The journal "Voennaya Mysl" [Military Thought] does not in its content meet the tasks set before it of developing questions of military theory and ideology, and of improving the military knowledge of the officer corps and generals of the Red Army.

The journal "Voennaya Mysl" insufficiently develops problems of the conduct of war, strategy and operational art, the military-theoretical and practical heritage of outstanding Russian military commanders — that is, precisely those questions which should be the main ones for this journal.

The foreign section of the journal is either entirely absent or presents readers with articles by foreign authors without criticism of the erroneous and even harmful propositions encountered in them. There is no section of criticism and bibliography in the journal. The editorial board of the journal "Voennaya Mysl" is not coping with the tasks assigned to it, all the more so since a number of its members are at the fronts and are in effect not working in the editorial office.

The editorial board of the journal has not ensured proper direction of the journal and has not organized an authorial collective capable of creating an authoritative leading journal of the Red Army.

The journal "Voenny Vestnik" [Military Herald] devotes insufficient attention to questions of the theory and practice of modern combat on the basis of the experience of the Great Patriotic War. The journal "Voenny Vestnik" gives little coverage to questions of the tactics and technology of foreign armies.

In order to improve the content of the journals "Voennaya Mysl" and "Voenny Vestnik," to raise their role in the work of developing military theory, improving military knowledge, and educating the officer corps of the Red Army, —

I order:

1. The journal "Voennaya Mysl" is to be published as an organ of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, once a month, in a volume of 6 printed sheets, in a print run of 15,000 copies.

General direction of the journal is to be placed on the Chief of the General Staff.

The main tasks of the journal "Voennaya Mysl" are to be set as:

development of questions of military theory and ideology; development of the main problems of war, the building of the armed forces, strategy and operational art;

development of questions of cooperation of the arms of service and the training of combined-arms commanders;

development of the theoretical and practical heritage of outstanding Russian military commanders and military figures;

illumination and criticism of the views of foreign military authorities;

study of foreign armies and their combat experience.

The journal is to have standing sections: military-historical, foreign military information, criticism and bibliography.

The content of the journal is to be designed for the leading cadres from divisional level and above.

2. The journal "Voenny Vestnik" is to be published as a combined-arms journal of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, twice a month, in a volume of 3 printed sheets, in a print run of 50,000 copies.

General direction of the journal is to be placed on the Chief Inspector of Infantry of the Red Army.

The main tasks of the journal "Voenny Vestnik" are to be set as:

illumination, on the basis of the experience of the Great Patriotic War, of the theory and practice of modern combat, cooperation of the arms of service, tactical and fire training, and questions of military education;

acquaintance with the organization, tactics, technology, and combat experience of foreign armies.

The journal is to have standing sections: criticism and bibliography; culture and daily life of the officer corps; information and consultations.

The content of the journal is to be designed for the officer corps up to and including regimental commander.

People's Commissar of Defense of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Marshal of the Soviet Union
I. Stalin.

Voenny Vestnik. 1945. No. 3-4. P. 47-48.