East-West: Red Meets Crimson

Red Meets Crimson

Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government played host to an unusual crop of students last week. Twenty-eight senior Soviet military officers -- generals, admirals and colonels -- assembled for a two-week crash course on the relationship between the armed forces and the civilian government in the U.S. "Democracy is not an easy form of government for military professionals," said General Colin Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We subordinate ourselves totally to the will of the people and their elected representatives."

The failed Soviet coup nearly dismantled the conference. The invitation was accepted last March by Soviet Defense...

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