from the potential of their countries, have now embarked upon a comprehensive sacrifice of their nations' birthright through the selling off of their resources to resource hungry second and first world nations. Carmody's book has undertaken a study of the history, causes, effects and potential outcomes of this new pillaging of Africa at the hands of a few for greed and short term gain.

The author commences his review by setting the stage through an analysis of the history of Africa's engagement with the east and west. Following the end of colonialism, the continent was a battle ground of proxy wars between the West and Soviet Bloc. During this time, governments were supported not for their effectiveness but for their willingness to undertake operations for one side or the other. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a gradual change transpired whereby western support and investment for governments became more closely aligned with accountability and transparency. Ironically, it was this insistence upon openness that created the opportunities for a resurgent Russia, emerging China and the EU to create markets for themselves. Unlike a majority of the west, which, concurrent with its demands for more accountability suffered a reduction in economic clout, cash rich China et al jumped into the breach with an approach that precluded any demand for change in the corrupt national leaderships. Their realpolitik approach sought advantage wherever it could be found for the betterment of their national goals. Carmody's overview of this is comprehensive and disturbing.

He then goes on to look in greater detail at the kinds of exploitation that are being undertaken with a specific emphasis on the role that China is now playing on the Continent. Attention is paid to the economic interests being sought after with a focus on timber, fishing, uranium, cobalt, food products, fuels and biopiracy. In each case, advantage is being taken over weak central governments and deep corruption in order to feed and furnish domestic demands. Carmody identifies not only the methods undertaken by these foreign powers but also the secondary and tertiary impacts on the African domestic markets and populations of these actions. As an example he discusses the impact of rampant illegal fishing within the EEZ of Somalia. Foreign factory fleets have, as a result of Somalia’s inability to enforce its territorial waters, been able to not only pillage this resource but also to undermine the domestic fishing industry of Somalia. Desperate fishermen have then turned to piracy to try and recoup their losses.

 Carmody's book is an extremely disturbing insight into the present day "Scramble for Africa" and its impact upon indigenous populations. Western powers especially are quick to jump on the symptoms of this malaise (such as piracy) but very slow to respond to the underlying causes of these behaviours. Well researched and logically presented, Carmody's book, while five years old, identifies the pattern that has been followed since then with predictable results. An extensive bibliography and notes section provide ample additional reading options.

Blood and Iron: The German Conquest of Sevastopol - C.G. Sweeting

Title: Blood and Iron: The German Conquest of Sevastopol

Author: C.G. Sweeting

ISBN: 978-1-57488-7976

Publisher: Potomac Books

Year: 2004

Softcover

Pages: 200

Photographs/Maps: 99 b/w//4

The conquest of the Crimean peninsula and the capture of the fortress city of Sevastopol marked the culmination of months of preparation and intricate planning led by the brilliant general Field Marshall von Manstein. For the Axis forces this victory represented both the waning days of their offensive power and their excellence in the tactical and operational art of war; for the Soviets, their dogged resilience and capacity to continuously bounce back from crushing losses that would have crippled other nations.

Sweeting’s book commences with a very broad brush overview of Operation Barbarossa  thus far before narrowing down to focus upon an analysis of the capabilities of the Soviet, German and Romanian forces destined to clash in this campaign. Part in parcel of this examination is a detailed review of the German commander von Manstein and his strengths as both planner and combat commander. The authors overall approach is balanced, fair and comprehensive despite the shortness of the narrative.

The battle is tracked from the initial thrust of the Germans across the Crimean Perekop Isthmus and their subsequent drive to the gates of Sevastopol and the capture of Kerch on the Sea of Azov. The lessons derived from this section of the book include the advantages of close air support for the Germans, the continued challenges derived from the delta between the German and Romanian allies in terms of both capability and strategic goals, the shortfalls in Axis naval capacity (and the inability to prevent Soviet reinforcement by sea) and the continued dominance of the German forces over the Soviet. Additionally, an operational limitation for the Germans in terms of the use of paratroopers as a force projection option (they had never recovered both in terms of personnel and transport from the Crete campaign) is highlighted.

