Berliner Zinnfiguren/Books & Media/Books/Military History General/Russia products

Sangster, Andrew: Stalin's Secret Services 32,95 €

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 07:05:06 +0200

From the shadows of Tsarist Russia to the brutal heights of Stalins rule, this book traces the evolution of the Soviet secret services and the men who wielded their terrifying power. At its center stands Lavrentiy Beria, head of the NKVD, whose ruthless ambition helped construct a criminal state where paranoia reigned supreme and murder was elevated to state doctrine. The narrative continues with Pavel Sudoplatova shadowy assassin who operated as an "illegal" agent and orchestrated both the assassination of Trotsky and the theft of American atomic secrets. As the line between ideology and brutality blurs, the book draws unsettling parallels between Stalins Soviet Union and Hitlers Nazi regime, exposing the dangerous symmetry between two of historys most feared dictatorsa symmetry starkly evident in acts such as the Katyn Massacre of 1940. In its concluding chapter, the book steps back to illuminate the deeper philosophical questions underlying autocracy: the fragility of intellectual and moral freedom, the corrupting allure of power, and the enduring significance of free will. *Stalins Secret Services* serves as a sobering reminder of how easily nationsand individualscan descend into darkness.

Querengöässer, Alexander: Russland als Militärmacht 24,00 €

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:00:10 +0200

Why does Russia act the way it does today? This volume offers an overview of the history of the Russian military from the 18th century to the present day. It shows how deeply military structures and territorial ambitions are rooted in the country and how strongly they have shaped the foreign policy of its successive governments. Historian Alexander Querengässer illuminates the tension between reliance on the country's seemingly inexhaustible human resources and the pursuit of tactical and technological innovations. At the same time, he describes the use of force both domestically and internationally, as well as the military's self-image in the Tsarist Empire, the Soviet Union, and present-day Russia.

Torke, Hans-Joachim (Hrsg.): Die russischen Zaren 1547-1917 20,00 €

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:35:18 +0200

From Ivan the Terrible to Nicholas II, this volume offers a brief history of Russia as reflected in its rulers. The authors, renowned historians, describe the lives and deeds of 24 tsars in biographical portraits, while also examining the major developments in Russian history. Almost 400 years of tsarist rule are brought to life in this volume.

Persson, Gudrun: Russian Military Thought 34,95 €

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:05:10 +0200

New insights into Russian military thinking from the Crimean War to the war in Ukraine. The development of strategic thinking in the Russian military is a topic that has been little researched in the West and is therefore misunderstood. In Russia, strategy encompasses the broader context of foreign and domestic policy as well as the military's connections to the country's leadership. The military's strategic thinking is closely linked to Russia's existence as a state and explains patterns of Russian confrontation. In Russian Military Thought, scholar Gudrun Persson offers new insights into Russian military thinking on doctrine and strategy, from the Crimean War to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Persson refutes the simplistic notion that Russian military thinking is backward and instead presents a more in-depth analysis of the factors influencing changes in Russian military strategy. Drawing on archival research based on Russian-language sources, Persson offers a multidisciplinary perspective, drawing on theoretical insights from history and political science that enable her to provide a nuanced, qualitative analysis. This book is essential reading for practitioners, scholars and students who want to understand the mindset of the current Russian leadership and the constraints shaping Russia's future prospects.

Sokolov, Boris/Harrison, Richard W.: Soviet Secret Police Chiefs 1917-1953 38,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:35:16 +0200

The book is a collected edition of two works by Boris V. Sokolov, which describe in detail the lives and careers of six Soviet secret service chiefs from Dzerzhinsky to Abakumov. The book combines The People's Commissars of Fear and its expanded version The People's Commissars of Terror and offers a comprehensive overview of the men who ran Stalin's apparatus of oppression. This reflection on the Soviet era, particularly the 1920s to 1950s under Stalin, challenges romanticised views of the past by portraying it as a dark and tragic period. The fate of the six Soviet secret service chiefs once powerful figures of state repression serves as a poignant example of this. These men, responsible for countless deaths during the Great Terror, ultimately shared the fate of their victims and were executed by the same regime they had served. The author emphasises that they were not monstrous by nature, but ordinary people who were shaped and corrupted by a criminal system. Had historical circumstances been different, they might have led quiet lives. The positions they held sealed their fate, as the blood on their hands, mirroring that of the top party leadership, made them too dangerous for the regime to allow them to live. Their tragic end shows how power not only corrupted its own representatives, but also consumed them. The author concludes that it was not personal evil, but the systemic, criminal nature of Soviet power that turned these otherwise mediocre men into enduring symbols of terror.

