The opening of the former Soviet Union to the West over the past three years has made accessible, for the first time, much new material on the Red Army of the Great Patriotic War - the huge and varied forces which won some of the greatest battles of World War II against the German invasion. This book contains a range of rare, authentic uniforms modelled and photographed in Moscow: tank commanders and generals, assault infantry and women medics, pilots and NKVD security officers, artillerymen, camouflaged scouts, and many more. The photographs are backed-up by close-ups of insignia and personal equipment.

This is the third volume by the acclaimed Hungarian collector-and-photographer team, identifying and explaining historic Soviet militaria from private collections. A wide range of uniforms, insignia awards, weapons, equipment, documents and ephemera from the Soviet Union's Great Patriotic War are illustrated, in more than 230 close-up color studies, supported by more than 60 fascinating monochrome photographs that have survived, unpublished, in private hands. This volume includes explanations of Soviet military symbolism from the early days of the Communist state, but concentrates on the period of key interest between 1943 and 1945, when Stalin consciously revived many of the visual traditions of the Tsarist years in order to harness Russian patriotism against the Nazi invaders.

German Army Uniforms of World War II In Color Photographs Krawczyk. From private soldiers to generals, this picture-packed color collection profiles all major German combat branches including infantry, cavalry, artillery, mountain troops, tank and assault gun crews, etc., plus uniforms specific to western Europe, Russia, Italy and Africa. Close-up detail photos of insignia, interior details such as manufacturerÆs markings, typical items of field equipment and more. Hdbd., 8 1/2"x 12", 128 pgs., 230 color ill.

In the years after World War I, the defeated and much-reduced German Army developed new clothing and personal equipment that drew upon the lessons learned in the trenches. In place of the wide variety of uniforms and insignia that had been worn by the Imperial German Army, a standardized approach was followed, culminating in the uniform items introduced in the 1930s as the Nazi Party came to shape every aspect of German national life. The outbreak of war in 1939 prompted further adaptations and simplifications of uniforms and insignia, while the increasing use of camouflaged items and the accelerated pace of weapons development led to the appearance of new clothing and personal equipment. Medals and awards increased in number as the war went on, with grades being added for existing awards and new decorations introduced to reflect battlefield feats. Specialists such as mountain troops, tank crews and combat engineers were issued distinctive uniform items and kit, while the ever-expanding variety of fronts on which the German Army fought – from the North African desert to the Russian steppe – prompted the rapid development of clothing and equipment for different climates and conditions. In addition, severe shortages of raw materials and the demands of clothing and equipping an army that numbered in the millions forced the simplification of many items and the increasing use of substitute materials in their manufacture. In this fully illustrated book noted authority Dr Stephen Bull examines the German Army's wide range of uniforms, personal equipment, weapons, medals and awards, and offers a comprehensive guide to the transformation that the German Army soldier underwent in the period from September 1939 to May 1945.

Spencer Coil examines the uniforms and equipment used by the multiethnic Czarist Russian Forces during the turbulent reign of Czar Nicholas II. In addition to a remarkable selection of studio photos, stunning candid photos of front-oviki, or frontline troops, offer an authentic view of trench and battlefield life. Each photo has been carefully chosen and researched to offer the reader detailed information on the medical, motor, naval and air service branches as well as artillery, machinegun, pioneer, infantry, cavalry, and guard troops. There are chapters covering Cossacks, Caucasian irregulars, POWs, St. George Cross recipients and Czar Nicholas II. A full color section of heretofore unpublished photos of original headdress, equipment and accessories used by the armed forces provides valuable information on materials, markings, stamps and construction. This work is an outstanding and indispensable resource for all historians, collectors, re-enactors, war gamers, model builders and Czarist Russia enthusiasts.

This is the first full-color photographic reference book to illustrate Soviet uniforms and militaria selected from the whole 74-year history of the regime, from October Revolution to the 1991 collapse of Communism. Access has been allowed for the first time to Soviet Russian historical archives and to examples of actual uniforms and militaria from behind the former Iron Curtain. This new edition in paperback has some 200 color photographs [many updated] that illustrate and identify 80 original uniforms of the pre-WW2 period, the Great Patriotic War and the Cold War from 1945-1992. These uniforms are worn by live models and are supported by close-ups of headgear, insignia, decorations, weapons and ephemera. A valuable secondary feature of this book is a selection of 100 previously unpublished photographs from private Russian collections.

This study explores the organization, history and uniforms of the Soviet Red Army during the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941. The two decades following the Bolshevik victory over the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War saw widespread and fundamental developments for the Red Army. Nevertheless, these still left it largely unready to face Germany's Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Having been reduced in size and planning for modernization, the Red Army of the 1920s was employed to ruthlessly crush anti-Bolshevik opposition (real or suspected) in several regions of the USSR, notably Ukraine and Central Asia, and to fight a brief border war against Chinese Manchuria. During the 1930s, Stalin virtually 'beheaded' the army by a needless series of murderous purges of the officer class; despite this, the Red Army was victorious in clashes against Imperial Japan in the Nomonhan region in 1938–39, where General Zhukov earned his spurs. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union sent instructors and pilots to fight for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). The non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany allowed Stalin to take over half of Poland in September 1939; but a few months later his 'Winter War' against Finland demonstrated serious inadequacies in the Red Army's readiness for modern warfare, which would be shockingly confirmed in the first days of Operation Barbarossa. Using rare photos and detailed colour artwork, this study explores the interwar history of the Red Army, describing its campaigns, organization and uniforms, and focusing on the 20 years between its victory in the Civil War and the invasion of the USSR by Germany in 1941.

What was life in the Red Army like for the ordinary soldier during the Great Patriotic War, the fight between the Soviet Union and Germany on the Eastern Front? How far is the common perception of Red Army heroism and sacrifice borne out by historical reality? And what was the daily experience of the individual soldier caught up in this immense and ruthless conflict? The 160 contemporary photographs from the Russian archives that have been selected for this book give a striking insight into all sides of wartime service for the Soviet soldier. The whole range of military experience is portrayed here, from recruitment and the rigors of training to transport, marching and the ordeal of combat.