Army Brain

Author: (Soviet) Shaposhnikov
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Brain of the Army is a monumental three-volume military theory masterpiece written by the Soviet Marshal, renowned military strategist, and military theorist Shaposhnikov between 1927 and 1929. The original book consists of nine hundred printed pages and over 800,000 words. What is presented here to the readers is an abridged translation of this masterpiece. Shaposhnikov was born in 1882 and died in 1945 at the age of sixty-three. He joined the Red Army in 1918. He began his military service in the Tsarist Russian Army in 1901 and graduated from the Moscow Military School (1903) and the General Staff Military Academy (1910). He participated in World Wars. Starting from October 1917, he served as a colonel and commander of a regiment, and was promoted to division commander in December of the same year. During the Civil War, he held positions such as assistant director of operations, head of intelligence, and director of operations at the Supreme Military Council Headquarters. After the Civil War, from February 1921, he successively served as deputy chief of staff, commander of the Leningrad Military District and the Moscow Military District (1925–1928), chief of staff of the Red Army (1928–1931), commander of the Volga Military District (1931–1932), president of the Frunze Military Academy and political commissar (1932–1935), commander of the Leningrad Military District (1935–1937), chief of the General Staff (1937–1940), deputy people's commissar of defense of the Soviet Union (1940–1941). During the Great Patriotic War, he successively served as chief of staff of the Western Strategic Direction, chief of the General Staff (1941–1942), deputy people's commissar of defense (1942–1943), and president of the Military Academy of the General Staff (1943–1945). During his tenure as director of operations and chief of the General Staff, he directly participated in formulating major strategic plans and played a decisive role at critical moments, earning the Order of the Red Banner.
When discussing the relationship between war and the economy, the author clearly stated: "Only by correctly assessing the economic strength of one's own country and that of the enemy, and understanding the various factors influencing their economic development, can one accurately predict the nature of future wars." "Future wars will inevitably lead to an economic struggle. The development of productivity will provide warring parties with weapons more destructive than those used in peacetime." "We will use the most advanced weapons to achieve victory, but the use of new weapons will inevitably give rise to new tactics."
In his discussions, the author touched upon the concept of comprehensive national strength. Based on the experience of World War, he confirmed: "Future wars will involve all aspects of social life, requiring the mobilization of the entire nation's human and material resources. It follows that war can only be directed and mobilized by the state as a whole." "Modern war can only be waged by the entire nation; it cannot be undertaken by a single armed force alone."
The author cited a wealth of factual evidence to successfully argue his proposition and put forward many new viewpoints. The Brain of the Army immediately sparked a strong response both in the Soviet Union and abroad.