Galeotti, Mark: Forged in War 16,95 €

Sat, 23 May 2026 07:40:09 +0200

Putin maintains a stranglehold on his position in Russia despite a near-ruinous invasion of Ukraine. The answer to how and why lies in Russian history, which Mark Galeotti details in this new book. With no naturally defensible borders and environmental factors constraining its economy, Russia has, over the centuries, found itself pitted against the preeminent military powers of the age, often at a technological disadvantage. To respond to these challenges, it has had to lean on the backs of its people, and so warand the need to be able to fight ithas shaped the country's trajectory, from tsar to commissar to president. National identity has been forged in the crucible of war. From the medieval kingdom of Rus, which fought against Scandinavian princes and Mongol emperors, to its own conflicts in empire-building in 19th-century Asia, to the defining wars of the 20th century. A weak post-Cold War Russia then turned to Putin, who created a new mood of belligerent triumphalism that led directly to the war in Ukraine. "Forged in War" is packed with contemporary accounts and dispels myths to present Russia's past and present from an insider's perspective.

Nester, William: Joseph Stalin and the Art of Tyranny 31,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:35:16 +0200

The book examines authoritarian rule and shows how tyrants maintain their power through a mixture of comfort, terror, love and fear, often convincing their subjects of their divine destiny. Such leaders build systems of loyalists and subservient institutions that give them unlimited authority. Joseph Stalin is an example of this tyranny. As Soviet leader from 1929 to 1953, he introduced totalitarian policies, nationalised industry and agriculture, controlled economic production through five-year plans, and eliminated dissidents through imprisonment, forced labour or execution. His brutal regime claimed an estimated 20 million lives. Despite this grim legacy, Stalin's reputation remains controversial. In Western democracies, he is remembered as a genocidal dictator, while in Russia he is often counted among the most admired historical figures, illustrating the paradox of his influence. Stalinism served as a model for communist regimes in China, Vietnam and Cuba, shaping their governance. While many of these nations have transitioned to democracy, Stalinist practices continue to be found in countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. Modern leaders such as Saddam Hussein, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have adopted similar control strategies. Joseph Stalin and the Art of Tyranny offers important insights into authoritarianism and reveals the enduring appeal and devastating effects of totalitarian rule.

Monaghan, Andrew: Blitzkrieg and the Russian art of war 19,95 €

Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:11 +0200

An investigation into how Russia wages war. Russia's strategy in the 21st century is described as hybrid warfare, an approach characterised by measures below the threshold of war, such as cyber attacks and disinformation campaigns. But as the invasion of Ukraine has brutally demonstrated, conventional armed force remains a key element of Russian power. In Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War, Andrew Monaghan offers insight into Russian thinking on warfare. Drawing on extensive Russian sources, he addresses important questions that have been overlooked by most Western commentators: What does the military leadership understand by a 21st-century blitzkrieg? How does it understand holistic territorial defence? How does it deal with the changing balance between offense and defense? Blitzkrieg and the Russian Art of War introduces key concepts of Russian military thinking and is an indispensable resource for understanding Russia's resurgent role on the world stage and the devastating threat it poses to the international order.

Schulze Wessel, Martin: Der Fluch des Imperiums. Die Ukraine, Polen und der Irrweg in der russischen Geschichte 18,00 €

Thu, 14 May 2026 06:55:07 +0200

Russia's imperial past is the key to understanding Putin's invasion of Ukraine and his anti-Western obsessions. The renowned historian of Eastern Europe Martin Schulze Wessel places the war in the long context of Russia's westward expansion and describes how the expansion into Ukraine and the partitions of Poland since the 18th century established an aberration in Russian history that continues to have an impact today as the "curse of empire". In doing so, he shows how a fatal world of ideas could emerge that still haunts the minds of Moscow's leadership in the 21st century. After 1945, Germany freed itself from its "curse of empire" and opened up to the West. Russia still has this path ahead of it.

