The Russian Understanding of Soldier Morale: Essentials of key ideas from the 1990s to 2022

The purpose of the report is to make sense of Russian thought on soldier morale, spanning thirty years. What ideas about the concept of soldier morale are expressed in texts by Russian military analysts? The report presents a simplified model, called the Russian model of soldier morale. A key aspect is the role of Russian spirituality, dukhovnost, which is a unique feature of the model, compared to Western equivalents. On the other hand, the model's inclusion of the role of coercive power corresponds well to the concept of coercive power in texts by Western military analysts. The report also asks: What do these ideas mean in practice? A non-exhaustive empirical argument concludes that the Russian model is not entirely in touch with reality. This can cause problems for the Russian and Westerner, alike. If applied, for Russians, their own highly ideologised model impedes their appreciation of their side's true strengths and weaknesses. But, for the Western side, this can also lead to problems if their military analysts uncritically accept the Russian model of soldier morale and believe it is more optimal for the Russian side than it actually is. There is a real risk that the model will be assumed to be bolstering Russia's military effectiveness, while, in fact, it probably is not.