The "military management" term has been used both in the scientific and everyday languages for a long time. The Encyclopedia of the Military and Naval Sciences dated late 19th century gives one of the first its definitions. It reads that "military management embraces numerous and diverse branches

This term is used in the contemporary official documents, i.e. the Military Doctrine of the Russian Federation, the Russian Federation Federal Laws "On Defense," "Martial Law" and others. Actually, they preferably concern "the institutions of the state power and military management," or, in other words, the institution of management of the Armed Forces, other forces, military formations and bodies.

So far the "military management" term has not been defined fully and comprehensively. The scientific literature defines it as only the "management of troops," which is not quite right, as the "military management" is a much wider category. It describes a versatile, multifaceted and multifunctional phenomenon.

To reveal the term under discussion great importance is attached to the definition of its components, that is--"military" and "management."

The "management" term was born and recognized as a generic category to characterize systematization of interaction of a certain number of elements or components of Nature, Society and Person. The cybernetics gives the widest definition of the "management" term, which describes the most general (universal) qualities and interactions of the mechanical, biological and social systems. (2)

Jurisprudence considers management to be an activity, thus pointing out that management consists of specific kinds of human work fixed in relevant forms. This activity is intended to perform actions of administrative quality, to implement laws, to create and to realize legal acts, to conduct organizational actions.

Thus, the management term is used to define a kind of human activity intended to influence people, objects and activity processes deliberately and purposefully. The influence term is most relevant to reveal the idea of management as it describes the essence of management--to influence human consciousness, behavior and activity. Management is required when and where it is necessary to distribute and coordinate activities of a number of people.

The scientific literature subdivides management into different kinds according to various grounds, such as: a sphere of social activity, a structure of social relations, objects of management, character and volume of managed social events, etc.

If management is recognized as an influence, which is determined by qualities of society, reason, subjective factor, power, then it is advisable to classify management according to subjects of management, which both form and realize managing influence, as well as bear responsibility for the consequences. To our mind it enables achieving proportion and accuracy to determine kinds of management. According to the subject of management it is possible to determine six kinds, which are related to each other to a great extent: state management, where state is a subject; local management, which constitutes the lowest subdivision of state management; management, exercised by a proprietor (a owner, holder) to handle his property; social management, where institutionalized (legalized by laws, charters) social unions are a subject; group (collective) self-management, where groups of people, which control their behavior and joint activities in every step of social life freely (according to their own views) but taking into account other people's interests and in accordance with the norms of culture and social coexistence, are a subject; expedient behavior or action of a human being.

The analysis of the features characterizing a kind of management enables us to consider the state management to be a special kind of management. The following features of the state management stipulate it: the state power, the reference to the whole society and systematization. Managing influence under the state management is based on the state power, which supports and supplies it.

The state management is a practical, organizing and controlling influence of the state (exercised by a system of its structures) on social and private activities of people in order to regulate, preserve or reform them based on its legal power.

The "military" adjective is the second component of the "military management" term. It evokes everything associated with war and army, related with war and army. It is an essential feature, which helps us to distinguish military management from management in other spheres of human activity.

We can be quite sure to assume that military management is applied to that part of society which is subject for planned or actual influence exercised by the military management organs which constitute management subject in the military organization of the state.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Defense Minister and military management organs of different levels are a subject of management in the military organization, and major part of the state military organization is an object of management in the conditions of peace. Under martial law or conditions of war, the whole of the military organization and other defense activity spheres where military management methods are applied, is to be an object of management.

Under conditions of peace it is fully referred to that part of the military organization of the state where the military service exists, the managing activity of the military management organs uses directive form of management, exercises the right to implementation of arms, military and special equipment to accomplish the missions defined by the Federal Law.

Under martial law or at wartime the sphere of military management is to be expanded by endowing the Armed Forces Supreme Commander-in-Chief and other military management organs with additional powers to use the Armed Forces; by introducing the martial law in the whole territory of Russia or in some of its parts; by announcing complete or partial mobilization; by introducing legislature of war time and its suspension; by forming and abolishing wartime military management organs. These powers are of temporary nature. Considering this fact, population, territory, economics, the whole system of social relations and institutions, which are organized in order to provide military security and defense of the country, can also constitute the object of management.