Uhl, Matthias: GRU. Die unbekannte Geschichte des sowjetisch-russischen Militärgeheimdienstes von 1918 bis heute 39,00 €

Fri, 01 May 2026 07:40:13 +0200

The GRU, the Russian military intelligence service, is one of the most effective and secretive intelligence services in the world. To this day, there is hardly any reliable information about the GRU in the West, mainly because hardly any documents from the GRU archives are accessible to this day. This book is the first to present the history of the GRU from its foundation in 1918 to the present day to a broad readership. Matthias Uhl is able to draw on documents from the legendary archives of the military secret service. He also reveals the identity of the GRU agent "Murat", who delivered hundreds of top-secret documents from NATO headquarters to Moscow in the 1950s and 1960s. And he sheds light on operations and espionage activities during the Cold War and today's Russia - including assassinations in Western Europe and the GRU's involvement in the occupation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine.

Lopez, Jean: L'Armée Rouge. Innovatrice, libératrice, prédatrice 39,95 €

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 06:20:30 +0200

It was born in 1918 under the pain and hardship of the worst of all civil wars; it was cosseted and made an accomplice by the worst of all regimes - Stalin's - but was also its victim, seeing its best leaders tortured and shot; it renewed military thinking and provided itself with the greatest resources ever assembled. And yet the Red Army almost died under the blows of the German Wehrmacht, which was more manoeuvrable and experienced than it.

It managed to overcome unheard-of defeats, rally, launch counterattacks and destroy its enemy, albeit at a hideous cost. The victory of 1945 and the enslavement of the peoples of Eastern Europe are largely "thanks" to her. Analyses, testimonies, photos, maps and infographics tell the story of one of the most original military institutions of the 20th century. As Putin's army takes on the legacy of the Red Army, there is an urgent need to analyse its functioning, its mistakes, its weaknesses and ... its ability to get back on its feet!

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Osteuropakunde (Hrsg.): Russlands verlorene Kriege. Historische Niederlagen eines Imperiums 24,00 €

Fri, 22 May 2026 06:55:08 +0200

Russia has lost numerous wars over the past 150 years. A comparison of the wars of the Tsarist Empire and the Soviet Union with the war of aggression against Ukraine reveals many parallels. An imperial world view, misperceptions, paranoid images of the enemy and an overestimation of one's own military capabilities were central causes of the Tsarist Empire's war against Japan in 1905, the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Even seemingly victorious military campaigns such as the Soviet Winter War against Finland in 1939/1940 or the two Chechen wars not only brought death and devastation to the countries attacked.

They also led to the brutalisation and degradation of Russian society. Volume 73 (2023) 3-4 of the "Eastern Europe" series. The content: A spectre is haunting... Russia's war in Ukraine as Afghanistan 2.0; Miscalculations. The Crimean War and its consequences; Hubris on the Yellow Sea. Russia's war against Japan 1904/05; Lessons learnt from defeat. Russia and the First World War; "Icy Hell". The Soviet-Finnish Winter War 1939/40; A small war with a big impact. The Soviet war in Afghanistan 1979/1989; The victory of defeat. Russia's wars against Chechnya; Russia's wars against Ukraine. Weekly reports from the summer of 2023; Sergei Karaganov. "A difficult but essential decision"; Repression against opponents of the war. The situation in Russia in 2023; Let the swans dance! Russian music for and against war, lies and dictatorship; Heroes or victims? The dismantling of the Soviet hero myth Svetlana Aleksievic; A servant of two masters. Patriarch Kirill and his war sermons.

