The moral and political image of soldiers of the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army on the eve of the conflict on the Chinese Eastern railway in 1929

The paper analyzes the impact of the social and political situation in the USSR in the late 1920s on the moral and political image of the soldiers of the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army. It reveals the effect of the morale of the troops on the combat readiness of the army. The study identifies the correlation of the soldier’s moral and political qualities with the army’s class and social composition. The research analyzes the class and social structure of the Special Red Banner Far Eastern Army due to the transition from the previous model of economic and political development to a new, Soviet one. The key challenges of selecting class-based qualified army personnel are shown. The ratio between the social composition of the military personnel and the level of their support for the Soviet government policy is defined. The study notes that the forced collectivization of peasants has led to the growing anti-Soviet attitudes in the army. The research shows the impact of political attitudes among the families and relatives of the Red Army soldiers on their moral and political image. The paper reveals the practices and procedures of the army command, special and political departments aimed to overcome these sentiments on the eve of the conflict on the Chinese Eastern Railway.