This section is followed by a review of the Soviet response through seaborne landings behind those Axis forces extended forward into the Kerch region. The resulting successful 100 mile retreat to the Feodosiya narrows highlighted the continued operational expertise of the Germans as well as the growing proficiency of the Soviets in joint operations. Von Manstein’s ability to quickly realign his forces to meet and eradicate this threat (despite being heavily outnumbered) while maintaining the siege of the Sevastopol was indicative of his operational brilliance. The losses sustained by the Soviets during these counterattacks exceeded 170,000 prisoners with untold thousands of dead and wounded.

The final section of the narrative covers the final assault and capture of Sevastopol itself. Sweeting does a commendable job with this review highlighting the role of the siege artillery brought forward specifically for this task (including the massive ‘Dora’ 81 mm cannon with her specially designed shells that could penetrate 5-6 meters of steel reinforced concrete). Sweetings writing captures for the reader the absolute brutal nature of the fighting associated with the capture of this fortress.

He closes his book with a series of annexes/appendices on the types and capabilities of the weapons utilized by both sides during this campaign. Moreover, he provides two detailed sections on the siege artillery of the Germans: the Karl and Dora weapons. These appendices are excellent in facilitating an appreciation of the unique nature of siege warfare.

Overall, this is a rather short but informative study of the Crimean campaign with a special emphasis upon the siege and capture of the fortress of Sevastopol. It is well written and flows well, however, the maps included were not adequate. Sweetings narrative style is technical where needed while not sacrificing the ‘human’ element of the fighting. As a start point for someone interested in this campaign I would not hesitate to recommend this book.

Thieves of State - Sarah Chayes

This review has been submitted to The Journal of the RCAF

Title: Thieves of State

Author: Sarah Chayes

ISBN: 978-0-393-23946-1

Publisher: Norton

Year: 2015

Hardcover

Pages: 262

Photos/Maps: 0/7

Media and Government attention, traditionally and more notably during the last 15 years, has been focused upon the economics and operational tactics of identified terrorist groups and their supporters. A phenomenal amount of military and economic resource has been brought to bear in an effort to crush these organizations. Notably missing from the dialogue however, has been attention to those governments whose actions have instigated, enabled and facilitated these activities. Nor does it appear that there is a clear understanding of the direct link between the corrupt practices of national leadership and an appreciation of its impact upon the ability of fringe organizations to advance their causes. Chayes’s book sheds a blinding light upon the clear connection between these activities, their impact and western government’s reluctance to acknowledge them.

Starting with a discussion of the writings of Locke, Milton, Nizam al-Mulk, Luther and Machiavelli (to name but a few) she looks at the repeated acknowledgement of the responsibility of leaders to their people; the so called ‘Mirrors of Princes’ treaties. These were texts emphasizing the critical necessity of leadership to be accountable to the people whom they lead (and the potential impacts if they are not followed). This book is not however, a dry political analysis; Chayes draws upon her 10 years of work in Afghanistan as a reporter, an entrepreneur and a foreign policy adviser to the US military in order to draft an accessible and eminently readable discussion of the endemic corruption of the Karzai government and the response of the US political and military establishments.

Her approach is not jaundiced but balanced and telling, and her examination of the issues and of the impact that pervasive corruption has upon the ability of fringe elements to recruit and operate, extremely effective. The author has broken out her analysis into distinctive methods or techniques of corruption; each having in common a “bottom up flow” of monies. Those practicing systemic corruption she identifies as ‘Kleptocracies’ further breaking them down into sub-categories such as: Resource, Post-Soviet, Bureaucratic, Military-Kleptocratic Complex and Vertically Integrated Criminal Syndicates. Each type is explained in detail with examples and facts.