Harrison, Richard W.: The Soviet Army's High Commands in War and Peace, 1941-1992 44,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

The war on the Eastern Front during 1941-45 was an immense struggle, running from the Barents Sea to the Caucasus Mountains. The vast distances involved forced the Soviet political-military leadership to resort to new organizational expedients in order to control operations along the extended front. These were the high commands of the directions, which were responsible for two or more fronts (army groups) and, along maritime axes, one or more fleets.
In all, five high commands were created along the northwestern, western, southwestern and North Caucasus strategic directions during 1941-42. However, the highly unfavourable strategic situation during the first year of the war, as well as interference in day-to-day operations by Stalin, severely limited the high commands' effectiveness. As a consequence, the high commands were abolished in mid-1942 and replaced by the more flexible system of supreme command representatives at the front. A High Command of Soviet Forces in the Far East was established in 1945 and oversaw the Red Army's highly effective campaign against Japanese forces in Manchuria.
The Far Eastern High Command was briefly resurrected in 1947 as a response to the tense situation along the Korean peninsula and the ongoing civil war in China, but was abolished in 1953, soon after Stalin's death. Growing tensions with China brought about the recreation of the Far Eastern High Command in 1979, followed a few years later by the appearance of new high commands in Europe and South Asia. However, these new high commands did not long survive the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and were abolished a year later.

The book relies almost exclusively on Soviet and post-communist archival and other sources and is the first unclassified treatment of this subject in any country, East or West.

Kerrigan, Michael: The History of Russia. From the Rus' People to President Putin 24,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0200

From monarchy to the world's first socialist state, from communism to capitalism, from mass poverty to Europe's new super rich, Russia has seen immense revolutions in just the past century. In that time, it has also endured civil war, world war, and the Cold War. Russia's history is also spiked with mystery. Did Stalin shoot his wife? Who ordered the killing of Rasputin? Or the shooting of Anna Politkovskaya? What involvement and influence did Russian intelligence have on the 2016 U.S. Election? In addition, Russia has a history of appalling disasters, such as the sinking of the Kursk submarine. Ranging from medieval Kievan Rus' to Vladimir Putin, "The History of Russia" explores the murder, brutality, genocide, insanity, and skullduggery of the efforts to seize, and then maintain, power in the Slav heartland.

Moreover, Russia has a history of terrible disasters, such as the sinking of the submarine Kursk. From medieval Kievan Rus' to Vladimir Putin, the book explores murder, brutality, genocide, madness and deviousness in efforts to seize and then maintain power in the Slavic heartland.

Zum Schutz der Staatsmacht. Eskorten der Herrscher in Russland vom 16. Jahrhundert bis heute. Ausstellungskatalog 99,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:45:10 +0200

This exhibition catalogue is dedicated to the equestrian and escort units of the Russian tsars and the modern cavalry escort of honour of the Presidential Regiment of the Moscow Kremlin Commander's Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, which today fulfil similar functions to the escort troops of the Russian tsars of the past.

The exhibition catalogue tells of the history, uniforms, equipment, weapons and insignia of these elite formations. The catalogue and the exhibition are based on around 500 original exhibits, which are presented here in words and pictures.

Savin, Sergey Pavlovich: The imperial guard in the summer camps near Krasnoye Selo in painting, graphics and photography 167,30 €

Wed, 13 May 2026 06:35:07 +0200

Dedicated to the brave Russian Imperial Guard. Illustrated with a large number of contemporary b & w photos and color reproductions of paintings and other artistic works of art, the volume shows the guard troops of the Russian tsars in their summer camp in Krasnoye Selo near St. Petersburg from the 19th to the early 20th centuries . The images give an impression of the uniforms of the guards in Krasnoye Selo, their revues, maneuvers and war games as well as visits by high-ranking guests, including the Tsar.

McNab, Chris: The Great Bear at War. The Russian and Soviet Army, 1917-Present 34,95 €

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:34:00 +0200

From the chaos of the civil war to the political manoeuvring of the Cold War, Russia's armed forces have shaped the future not only of Russia but of countless other countries around the globe. "The Great Bear at War. The Russian and Soviet Army, 1917-Present" explores the development and struggles of Soviet and Russian armed forces across the numerous conflicts which mark its history. It charts the great historical events that have defined the Red/Russian Army, especially World War 2 and the Cold War, but also the post-communist insurgencies and wars in which the Russian military has redeveloped its outlook and mission. The post-Soviet development of the Russian military into a modern force is explored in detail, including its controversial campaigns in Chechnya (1999-2009), Georgia (2008), and Ukraine (from 2014). Sewn into the narrative are details about the equipment, uniforms, training, service conditions and weaponry of the Soviet/Russian soldiers, bringing personal experience and technological context to the broader history. At a time when the world is closely focused upon Russian military behaviour, The Great Bear at War is both timely and fascinating.

