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A Fall From Glory: The Decline Of The Russian Navy

A Fall From Glory: The Decline of the Russian Navy


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Glory Days of the Soviet Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Disposition of the Soviet Fleets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Russia's Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Looking to the Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
GLORY DAYS OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE

It used to be that in the olden days, one could walk into a tavern frequented by sailors and hear told grand and lively tales of past adventures; sea stories as they are often called, about ancient mariners, treacherous sea monsters, and old villainess enemies. These tales told of the battles fought against the Soviet Communists; though no real bullets were ever exchanged; a war did in fact occur. It was a cold war fought around the world in its oceans and on land in missile silos. It was the Soviet Communists versus the Capitalistic Americans, both the equal of the other. The war went on for many years; with one side stockpiling weapons and the other side responding likewise. Some called the war a game of chicken; the looser being the one who backed down the first. In the end though, the game's cost was too steep. Mr. Gorbachev tipped his King and Mr. Reagan accepted his acquiescence. The time passed, some pieces moved on and some remained.

Before the game was over, there was a time when the Naval Forces of the Soviet Union were regarded with both fear and respect. Ever since the days of Brezhnev, their military dominated the east and it was equaled only by that of the United States in the west. No one dared to directly challenge the power of the CCCP; not even the Americans. To do so would mean World War III and the destruction of the world by gigantic mushroom clouds over every major city. The Soviet Surface Fleet projected power wherever...