Soviet Army Battle-Origined Norms Guide Future Operations

Soviet Army Operational Art in War

In WW2, the Soviet Army on the Eastern Front decisively defeated the German Army, unarguably the best army in the world (and perhaps in the 20th and 21st century), but we are not going to talk about why that happened right now.
The victorious Soviet Army marked itself as consummately professional when it required that participants in hundreds of campaigns and battles write down lesson learned. Red Army military intellectuals then studied those lessons learned, and came up with guidance for future combat, which they called Battle Norms.
“Norms have become all pervasive in Soviet military practice, reflecting general guidelines for specific operational eventualities. "…Procedural (or operational) norms suggest how the Soviets are likely to conduct a conventional campaign with regard to sequence, timing, depth, location, and movement of the various elements. Numerical norms define the distances, frontages, advance rates, strength, etc. involved in such campaigns..."
Norms enable Soviet commanders to more effectively plan and execute operations. For example, engineer norms for the preparation of a fortified position specify that the following assets are required for fortifying a given area: "...230.55 man days...and 46.3 machine hours (in one day, or)...115 men and one bulldozer...(in 2 days)..." “ (exceprt from Red Blitzkreig: Soviet Army Operational Art in War)

To fully understand the extremely important concept of Red Army battle norming, and its potential for improving American Military Warfighting today, a diligent study of several of QuikManeuvers’ offerings would provide both the main course and dessert for the intellectually hungry.
See Army of Darkness; Army of Conquest; Red Blitzkreig; Twilight Zone; and Share the Pain, Share the Glory.