Military education in the Soviet Union

There existed an evolved system of military education in the Soviet Union that covered a wide range of ages.

Late Soviet Union

All able-bodied males obtained basic and specialized military training during obligatory 2-3 year male draft

Conscription in Russia

Conscription in Russia is presently a 12 month draft, mandatory for all male citizens age 18-27, with a number of exceptions. The mandatory term of service was reduced from 18 months at the beginning of 2008.- Russian Empire and earlier times :...

.

Suvorov Military School

Suvorov Military School

The Suvorov Military Schools are a type of boarding school in the former Soviet Union and in modern Russia and Belarus for boys of 14-18. Education in such these schools focuses on military related subjects. The schools are named after Alexander Suvorov, the great 18th century general.Their naval...

s for boys of 14-17 (established in 1943) delivered education in military subjects. Nakhimov Naval School

Nakhimov Naval School

The Nakhimov Naval School or simply Nakhimov School is a form of military education for teenagers introduced in the Soviet Union and once also located in other cities. They are named after Imperial Russian admiral Pavel Nakhimov....

s were similar to the Suvorov ones, specializing in Navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

subjects.

All able-bodied male students of universities and many other institutions of higher education were subject to training at the Military Chairs (voyennnaya kafedra) to become reservist

Reservist

A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...

officers.

Soviet military academies

Soviet military academies

There were/are a number of military academies in the Soviet Union/Russia of different specialties.Unlike Western military academies such as West Point, Soviet, now Russian, military and police institutions referred to as "academy" are post-graduate professional military schools for experienced...

provided higher education to higher officers and officers of specialized kinds of armed force (engineering, medical, etc.).

There also existed schools for under-officers and sergeants, often part of the draft service for distinguished soldiers, as a step towards the professional military career.

Reservists were subject to periodic training exercises of duration 2-6 weeks once in several years.

Soviet professional military education was also available for persons from the Soviet satellite states

Soviet Empire

During the Cold War, the informal term "Soviet Empire" referred to the Soviet Union's influence over a number of smaller nations who were nominally independent but subject to direct military force if they tried to leave the Soviet system; see Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and Prague Spring.Though...

and from the perceived Soviet sphere of influence among the Third World

Third World

The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO , or communism and the Soviet Union...

countries.

Civilians could receive military-related training in military-support organizations DOSAAF

DOSAAF

DOSAAF was a paramilitary society in the Soviet Union, Voluntary Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Fleet . The society was preserved in a number of post-Soviet Republics, e.g., in Russia and Belarus...

and OSOAVIAKHIM.

Late Soviet Union

Further reading