Russian Military Organizations: Russian Navy


Figure 1.--Here a group of Soviet boys begin their naval cadet training in the last months of World War II. The wire service caption read, "The Soviets start training officers for their navy at an early age. The youngsters attend preparatory naval school and wear navy uniforms. This photo shows a group of cadets with an officer at the entrance to the Nakhimov Preparatory Naval School." The photograph was dated January 13, 1945.

Russia over time has been primarily a land military power, but the Russian Navy has existed since Tsar Peter the Great founded St. Ptersburg and a navy as part of his opening to the West. The Tsarist Navy's principal effort was in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and ended in a disatrous defeat. The Russian Navy's primary part in history was the role in played in the Russian Revolution (1917). The Soviet Navy was not a major factor in World war II. The Germans tuned the Baltic into a German lake and botteled up most of the Soviet fleet. After the War, the Soviets began building a blue-water fleet which in the Cold War became a major concern to the U.S. Navy.

Tsarist Navy

Russia over time has been primarily a land military power, but the Russian Navy has existed since Tsar Peter the Great founded St. Ptersburg and a navy as part of his opening to the West. The Great Northern War gave Russia its Baltic opening. Tsar Peter even traveled to the West and desguised himself to work in Western shipyards. From that point, a major goal of Tsarist policy was a warm water ice free port. The Tsarist Navy's principal effort was in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and ended in a disatrous defeat. The Tsarist fleet played a small role in World War I, but the inability of the Russian and Allied navies to open up The Dardenelles so supplies could reach Russia in quantuty doomed the Russian war effort. The Russian Navy's primary part in history was the role in played in the Russian Revolution (1917).

Soviet Navy

Stalin instituted a massive military expansion during the 1930s. The Red Army an Air Force received the greatest prioerity, but the Navy was not neglected. The Soviet Navy was not a major factor in World War II. The Germans tuned the Baltic into a German lake and botteled up most of the Soviet fleet. The Soviet Navy did play a role in the Black Sea and on Russian rivers. As part of American Lend Lease, the United States turned over several destroyers to the Soviet Navy. The primary Allied interest was to help keep Murmansk and Ark Angel open to Allied Lend Lease deliveries. And Soviet submarines began sinking German Baltic shipping in the last months if the War. After the War, the Soviets began building a blue-water fleet which in the Cold War became a major concern to the U.S. Navy, especially Soviet submarines. We now know that Soviet submarines with nuclear-armed torpedoes were available to break the naval embargo of Cuba putin place by President Kennedy.







HBC








Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to Main military force page]
[Return to Main military style page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Hitorical Clothing home




Created: 1:04 AM 1/3/2011
Last updated: 1:04 AM 1/3/2011