A SATELLITE ARMY

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 4

A SATELLITE ARMY

The East German Army. By T. M. Forster, translated by Antony Buzek. Allen and Unwin. 255 pp. Indexed, illustrated. A complete description of the organisation, weapons, training methods, and methods of political indoctrination of any Communist Army could be of great interest and value to the Western observer. Mr Forster has attempted to provide this information using the East German Armed Forces as an example. Unfortunately he has not been completely successful. For most of the book the information presented reads like a catalogue. The catalogue is, however, very complete and therefore useful as a reference. It is not very entertaining to read as an entire book though. In addition this reviewer suspects that much has been lost in the translation of the book from German. Often the reader must pause

and re-read a sentence or paragraph several times to gain the true import of what the author is attempting to say. Nonetheless, a great mass of information about Communist armed forces and their political reliability can be gained from this book. Time and again it is brought out just how distrustful the East German regime Is of the ordinary soldier’s willingness to sacrifice himself for the Communist cause. Intensive “political education” is carried out amongst all recruits and conscripts, often with disappointing results for the administration. This book then is not for light reading but, rather, a reference work. As such it is likely to have a limited appeal, which is unfortunate because if the trouble is taken, a most revealing insight into the East European “satellite” armed forces can be gained.