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Activity of the bodies of the Main department of political propaganda of the Red army during the fighting on the Khalkhin-Gol river

https://doi.org/10.21869/2223-1501-2025-15-1-216-224

Abstract

Relevance. The experience of wars and armed conflicts of XX-XXI centuries. showed that during the conduct of hostilities before the command of the most acute issue is not only planning and carrying out operations, but also maintaining the moral and psychological state of the military staff, explaining to soldiers the objectives of combat operations, maintaining discipline and law and order. In this regard, the retrospective analysis of the activities carried out by the political management bodies of the Red Army in the period from May to October 1939 allows us to draw new lessons and conclusions necessary for the organisation of military-political work in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at their current stage of development.

The purpose is to identify the peculiarities of changes in the party-political work in the units of the 1st Army Group during the armed conflict on the Khalkhin-Gol River.

Objectives: to analyze the main directions of work of the apparatus of the chief of the RKKA GUPP in 1939, the peculiarities of agitation and propaganda work, rallying of military collectives, control over the moods of servicemen, suppression of crimes against military service.

Methodology. The research is based on the principles of objectivity and historicism. The scientific toolkit of the work consists of the following methods of historical research: problem-chronological, historical-comparative, historical-genetic and historical-systemic.

Results. Despite the fact that in 1939 the military-political organs of the Red Army were in a difficult situation due to the expansion of their powers and the lack of trained personnel, during the period of combat operations on the Khalkhin-Gol River the party-political work in the troops was able to quickly restructure itself in accordance with the conditions of combat operations, goals and tasks facing the Soviet armed forces. An important feature of it was the refusal to apply disciplinary and criminal liability for offences against military service.

Conclusions. The activity of the KA GUPPP during the period of military operations on the river Khalkhin-Gol underwent a number of serious changes. If at the beginning of the conflict the political bodies acted in a rather formulaic way, then already by July 1939, a number of serious changes emergedthere was a need for reorientation of work among servicemen.

About the Authors

M. S. Yankin
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation

Mihail S. Yankin, Candidate of Sciences (Historical), Head of Department Research Institute (Military History)

14 Universitetsky Ave., Moscow 119330



D. A. Kapustin
Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Russian Federation

Daniil A. Kapustin, Junior Researcher of the Research Institute (Military History)

Moscow



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For citations:


Yankin M.S., Kapustin D.A. Activity of the bodies of the Main department of political propaganda of the Red army during the fighting on the Khalkhin-Gol river. Proceedings of Southwest State University. Series: History and Law. 2025;15(1):216-224. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21869/2223-1501-2025-15-1-216-224

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