The "state management of the defense sphere" term can as well include management objects related to war and army but not covered by special forms and methods of influence, in combination with military management.

We think the state management of the defense sphere consists of the expedient activity of the President of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Russian Federation and other state management organization in order to build up, prepare and implement the military organization of the state, to organize its equipment with arms, military and special materiel, to provide material resources and services, as well as to direct the Armed Forces and other forces activities when accomplishing the assigned missions.

This definition of the state management of the defense sphere fully enables us to assert that military management is a specific kind of the state management. The fact that the military management possesses all the three qualities of the state management proves it. The following qualities of this kind of the state management make it specific: military service, arms, military and special equipment and the right to their implementation to accomplish missions defined by the Federal Law. It enhances the practical side of the military activity to solve the organization and management problems of the military build-up, to provide its functioning under conditions of both war and peace and implementing in order to provide military security and defense of the country.

Being both an element and a function of a compound system of the military organization of the state, the military management is intended to form and exercise constant managing influence activities by the military management organs on all its subsystems (elements), which provides relevance to their designation and military security and defense of the country.

Military management being part of the military organization (military management system) depends on composition and structure of the military organization and consists of a number levels. To describe various aspects of the military management system it is necessary to determine the interface between the subject of military management (military management organs) and the managed object (managed objects of the military organization). As part of the military management system military management organs specially formed by the state determine the state-power character and mostly special legal form of managing influence of the elements of the military organization. This system gives privilege to the management subject, and the managed objects are to accept its decisions, actions and transform them in the process of their own functioning.

The military management system has a number of levels. Namely: strategic (the highest, i.e. state, federal); operational-strategic (regional, territorial); operational and operational-tactical.

Military management as a function is a continuous process of developing and realizing managing influence aimed at creation, operation and employment of military organization of the State.

The main goal of military management is to determine structure, composition, strength and support of military organization and its every element; to keep or change the achieved level of its status in accordance with mission and tasks to be accomplished; to regulate and keep activities mode; to transform timely its elements into a new position in accordance with the development and changes of the military-political and military-strategic situation.

Military management is designed mainly to determine missions and tasks of the development, functioning, training and employment of the state military organization and its elements; to exercise the whole range of authorities and functions of management in accordance with the state Law under conditions of war and peace.

Hence, it is evident that the idea of the military management is an execution of the expedient activities by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and military management organs in order to build up and improve the state military organization, to overwhelmingly provide its functioning, to organize training and employment of the Armed Forces in accordance with their designation, as well as to direct the Armed Forces and other forces, military units and bodies to provide military security and defense of the country in accordance with the Federal legislature.

To give the theory of the military management a status of an independent branch of science, it is required to determine its role and place in the system of sciences, its object and perspectives of investigation, forms and methods of analysis.

Due to complex and diversity of management rules and armed struggle laws, complication of military build-up leadership and military organization training, functioning and many other factors, the theory of the military management has gained a status of a relatively independent branch of knowledge which combines achievements of many sciences, especially the science of management.

The lack of fundamental, integral theory of military management has remained one of the main problems of the military management. The contemporary stage of the development of the military science demonstrates the first steps of the theory of the military management as an independent branch of knowledge, which requires its own fundamental and applied aspects. Being part of the military art, the theory of the military management takes advantage of the achievements in the art of management.

To define the object of the military management theory, it is necessary to reveal its essence, idea and contents, to comprehend the designation of the military management system, which exercises managing influence.

To deal with these problems the theory of the military management is to work out scientifically proved practical recommendations based on objective laws and tendencies of management, the latest achievements of adjacent sciences and theories, the art of management first of all. The main point is to discover and make reasonable use of functioning mechanisms of these laws and tendencies in different spheres of the military management, to work out and to implement scientifically proved principles of the military management.

Military management systems and their activities constitute an object of the military management theory.

The contemporary stage of the development of the military management theory demonstrates a complex of scientific statements which describe the main categories and definitions, tendencies and principles of management and the results of investigation of theoretical and practical functioning of the military organization and its components, gives recommendations to effectively exercise management activities, to create and improve the military management systems.

But an integral theory of the military management as is required today, has been worked out in full yet.

