The Soviet military is presently undergoing a radical transformation. In this study James McConnel outlines the rationale and driving forces behind the ongoing changes in Soviet military doctrine, presenting the main spokesmen in the Soviet internal debate and their proposals for the future development and structure of the Soviet armed forces. His main conclusion is that Moscow - in an obviously major break with former practice - is presently abandoning the military competition with the west on the Eurostrategic, tactical nuclear and conventional levels. Instead the bulk of Soviet military efforts will be channelled in the coming years on the two areas which the see as decisive: strategic nuclear forces and the militarization of space. McConnel's study is clearly argued and based on extensive Soviet source material. While the exact future of the Soviet military remains impossible to predict, McConnel provides us with the basis for making an educated guess as to its likely course.