Additionally, Chaye discusses how populations, denied access to legitimate forms of redress due to corrupt officials and entities, are left with no option but revolt as a means of addressing their grievances. Thus, groups such as Boko Haram (the name means roughly Western Education is Forbidden), initially a fringe, self-sustaining community was driven into armed rebellion by the unethical practices of the Nigerian police and bureaucracy. Their name was derived from the fact that Nigerians know their civil service to be absolutely corrupt and also that to get a job within said civil service one has to have a western style degree from a university. Thus irrespective of the logic of their belief, they have equated the corruption with not only the system of government but also the education needed to work within that system. It is critical to the determination of effective responses to these groups that the root causes of their formation be acknowledged and addressed as part of the solution.

Recognizing this, Chaye provides a series of practical actions that governments may take in order to influence the behaviours of corrupt regimes. These multi-faceted approaches run the gambit from aid and financially based approaches to diplomatic and business focused tactics. Unavoidable within these methodologies is the necessity to work in tandem with other nations to ensure a common front.   

While corruption is not the only element facilitating violence, it may certainly be grasped as a medium within which violent reaction amongst the people takes hold and flourishes. Chayes clearly illustrates that fighting fringe elements such as Al-Shabbab and Boko Haram is necessary, however, it is equally as critical to recognize these organizations as indicative of a much deeper malaise: corruption; to treat the symptoms without acknowledging the actual disease will never break the cycle. This book is vital to appreciating the scope and nature of corruption, the potential impact of not addressing it and also methodologies that may be exercised to counter it.

Bright Eyes of Danger: An Account of the Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1849 - Bill Whitburn

Title: Bright Eyes of Danger: An Account of the Anglo-Sikh Wars 1845-1849

Author: Bill Whitburn

ISBN: 978-1-909982-21-5

Publisher: Helion

Year: 2015

Hardcover

Pages: 327

Photographs/maps: 100/10

This book is a tale of internal strife amongst the Sikh population fed by greed, ambition, nationalism and duplicity and a mixture of international concern and jingoism on the part of the British. Its many actors include Afghans, foreign mercenaries from such diverse places as France and the United States, Honourable East India Company (HEIC) company soldiers and British Line Units as well as a host of individuals that were appearing on the international stage for the first time and who would go on to cement their reputations as house hold names during the Mutiny.

Whitburn’s book covers the international and local situation leading up to the wars, a comprehensive analysis of the two wars themselves and the immediate and long term effects of the conflicts. It would have been beneficial to have had a synopsis of the main characters at the front of the book (he does do this for local terminology and acronyms) as the rogues gallery is extensive and confusing. Nevertheless, he has a good eye for detail and has obviously done his research into not only the battles themselves but also the behind the scenes machinations between the British government and the HEIC. It is shocking the degree to which incompetence was tolerated by the British in their senior commanders and the sense that war was seen much more as ‘sport’ as opposed to a deadly business. It was also very noteworthy to read of the professionalism and competence of the Sikh army commanders and the degree of respect that built up between the adversaries. One is additionally struck by the endurance and capacity of the soldiers themselves to overcome deprivation and fatigue in the execution of their duties.

Notwithstanding the emphasis on the combat operations of the wars, Whitburn also discusses the fascinating world of civil/military relations in the context of the unique workings of the HEIC and its interactions at the strategic level between the Board of Governors and the British Government as well as at the operational level between the civilian and military offices within India itself. These alone make for fascinating reading and discussion.

His research is solid and the commentary reads well although he has a tendency to insert narrative that, while intended to add emphasis, tends rather to distract from the flow. Additionally, I found the maps to be of little value being overly simplistic with not enough detail. Finally, a majority of the photographs included were of remarkably poor quality which was surprising. In fairness, these are sidebar issues which taken as a whole are not critical to the overall impact of the book; they are more of a disappointment.

Whitburn has provided a very solid bibliography and rendition of a period of history lost, to a great extent, in the shadow of the Indian Mutiny. Despite the shortfalls, the book is an enjoyable and educational read that represents a balanced and nuanced view of the adversaries and the climate within which they operated.