At the stage of formation the military management theory takes advantage of the achievements of the main theories of the management art and other sciences taking into account the fact that it is practiced in armed struggle. But it wouldn't be correct to suppose that the military management theory only compiles facts of different branches of other sciences. The military management theory is connected with other sciences dialectically. Creatively implementing the achievements of other sciences, the military management theory is simultaneously aimed at solving new problems of management of the military organization elements both under conditions of peace and war.

Cognition and prognostication are the primary functions of the military management theory.

The cognitive function of the military management theory presumes to discover the essence and contents, the main categories and terms of the military management; to reveal and explain the main laws and tendencies of the military management; to describe and explain the main qualities and correlations of the components of the object at all historic stages of its formation and development; to prove the organizational structure of the military management system and its subsystems; to define the contents and stages of the organization of the military management system as a whole and of its each subsystem and level; to investigate the existing controversies in the military management and to work out recommendations to neutralize their negative consequences. The cognitive function of the military management theory is comprehensive and limitless like cognition itself.

The prognosticative function of the military management theory presumes to define and prognosticate tendencies and perspectives of further development of the military management processes and systems, organizational forms and methods of the management, to forecast the emergence of new processes and phenomena in the management, to predict well in advance the occurrence of the military management problems, to find the possible ways of solving them beforehand.

By accomplishing its cognitive function the contemporary theory of the military management strives to create a well-proportioned system of categories and terms, which must correlate and make up one chain.

The art of cognition presumes the ability to handle categories and terms. Categories and terms help to analyze the spheres of professional activity and constitute a language for communication. Knowledge of the categories and terms, art of handling them make up the cognition basis for the military management theory.

The categories of the military management theory compose its specific scientific language. It helps to determine clearly the essence of the management laws and tendencies, as well as the mechanisms of their functioning in the practice of the management activity, to formulate the principles of the management, to analyze the current status and perspectives of the development of the management bodies and means, to investigate the structure and methods of functioning systems of the military management, to evaluate their efficiency. They are used to connect the military management theory with other sciences.

There are categories and terms that need constant and grounded definitions. Among them are: the essence and contents of the military management, the essence and contents of the Armed Forces management, the essence and contents of the troops command and control, the system of the military management, the system of the Armed Forces management, the system of the troops command and control, the management activity, the management organization, the goal of the management, the missions of the management, the functions of the management, the methods of the management, etc.

The Armed Forces Management is designed to provide expedient activity of the chief military command aimed at realizing the decisions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the federal authorities to build-up and develop the Armed Forces, to provide their comprehensive combat readiness, to support all kinds of armed forces, to ensure leadership of the troops (forces) accomplishing missions in accordance with their designation under the conditions of peace, menace and during combat operations.

The Armed Forces Management (management activity) presumes to determine the aims and tasks of the management, to achieve consistency in their accomplishment by fulfilling concrete functions of the management, to implement reasonable management methods and to follow legal principles of the management.

Being the primary part of the management, the armed Forces management presumes organizational and executive activities of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the federal authorities to build-up and develop the Armed Forces, to provide their comprehensive functioning and training, to maintain their combat readiness for accomplishing designed missions under the conditions of peace. At war it presumes organizational and executive activities of the highest military-political and military-strategic authorities of the Russian Federation to direct the strategic activity of the Armed Forces and accomplishment of the missions in accordance with the plan of the Armed Forces employment and the decisions of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

The troops command and control presumes expedient activity of the commanders, headquarters and other bodies to maintain constant combat and mobilization readiness of the troops, to work out operations (combat actions) and to lead the accomplishment of the assigned missions by the troops (forces).

The troops command and control (management activity of the military management bodies) presumes to determine aims and tasks of the management, to achieve consistency in their accomplishment by fulfilling concrete legally assigned functions of the management.

The management of all components of the military organization is subjected to the general laws and tendencies, has common categories, but at the same time the management of each element of the military organization has its peculiarities.

The structure of the military management theory has a basis, which is common for its components (theories of the management of separate elements of the military organization--the Armed Forces and their components, other troops, military formations and bodies).

It is composed of: the theory of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Management; the theory of the Russian Federation Armed Forces branches Management; the theory of the troops (forces) management; the theory of management of other components of the military organization.

The necessity of analyzing independent branches of the management is caused by investigating new tendencies reflecting the essence of the systems of higher levels, their aims, criteria, missions and functions. The tendencies and principles of the lower levels keep functioning in every component (subsystem) of a new system, but new tendencies reflecting correlation in the whole system acquire prevalence.

