1 The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign ...

Q: Well, was there concern on your part and all about the Soviet military? Because
looking at it, being familiar with the American military system, you had far too great an
officer corps. What the hell do you do with that?
MILLER: Well, that was a daunting question they had to deal with. What was done was
to do nothing. They just left the military in place. They didn't disband them, they just
maintained them, and they kept the draft, of course. The draft was the greatest threat to
the military, because there was no need and the hazing and mistreatment, traditional
mistreatment, became an issue for the mothers, and they were a powerful political group
at that time. The few uses that the military were ordered to do were terribly unpopular.
The military command, having been a part of the political structure in the Politburo and
Central Committee, suddenly found themselves largely outside. They were dispossessed
and had to find a place in the new political structure because of the collapse of the Party.
And this is where the reformed secret police become terribly important. To some extent
there was a reformation in the secret police. Putin was one example of what that
reformation means. That is, they're still the most powerful group remaining from the
Soviet Union, because of their coherent, informed (relatively) discipline. The primary
motivations are still to hold the state together, and to protect the state from enemies. They
are still an elite group, and still are able to generate enough fear for them to have an
effect. Maintaining a large military obviously began to be clearly unneeded with the end
of the Cold War. The issue of the relative size of the Russian military has been largely
resolved. They'll maintain a million-plus army including reserves for the foreseeable
future. They've reached an equilibrium on that issue.
Political allegiance? The military commanders are not going to go anywhere else, to
another state, and the Russian leadership from the beginning still had Soviet attitudes
about the military. Yeltsin, who was a lapsed Soviet, was still a Soviet in character. Putin
is certainly exhibits Soviet characteristics. The security forces understand that they still
command respect from the new leadership, even though their role in the political system
is much reduced.
Q: Well, I would imagine that the coup against Gorbachev would have discredited the top
military leadership ...
MILLER: It did.
Q: ... as a power to all of a sudden call up the battalions and start marching or
something.
MILLER: Well, it did. It discredited those who went with the coup, but the military forces
stood in place and largely resisted following General Yazov. I mean, the secret police,
part of the KGB, told Yeltsin you have a way, with our help.
Q: Well, also, some of the troops did not fire, really sided with Yeltsin.
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