Conflict and consensus in the Soviet armed forces

This report analyzes the evolution of conflicts over modernization within the Soviet military, and efforts to develop the consensus needed to resolve these conflicts during the period from 1978 to 1988. Thus, the analysis covers a period of enormous upheaval that originated in the reorganization of the Soviet armed forces and subsequently involved the restructuring initiated by Gorbachev's reforms. The efforts of ground forces, strategic rocket forces, and the navy to cope with and to avoid changes initiated by the General Staff are examined against a backdrop of the consequences of strategic nuclear parity, the high-technology revolution, and constraints on the Soviet military budget.