It traces the major historical events that have defined the Red and Russian armies, notably the Second World War and the Cold War, but also the post-communist insurgencies in former Soviet republics and wars in which the Russian military has redeveloped its outlook and mission. The post-Soviet evolution of the Russian military into a modern force is examined in detail, including its controversial operations in Chechnya (1999-2009), Georgia (2008) and Ukraine (2014 onwards). Woven into the narrative are details of the Soviet/Russian soldiers' equipment, uniforms, training, operational conditions and weaponry, bringing personal experience and technological context to the broader story. At a time when the world is focusing heavily on Russia's military behaviour, "The Great Bear at War" is both timely and fascinating.

Old Zeughaus. Militaria Magazine. Russian, Soviet, International Uniforms & Insignia. Heft 84 (Nr. 3/2019) 39,95 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:30:10 +0200

Richly illustrated specialised magazine, which deals with various topics relating to Russian, Soviet and international uniforms, insignia and weaponry in its approx. 13 articles. Contents: 1. Prussian grenadier and fusilier caps from the Oranienbaum collection of Peter III.
Part 3: Headgear from the museums of Ukraine, Moldavia and Lithuania; 2. gendarme uniform from 1913; 3. "So the one with the carriage in the Doloman ...". A rare difference between the Hussars of Elizabethgrad; 4. back to print. Montenegrin and Serbian monarchs - chiefs of Russian regiments; 5. uniforms of members of the imperial family abroad. Part 3; 6. in retaliation for valour in battle. "Coloured" cavalry units of the Turkestan front; 7. Personal insignia of the armed forces of the USSR. Part 2: Red and Soviet armies. 1937-1960; 8. "Determination of the useful work of the commander of the school. "On the design for the anniversary they mark the VVMU. Frunze. 1940"; 9. a few words about the star; 10. insignia of the armed forces and other military units of Azerbaijan. Part 1; 11. agent Zola. A soldier of five armies, a prisoner of five regimes - Soviet military intelligence Voldemar Ozols; 12. Lev Alexandrovich Maydanovich (1899-1984); 13. Lev Maydanovich - an undeservedly forgotten master of military-historical miniatures.

Klochkov, D. A.: Bewachung der wichtigsten Zitadelle Russlands Zum 100. Jahrestag des Dienstes des Kommandanten des Moskauer Kreml Föderaler Sicherheitsdienst der Russischen Föderation 139,30 €

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:30:10 +0200

This book tells how the concept of the "main citadel" has changed for almost 900 years, who was responsible for the protection of the Moscow Kremlin and how its defence was carried out against the backdrop of the most important events in Russian history.

The most common meaning of the word "citadel" is a fortress protecting the city or the inner fortification of a fortress, which served as a last refuge for the fortress garrison in the event of the conquest of its main strongholds. In Russia, many people associate this word mainly with the Moscow Kremlin. It was the residence of the Grand Dukes of Moscow, then the Russian tsars and many important state institutions of the time, including the state treasury. The Kremlin was thus the personification of power in Russia, its last and most important fortress. In the 18th century, the capital became St Petersburg. During this period, the protection of the Kremlin was carried out by various military contingents and police units, and the fortifications were at the same time the walls of the royal palace and the fences of the surrounding parks. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kremlin's palace commander was responsible for the general surveillance of security for the imperial residences, as well as the surveillance of security on the roads during journeys of important personalities. In February 1917, however, all the numerous formations proved to be powerless against the rapidly developing revolution ... The new government, breaking with the old foundations, neglected the guards that the Provisional Government paid for in October 1917. The Bolsheviks who replaced it paid greater attention to the security of the leadership. Russia's "main citadel" was originally located in Petrograd in the Smolny Institute building. When the Soviet government moved to Moscow in March 1918, it returned to the Moscow Kremlin area. It is still there today, and now the Moscow Kremlin Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation is on guard.