Elite
2 primary works
Book 6
The decision, in Spring 1948, to form two battalions of Foreign Legion paratroopers was prompted by the requirement for enlarged airborne forces in Indochina, and the healthy recruitment then employed by the Legion. There were some initial doubts. The Legion were known to be magnificent heavy infantry, but were felt by some to lack the flexibility and agility demanded by independent airborne operations. In the Legion itself there were some misgivings over the possible clash between the self-consciously exclusive 'para mentality', and the Legion's own very marked esprit de corps. Over time, however, all these doubts evaporated with experience.
Book 12
For a young Soviet man in the 1980s, the chances were high that he would be obliged to serve for at least two years in the Soviet Armed Forces. At this time Soviet society was far more militarized than most other European countries; by the time they turned 18, most Soviet boys were far more familiar with military life than their Western European and American counterparts. Focusing on the daily experiences of a young recruit in the Soviet Army of the late 1980s, this book examines the history, organization, appearance and equipment of the Soviet forces, from pre-service indoctrination to uniforms and leadership.