Between a post-World War II habit of exaggerating the military prowess of the Third Reich, the amazing performance of Finnish soldiers during the 1939-1940 Winter War, and the fact the Soviet Union eventually collapsed, there's a tendency to believe that the Russian military was a badly run and worse-equipped rabble. They were given inferior weapons to Western powers at all times, and it was only sheer numerical advantage and a suicidal devotion to country that they were able to defeat the Nazis and keep control of numerous satellite countries.
We happen to know better, though. Through much of its history Russia hasn't merely had large ranks of dedicated fighters. It's possessed cutting edge weaponry that has put its arrogant rivals to shame and struck fear in the hearts of conquered people that might otherwise revolt. Woe be to any enemy that had to face soldiers that possessed these…
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