Peculiarities Of Russian Warfare

“PECULIARITES OF RUSSIAN WARFARE” was prepared by a committee of former German generals and general staff corps officers at the EUCOM Historical Division Interrogation Enclosure, Neustadt, Germany, in late 1947 and early 1948. All members of the committee, however, had extensive experience on the Eastern Front during the period 1941-45. The principal author, for example, commanded, in succession, a panzer division, a corps, a panzer army, and an army group.
“…the report has had to be limited to a description of the characteristic traits of the Russian soldier, and their influence on the conduct of battle. The extent to which the political, economic, and social conditions of the country wore influential factors, could only be touched upon. Orientation concerning climate and terrain-indispensable to an understanding of the Russian methods of warfare-has been omitted intentionally, since pertinent points on those subjects are discussed elsewhere.
“In order to make the peculiarities of Russian ‘warfare more comprehensible, numerous examples, varying according to place, time, and nature, are incorporated in this study. From these examples, conclusions can be drawn concerning not only Russian behavior, but also German countermeasures and experiences.”