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/specialCollection/SovietandWarsawPact/1961/1961-12-18.pdf

Central Intelligence Agency · 28 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Central Intelligence Agency memorandum to the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated December 1961, sends a verbatim translation of a Soviet article from the TOP SECRET version of the journal Military Thought. The article, "The Theory of Military Art Needs Review" by Colonel-General A. Gastilovich, appeared in the first 1960 issue. It argues that nuclear missiles call for short "blitz" wars, smaller ground forces and missile troops as the main arm. It has no UFO content.

NIP
MVP
The Toeog of Military Art Deeds Review
Colonel-General A. Oa stilovich
We all admit that nuclear weaponwand missiles change the comditicoe
of war, but loving said le, we are afraid to say *b". Drcpping
curtsies in the direction of missiles end introducing some minor
correction in the theory of military in, we still hold in practice
to the old position existing at the end of World bar II. past
experience, traditions, and habits, taught to us for decades,
tenaciously hold us back and prevent the saw kind of revolution
in military art which nuclear weapon and missiles created in the
sphere of armament.
We strive uneaccessfully to squeeze missil4 molar weapons into
the formwork of the old hehitoal postulates of cur military doctrines
only 6111024 "moderaimine the latter, endue forget taut this doctrine
was fooded on the basis of using impose of military =stet
fumMbueentally different from contemporary ones and not coaparable
with Lbw.
dpeekLog at past world wars Ise report to the SOSS1011 of the
Supreme Soviet in Ganusry 1960, 1.16 Ebroshehev noted that they
formerly began on the borders of the warring countries we the
troops were concentrated. Concerning contemporary coolitioce be mai&
"Womadays, if war, starts, military actions rill develop
differently, since countries will have at their disposal the means
of deliverimg wares over tbousandi of kilometers. VW will start
first of all in the depthe of the warring countries, and every single
capital, every single large industrial or administrative water, every
single strategic area will be subject to attack not just during the
first deo, but dorini the first minutia of the var. in this =nor,
usr will both begin differently, if it is begun,and dewlap differently.'
In another part of his report CS. lb:rehabs. mat "I once
more emphasise, that 111 already Mite SO maw nuclear weapons -.atomic
and thermonuclear, and appropriate aisailes for delivery of these
warms to the territory of a possible aginueser, tbst if Ma sedan
amid order an attack against our country, LI or le words aissind
then we would be able to wipe suds • cormtry, or coustries, arepletaly
tram the face of the earth.
Istimisi this thought soneretely, NOrshal of the Owlet Orion
R. Tr Mainovekly, in his sprocket the same easels', said: "Abort

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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 28 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.