"The collapse of the Red Army was one of the most spectacular in human history, and also one of the most mysterious. Neither Soviet nor Russian armed forces suffered catastrophic losses on the battlefield, while Russian soldiers became more involved, not less, in politics in post-Soviet Russia. Through a sophisticated application of institutional theory to a rich collection of data, Zoltan Barany unravels this mystery in a compelling and masterful way. This book will become a classic on Russian civil-military relations, while also adding much to our understanding of Russian politics more generally." Publisher's review.

Introduction -- The tragedy and symbolism of the Kursk -- Assessing decay: the Soviet/Russian military, 1985-2006 -- Explaining the military's political presence -- The elusive defense reform -- Civil-military relations and superpresidentialism -- Conclusion.