Mailed Fist, Velvet Glove: Soviet Armed Forces as a Political Instrument. Executive Summary

Abstract : This study was conducted in order to determine the historical record of the use of Soviet armed forces as a political instrument since the Second World War; to gain an understanding of the USSR's readiness to use military power in the pursuit of foreign policy objectives and the willingness of the Soviet leaders to accept risks in doing so; to evaluate the utility of political-military operations to Soviet interests and foreign policy goals; and to realize the implications of this Soviet behavior for U.S. interests and American foreign and defense policies.