This section will feature pictures, history, stories, and other facets of Soviet military life during the period between 1960 and 1978.

• Soviet Military Statistics
• The Soviet Soldier
• Soviet Military Holidays
• Women in the Soviet Army

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The Soviet Superpower

Soviet Military Statistics (1)

During the years following the Cuban Missile Crisis the Soviet army began a gradual military buildup. This was done at the insistence of Leonid Brezhnev, who felt that the Soviet Union should never again be in the position that it found itself in during 1963.

In addition to manpower, all other areas increased the type and number of weapons systems that they possessed in their inventory. New bombers such as the TU-22M Backfire were developed during this period.

This created a massive arms race with the United States, which did not end until the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachov in 1985.

Year

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

4,800,000 (1)

The Soviet Soldier

To the right is a picture of a Soviet soldier of the era.  As you can see the M-43 pattern uniform has been replaced by the M69 pattern. He also wears his piloitka under one of the shoulder loops for rank boards - this was usually frowned upon by officers as being too much like Western armies.

The military and state security forces occupy a special and honored position in Soviet society.  In recognition of this numerous military holidays fill the calendar.  They celebrate virtually every branch and also mark special government anniversaries or the anniversary of military victories.

The role of women in the Soviet military of the time was very minor. Despite Soviet claims of women's equality, they were seen by the military as a supplemental force that could free men up to fight if they were required to do so. As such, the number of women in the military of the time was not more than 10,000.

Restrictions and Obligations of Service
According to the Soviet laws of the time, women from age 19 to 40 who have had medical or other special training, can be drafted into the Soviet Armed Forces. They could also volunteer, even though they could be drafted even in times of relative peace. During war, women could be drafted for auxiliary or special service.. Drafting women did not actually occur during this period as their was no major crisis that required it.

Women of this time period enlisted for terms of 2 years. They did not have to undergo the rigid training and strictly regimented lifestyle that their male counterparts did. They were also not subject to the same strict military discipline that the men are. Women are also prohibited from joining any combat arms branch of the military, although exceptions have been made for test pilots (M. Popovich and S. Savitskaya) and those undergoing Cosmonaut training (Colonel-Engineer Valentina Tereshkova-Nikolayeva is one such exception).

Promotions and Advancement
Although women could theoretically attain any rank that their male counterpart could, most women did not have much opportunity for advancement. This was because they received commissions far less often than their male counterparts and were forbidden from attending officers academies and graduate schools. For this reason most of the women of this period were of the enlisted ranks. Those women who choose to make a career out of the military did receive all of the privileges and benefits of career personnel, even though their promotion opportunities were much rarer.