Russian military thinking builds on a long theoretical tradition. Three names are invariably mentioned:
| Thinker | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Jomini | Geometric warfare based on principles and lines — measurable and systematic. |
| Clausewitz | War as a clash of wills, friction, the centre of gravity (Schwerpunkt). |
| Tukhachevsky | Soviet theorist of Deep Operations: simultaneous strike across the full depth of the enemy. |
From this tradition comes a set of principles of war that stamp Russian operations:
Preparedness · Initiative · Capability · Cooperation · Concentration · Depth · Morale · Obedience · Steadfastness · Security · Logistics.
Key point
Striking is the combination of Initiative and Obedience. In practice obedience wins: the Russian system is strongly top-down. Initiative is expected at the top, but discouraged at the bottom — a tension that runs through the whole command culture (see § 6.3).