Soviet Union Top Secret Military Journal Voyennaya Mysl

Description

Voyennaya Mysl: Soviet Military Thought and Cold War Intelligence

Timeline of Main Events:

• 1918: The Soviet military journal Voyennaya Mysl (“Military Thought”) is founded.
• Late 1950s – Early 1960s: Colonel Oleg Penkovsky, a Soviet military intelligence officer, begins spying for the United States.
• 1961 – 1982: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) intercepts and collects articles published in the top secret Soviet military journal Voyennaya Mysl.
• 1947 – 1989: Voyennaya Mysl becomes a top secret academic journal exclusively for the Soviet military elite (Generals, Admirals, and high-ranking officers).
• During the Cold War: Voyennaya Mysl serves as a key platform for the development of Soviet military theory, discussions on Russian military reform, tactics and strategy of modern combat, and analysis of military operations.
• During the Cold War: The General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation serves as the senior Soviet school for elite officers, where debates on military science and strategy take place.
• Last Years of the USSR: Faculty and students of the General Staff Academy actively debate Soviet military restructuring and become associated with the reform efforts of Major Vladimir Lopatin, proposing deep force reductions.
• October 2012: Some of the CIA files related to Voyennaya Mysl are declassified and released to the public.

Cast of Characters:

• Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky: A colonel in Soviet military intelligence during the late 1950s and early 1960s. He became a crucial spy for the United States, providing significant intelligence, including material from Voyennaya Mysl. He was codenamed “HERO” by the CIA and was the highest-ranking Soviet officer to spy for the US up to that time. His actions provided valuable insight into Soviet military thinking during a critical period of the Cold War.
• William E. Odom: Author of “The Collapse of the Soviet Military.” His work provides analysis and context regarding the debates and reform efforts within the Soviet military, particularly the involvement of faculty and students at the General Staff Academy in the final years of the USSR.
• Vladimir Lopatin: A Major (Soviet military rank) associated with military reform efforts in the last years of the USSR. He garnered support from faculty and students of the General Staff Academy for his proposals, which included significant force reductions. His efforts reflect a period of internal debate and potential change within the Soviet military structure.

Soviet Union Top Secret Military Journal Voyennaya Mysl “Military Thought” CIA Files

15,451 pages of CIA files related to intercepted articles published in the Soviet Union’s top secret military journal Voyennaya Mysl.

Voyennaya Mysl is translated from Russian to English as “Military Thought.” The files date from 1961 to 1982. Some material in this collection was not released by the CIA until October 2012.

Much of the Soviet material from the early 1960’s was provided by Oleg Penkovsky. Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky, given the codenamed HERO by the CIA, was a colonel with Soviet military intelligence during the late 1950s and early 1960s who spied for the benefit of the United States. He was the highest level Soviet officer to spy for the United States up to that time.

The material in Military Thought is key to understanding Cold War Soviet and Warsaw Pact military strategy. This military journal was founded in 1918. From 1947 to 1989 Voyennaya Mysl became a top secret academic journal for the Soviet military elite. During this time each issue of the journal was marked, “Only for Generals, Admirals, and Officers of the Soviet Army and Navy.” Created by the Russian Defense Ministry, the journal’s contributors were top military personnel and leading lecturers from Russian military universities and colleges. “Military Thought” provides a view of the development of Soviet military theory, Russian military reform, tactics and strategy of modern combat, and military operations.

Other documents cover lessons and activity at the General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The Academy was the senior Soviet school for officers made up of the “best and the brightest” officers of all the Soviet Armed Forces. Students in this academy usually held the rank of lieutenant colonel, colonel, and General-Major (one star). Most were colonels or newly promoted generals usually in their late 30s. Graduates who were not already generals or admirals usually were promoted to this rank after completing the academy.

According to William E Odom, the author of “The Collapse of the Soviet Military”, faculty and students of the General Staff Academy were involved in debates over Soviet military restructuring in the last years of the USSR. They became associated with the military reform efforts of Major Vladimir Lopatin and made specific suggestions for deep force reductions.

Additional CIA material covers symposiums on military science, translations of top secret military text books, and the journal Field Service Regulations of the Armed Forces of the USSR.