The military management theory is based on the following: categories and terms describing and revealing the essence, contents and peculiarity of the military management; laws, tendencies and principles of the military management; principles and methods of the leadership of build-up, training and employment of the state military organization, of operational equipment of the country territory, of equipment with armament, military and special material, of supply with material resources and services; principles and methods of the military management to maintain the forces combat readiness, to work out operations (combat actions) and to lead the accomplishment of the missions by the troops; principles and methods of organizing management systems, ways of their deployment and improvement; missions, functions, rights and responsibilities of the military management bodies, the adequate level of the personnel training; essence and principles of the management activity organization; methods of evaluating the management efficiency.

There is another urgent problem to solve. Besides defining the basic norms of the military management theory, primary categories and terms, it is vital to work out well recognized definitions of the Russian Federation Armed Forces management theory, the Armed forces branches management theory, the management theory of other elements of the military organization.

Some of the terms of the management theory can be defined as follows:

The Russian Federation Armed Forces management theory is a system of scientific knowledge about the laws and principles of the management, the system, organizational forms and methods of the leadership of the Armed Forces at war and in peace. It comprises the theoretical basis and scientifically proved recommendations for the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Defense Minister and military management central bodies how to direct the Armed Forces build-up and development, their comprehensive training and preparation for employment, to maintain combat and mobilization readiness of the troops (forces) at the adequate level and to provide comprehensive support, leadership of the mission accomplishment by the troops (forces) in accordance with their designation under the conditions of peace, menace and during the combat operations. It investigates the management processes and organizational structure, functioning and training level of the personnel of the Armed Forces military management central bodies in order to comply with their missions and designation.

The theories of the Russian Federation Armed Forces branches Management are independent systems of scientific knowledge about the laws and principles of the management, the system, organizational forms and methods of the leadership of the Armed Forces branch at war and in peace. In accordance with peculiarities of an Armed forces branch they comprise theoretical basis and scientifically proved recommendations how to lead troops, forces, means and armaments assigned to them. They also investigate the organizational structure and functioning of the management bodies and other elements of management system of the troops, forces, means and armaments in order to achieve the most efficient accomplishment of combat and special missions, as well as the objective correlations between the subject and the object of the management in the process of management of their routine activity, the adequate level of personnel training.

The troops (forces) management theory as the most well-developed one, is an independent system of scientific knowledge about the laws and principles of the management, the system, organizational forms and methods of the leadership of troops at war and in peace. It is composed of theoretical basis and scientifically proved recommendations for the military management bodies how to maintain combat and mobilization readiness of the troops, to work out operations and to perform leadership of the mission accomplishment by the troops (forces) at war and in peace. It investigates the process of management, the organizational structure and functioning of the management bodies and other elements of management system of the troops, forces, means and armaments in order to achieve the most efficient accomplishment of combat and special missions.

Similar to any other scientific theory, the military management theory investigates and analyzes its object from different, but correlated aspects.

The main aspects, which form a basis for investigating and analyzing the military management, are the following: political, organizational, economic, technical, social, psychological, legal and military itself.

Thus, the military management theory is a system of scientific knowledge about the laws, tendencies and principles of the management, systems, organizational forms and methods of the management of the military organization as a whole and its elements. It includes the theoretical basis and scientifically proved recommendations how to lead and direct all spheres of the military organization, to lead the Armed Forces and troops (forces) at war and peace in order to achieve the most efficient accomplishment of the assigned missions by the forces (troops), investigates the organizational structure of the military organization, the Armed Forces and troops (forces), determines the missions, functions, rights and responsibilities of the military management bodies, organization and methods of expedient activity in the process of their functioning, the adequate level of personnel training.

NOTES:

1. Entsiklopedia voennykh i morskikh nauk, ed. by Infantry General Leer, Vol. VIII, Saint-Petersburg, 1897, p. 50.

2. N. Wiener, Cybernetics or Control and Communication in Animal and Machine, MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1948; idem, The Human Use of Human Beings; Cybernetics and Society, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1950.

Lt. Gen. V.A. CHERNYKH

Candidate of Political Sciences

Maj. Gen. R.F. ARSLANOV

Candidate of Military Sciences