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"There is no difference between the aims of the Tsars and those of the Bolshevist leaders. Now as then, the Navy is one of their tools. Sometimes, it seems forgotten, but it is always remembered again. . . ."
— Friedrich Ruge

This analytical history is the first book to discuss Soviet naval practices during the Second World War. German war diaries, Soviet publications, and works by Western historians have all been used to form a complete picture of Soviet naval activity in the Arctic, Baltic, Black, and Mediterranean seas as well as in the Pacific Ocean. And, as Admiral Ruge writes, "a picture of its operations during the last war is important for understanding its role today. . . ."
Bringing the reader quickly through the centuries, the author notes the tenacity of the Russians in pursuit of political aims that at first seem far beyond their reach. In a brief overview of the period since Peter the Great, he corrects numerous misconceptions and puts political and military developments into historical perspective. The Russo-Japanese War years, activities in the Baltic and the Black Sea during World War I, and the period between the wars are all skillfully treated.
But as the author points out, it is the analysis of Soviet naval activities between 1941 and 1945 that is most enlightening and most instructive "for younger officers who have no war experience of their own."