Someone once said that the Director of the General Inspectorate of the Soviet Ministry of Defense was a powerful department where the new blood of the Soviet military and the power losers of the twilight years coexisted. The first department, with Defense Minister Yazov as the center, attracted the new generation of young people in the Soviet military and became the most likely pillar of the Red Empire Corps in the future. They would all learn a certain amount here and then be better able to take up important positions in the army.
The other is a small group full of decadence. Most of the old people in it retreated to this nursing home far away from the real center of power because of failure in the power struggle. They have lost the pursuit of the highest power in the army, and most of them bury themselves in the vast Russian military classics, occasionally raising their heads and shifting their gaze away from the obscure monographs, watching as outsiders the ambitious younger generations rising up or slowly sinking like them.
Marshal Ogarkov was undoubtedly one of the latter. As a hawk who emphasized that Soviet industry should serve the military, the banner of industrial defense not only threatened the inherent interest groups of the Soviet Union, but also violated the taboo of trying to instill the idea of the gun commanding the party into the reform ideas of the Soviet Presidium. He was also dissatisfied with the slow progress of the informationization reform in the Soviet army, so that Ogarkov had unpleasant frictions with some other generals, which also deepened his risk of being marginalized in the army.
So what Ogarkov finally got was that he was kicked out of the General Staff and transferred to the Western Theater Command as commander-in-chief. Later, he became the director of the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defense. He stayed in this disguised nursing home and became depressed and angry. Finally, he died quietly three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery.
Ogarkov was lying on the table, writing a document furiously. This was his latest paper on the importance of establishing information-based electronic troops. Regardless of whether those senior officials were willing to look up at this thin piece of paper, he hoped to arouse the desire for reform among a small group of people in the decadent Soviet army.
"The flower of reform in the new era will inevitably give birth to new life on the huge corpse of the dying old society." Ogarkov carved this sentence on his desk with a utility knife to encourage himself to work hard for the future of the Soviet Union.
Perhaps Ogarkov was too absorbed in his work and did not notice Yanaev standing behind him. Yanaev told the people around him not to speak, and he just watched Ogarkov write a long, densely written paragraph. He felt a little sorry that such a great talent had violated the highest wishes and instructions of the Party Central Committee.
When Ogarkov looked up from his immersion in the world of words, he was surprised to find that President Yanaev was staring at his paper with interest. Ogarkov quickly stood up and said to Yanaev, "I'm sorry, Mr. President, I really didn't notice your presence. It's really rude."
Yanayev would not blame Ogarkov for his concentration. He picked up the manuscript spread out on the table, blew gently on the paper, and waited until the ink dried before saying, "I would also like to thank Comrade Ogarkov for your foresight. This manuscript has taught all of us a profound and thought-provoking lesson. Information warfare is indeed changing the mode of warfare, and it is also affecting the world's technology."
"For example, just like the Gulf War that just ended, early warning, command, control, communication and intelligence are important means for modern warfare. In the Gulf War, the US military used electronic warfare to deprive the Iraqi army of its communication capabilities in this regard, seize battlefield electromagnetic dominance, and become an indispensable combat method for implementing key strikes. Before the war began, the US military used electronic warfare aircraft to strongly interfere with the Iraqi army's electronic equipment, suppress the Iraqi army's communications and early warning radar systems, and ensure the suddenness of the air strikes. Throughout the war, the US military also carried out powerful electronic warfare against the Iraqi army's command, control, communication and intelligence systems, suppressing the Iraqi army's electronic equipment, air defense radars and communication networks. As a result, the Iraqi army's command failed, communications were interrupted, and its air search and counterattack capabilities were lost, leaving it in a passive position."
"Similarly, the Soviet Union must speed up the reform of electronic information technology. Otherwise, relying solely on backward communication means, we may be at a loss like a headless fly under the interference of the US military." After talking so much, Yanaev specifically emphasized in front of Ogarkov that he valued the other party's ideas and hoped that Ogarkov would be willing to cooperate with him in a friendly manner.
Ogarkov clapped his hands symbolically and replied in an almost indifferent tone, "Of course, the top brass of the Soviet military are all fools with no foresight. They have always held the stubborn idea that all electronic equipment will fail after a nuclear war, which has hindered the progress and development of the army. So, President Yanaev, do you want to be an innovator of reform or a guardian of the old order?"
Yanayev shook his head, resting his hands on the table, and looked at Ogarkov with the eyes of a supreme being. He said in a deep voice, "I do need you, Comrade Ogarkov. Your war talent and sharp eyes can always point out the problems of the army. But there is one question I hope you can figure out."
Yanayev's forced smile made Ogarkov's heart tighten suddenly. Thinking of the previous rumors in the army, he suddenly became afraid of what he had said just now.
Yanaev moved closer to Ogarkov's mouth and whispered, "The level of information reform in the Soviet army and your position were granted by the Supreme Soviet Presidium, so you should put away your naive plan of 'leading the party with the gun'. You should only take what I, Yanaev, give you. If I don't give it to you, you can't make any plans. Otherwise, even if you are a highly respected senior official, I can still throw you into the ice and snow to keep company with polar bears."
In the past, Yanaev would have thrown people like Ogarkov into this position and let them just eat and wait for death without even batting an eyelid. But now is the time when the Soviet Union urgently needs talents for its various reforms. As long as Ogarkov behaves himself, Yanaev will forgive the mistakes he made before.
"Your Excellency the President is right." Ogarkov muttered quietly, "Then you didn't necessarily come here to prepare an information-based reform plan. I don't see much sincerity in your eyes."
Yanaev was stunned. He didn't expect that Ogarkov could tell from his eyes that he was not here to discuss information technology reform. He had to admit it honestly, "Of course not. You are the first person who has fought against several political advisers and chiefs of staff of the White House and the Pentagon and escaped unscathed. So, today I really have something I want to ask you for advice on."
Ogarkov held up his pencil and motioned Yanaev not to speak. He thought for a moment and said, "Let me guess. The current environment in the Soviet Union is indeed very bad. The president needs a certain stable external environment to develop the economy. In other words, you mean to blackmail the West in an unprecedented way to make them restrain themselves and strive to win a certain external environment for the Soviet Union to survive for reform? But as for how long this time will take, it depends on when those people in the West will realize that this is a scam."
Yanayev was stunned. He didn't expect that the other party had taken his thoughts into account. No wonder the old foxes in the West were fooled by his true and false strategies. If a strategic deception bureau could be established in the Soviet Union, Ogarkov would undoubtedly be the first director.
"The red mercury hoax." Ogarkov said bluntly, "To arouse the fear of the Americans, who can compare with the deterrent effect of the red mercury nuclear weapon? If this plan is well laid out, the Americans may not dare to make excessive coercive choices against the Soviet Union for more than a year or two. I believe that between the lives of American politicians and using economic sanctions to drive the Soviet Union, which is desperate and ready to fight a desperate battle, they will choose the former."