Muslims, high technology, and the Soviet military

Abstract

Yossef Bodansky, Muslims, high technology, and the Soviet military. The demographical trends in the Soviet population are bound to have a substantial effect on the composition of the Soviet Armed Forces. If the current composition of the elite and professional combat arms is maintained, Muslims will comprise some 75% of the personnel of the Ground Forces in the year 2000. The Soviets already have major, though manageable, problems with their Muslim troops. These are very similar to problems already faced by the Soviet advisers in the Middle East. There, they have come with relatively successful working solutions. The Soviets, however, have committed themselves to the use of the Armed Forces as a Russifying "melting pot" of the various nationalities, including Muslims. The proven working solutions and the Marxist-Leninist "melting pot" goal contradict each other. The Soviets will have to chose between a pragmatic approach and a ideologically motivated direct confrontation with their Islamic population.