The Soviet Soldier

Eight million Soviet soldiers died on the Eastern Front between 1941 and 1945. However, their history, uniforms and day-to-day plight still remain mostly undocumented. Many misconceptions prevail, most of them stemming from the ferocious Nazi propaganda of the times. In reality, the Soviet soldier proved himself to be a resolute and well-equipped fighter. His uniform and equipment improved constantly despite the shortcomings of an economy crippled by war.There have been few books on the history and uniforms of the World War II Soviet Army. The interested reader will find here a coherent wealth of information on the Red Army's organisation and orders of battle, uniform and equipment and vehicles.The various guises of the Soviet soldier, from Barbarossa to the fall of Berlin have been reproduced in colour with more than fifty studio reconstructions of infantrymen, artillerymen, parachutists, tank crewmen, marines, commissars and more.A large variety of individual equipment, small arms, personal items, insignia and medals are illustrated in detail. The book also features hundreds of unpublished period photographs, many from the soldiers themselves.