Compared with the high-end, advanced, leading the trend of military development, known as the “rich and handsome” image of the US military troops, the impression given to us by the Russian Federation army seems to be often a little “silly, black and rough”, compared with the “combat effectiveness five” of our rabbit army rustic is simply more than enough, from simple and rough large horizontal grain winter cotton clothing, to the durable Russian special forces wear titanium alloy steel helmets, all highlight the “fighting nation” different from the Western army that wins with high-tech equipment advantages.
(Caption: The traditional image of the Russian army)
In the countless battles in their history, the boots used by this powerful army in the bitter cold country in the north seem to have always adhered to the concept of “taking an unusual path”.
The sound of the “Avril” announced the founding of the world’s first socialist state, and at that time, all over Russia, it was still the old high-barreled military boots, which were prevalent throughout Europe as early as the Tsarist period, often the upper of the boot can be as high as the calf belly or even higher, and has a certain ceremonial function. It is said that the birth of this military boot originated from the German “iron-blooded prime minister” Bismarck during the Prussian period, who had launched many wars on the European continent and seemed to know all the details of ordinary soldiers on the battlefield: “A soldier’s boot is one of their sharpest weapons on the battlefield!” In the decades that followed, the Russians accompanied them from crushing the White Army and consolidating Soviet power, to pushing the Nazis back to the Germans, and finally planting the red flag on the Reichstag in Berlin.
(Pictured: Soviet Red Army soldiers wearing traditional high-barreled leather boots are inspected)
It can simply be said that without these 40 cm cowhide high-top military boots, the great country of the USSR and its great army would not have existed.
Perhaps the stench of the footcloth in leather boots has stunned polar bears for hundreds of years, and the post-World War II Soviet army has finally begun to gradually equip low-top combat boots. This kind of combat boot has basically been equivalent to the low-top combat boots of mainstream equipment in various countries around the world in terms of style. The exact time of the equipment at the beginning is not verifiable, but in the Russian-filmed film “Ninth Company” reflecting the Soviet-Afghan war, the Soviet troops fighting in Afghanistan mostly wore low-top combat boots when fighting the resistance forces in Afghanistan.
(Note: Stills from the film “Ninth Company”, it is obvious from the picture that the Soviet troops involved in the Afghan war have changed into low-top combat boots)
In the time that followed, it was seen that Soviet units were increasingly equipped with low-top boots. This is even evident in quite a few games. However, at this time, the Soviet army did not eliminate the traditional high-barrel leather boots, but combined with low-top combat boots to form a “high-low match”. Even in the hot battlefields of Afghanistan, there is still no shortage of soldiers wearing high-barreled leather boots.
(Pictured: Soviet troops being paraded in Kabul, Afghanistan, soldiers still wearing high-barreled leather boots)
By the end of the ’80s, the once-powerful socialist superpower was dying. For various reasons, the national strength of the Soviet Union was already declining at this time, and many people had already smelled the death of this great alliance country. Finally, on Christmas Eve 1991, the red flag fell sadly from Moscow’s Red Square, and the Soviet Union finally withdrew from the historical stage with a miserable evening scene of falling apart. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation became the main successor state of the Soviet Union, but the re-established Russian army will soon face a very severe test – in the ensuing Chechen war, in the North Caucasus, in the mills of blood like Groniz, on the remains of Russian soldiers and Chechen rebels, it seems that low-top combat boots have accounted for eighty-nine out of ten.
(Caption: In the brutal First Chechen War, the vast majority of Russian soldiers participating in the battle wore low-top combat boots and a few wore sneakers)
With the development of modern military science and technology, it seems that the Russian army has to gradually abandon the tradition of many years and take off the relatively heavy leather boots one by one. And when the Russian army gradually pulled itself out of the quagmire of the Chechen battlefield, did they fall behind the Americans again in terms of individual equipment? At this time, American soldiers were no longer satisfied with wearing leather combat boots to run amok around the world, and they had repeatedly broken into the desert area of the Middle East, and they were equipped with more comfortable and advanced desert combat boots. And due to the relationship between the United States and many NATO countries, the armies of many European countries have also changed their “yellow boots”.
Since then, the image of European and American soldiers armed to the teeth with desert boots and Russian soldiers still wearing high-waisted combat boots has been distinguished. Black leather boots and desert combat boots have become important references used by many military enthusiasts and military fans to distinguish European and American soldiers from Russian soldiers. So why is the Russian army still so “out of the flow” until now? Is it just to “draw a line” with Western countries?
The author believes that first of all, the reason for Russia’s perennial cold weather is probably one of the very important reasons, and the Russian army, which has not been tasked for a long time, trains in a relatively cold natural environment in the country, and naturally considers conservative traditions, even if the old high-barreled leather boots are replaced, they will still be equipped with leather high-waisted combat boots, and they do not have the same demand for changing desert boots as Western countries that often follow the United States to fight around; Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian economy has been in a long-term recession, so that the Russian military may not have the proportion of military expenditure to buy foreign military equipment.
(Note: Russian soldiers participating in the parade can be seen that in addition to the ceremonial soldiers on the side of the road wearing high-barreled leather boots, the Russian troops who are really paraded are wearing low-gangs.)
Moreover, it should be taken into account that as the “heir” of the Soviet Red Army with a glorious historical heritage, this Russian army has always maintained such an innate “proud heart”. Therefore, it seems understandable to disdain to be with the military of the United States and NATO countries and wear the same equipment.
With Russia’s continuous involvement in Middle East affairs in recent years, the Russian army has frequently moved in Syria. People are surprised to find that in related news reports, Russian military units wearing equipment similar to Western countries or Western-style combat uniforms have been reported frequently, and perhaps there may be a “wave of Westernization” reform of Russian military equipment.
(Caption: Russian special forces on mission in Syria)
And will the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation at that time have their own desert combat boots, or other combat boots with more styles and more versatility? Let’s wait and see.
(This article is a military original by Chinanet, written by Liu Shen.) Please indicate the source and author of reprinting)