The author begins the book with the following introduction,

While other great powers were in search of colonies across the oceans, Russia was gradually expanding its territorial borders.Starting from the middle of the nineteenth century the country began annexing territories in Central Asia, its northern part had already been controlled by the Russians.

The people who stood in the way of Russia’s expansion included the nomadic Kyrgyz and Kazakhs (until 1822 they were known as Kyrgyz-Kaisaks), and three major states further south: the Kokand and the Khiva khanates and the Emirate of Bukhara. The areas included present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Chinese Xinjiang, bordering Iran and Afghanistan.

This book is as much about Russian, then Soviet, expansion into what became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (this book covers events to the early 1940s) as well as the use of aviation to that goal. The author, with assistance from Gennady Sloutskiy, does an admirable job introducing Western readers to a relatively unknown military history.

This book begins in 1917, with relative historical relevance dating back to Russian Empress Anna Ioanovna as early as 1738, and outlines how the Russians, and then the Soviets (as outlined through the various chapters) begin their expansion. With the birth of aviation, the means of controlling, or at least commanding and reconnaissance, vast regions of land introduced new tactics and means to control populations with smaller forces. Soviet Military Aviation in Central Asia 1917-41 thoroughly details the aviation efforts and evolution of Soviet air power. It is a fascinating look into the pilots and key personalities as they learned their craft, brought land and people under the Soviet banner, and set the stage for the use of Soviet military power in the Second World War.

Author Vladimir Kotelnikov was born in Moscow on 9 December 1951 and graduated from the Moscow Aviation Institute (University) in 1975. Beginning in the 1980s, Vladimir Kotelnikov conducted archive research on the history of Russian aviation of the inter-war and Second World War periods; additionally, he focused on the history of foreign aircraft testing and operations in Russia. He was prolific and published several hundred articles and dozens of books in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States; topics included Lend-Lease and Soviet Aviation, Americans in Russia, Russian Piston Aero Engines, Early Russian Jet Engines, Air War Over Khalkhin Gol, Le Petlyakov Pe-2 and others. The aviation research world lost a valued member when he passed away in 2022. This book is a testament to his research.

Soviet Military Aviation in Central Asia 1917-41 is a part of Helion and Company’s Asia@War series, No. 51 (HEL1910). The 58-page book is complete with extensive photographs, technical details and specifications, and detailed illustrations, composing the following 18 chapters:

• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Introduction

1. Two Revolutions and a Civil War
2. Basmachi
3. The End of the Emirate of Bukhara
4. And the Basmachi Again
5. Military Service of Dobrolyot
6. Reorganisation and Modernisation
7. Special Operations Air Group
8. The First Air Assault
9. The Brave Air Assault of Brigade Commander Shapkin
10. Secret Invasion
11. Conversion to R-3LD
12. A New Outbreak
13. Kara-Kum Campaign
14. The Year of 1932
15. Establishing the OGPU Aviation
16. At the End of the Long War
17. Operation in Xinjiang
18. In the Early 1940s

• Bibliography
• Notes
• About the Author

As mentioned above, this book details how the Russians, then Soviets brought this large land area and its many people under control.Its lessons were relevant during the inter-war and post-World War II era and remain so today. Some people could be brought into the fold peacefully, some had to be persuaded, and some had to be conquered. While the Soviets never had a lot of aircraft in this theater, they used what they had to a great degree, often running the aircraft past their service life. But they accomplished their mission.

I learned a lot about this fascinating and innovative period in a relatively unknown and understood Central Asia theater. The Russians, while limited especially in comparison to Western standards, used aircraft for reconnaissance, coordination with ground forces (to include infantry, cavalry on horse and camel, mechanized units, and border units), and even air assaults, moving small groups of heavily armed soldiers to decisive points where they could make a difference.

Early aviation enthusiasts will enjoy this book as well. The black and white photographs and color profiles highlight Farman 30s, Sopwith 1 ½ Strutters, DH.9, Junkers (Ju)-13s, Ju-21s, K-5s, Soviet R-1s, R-3LDs, R-3M5, R-5s, R-10s, DI-6, TB-1, and SBs. The authors did an amazing job of filling the book with black-and-white photographs of these and many more aircraft.

I enjoyed this book a lot and learned about the obscure and nascent Soviet aviation and its impact in a large swath of Central Asia. The authors did an outstanding job of research to bring this long-forgotten (or never known) period to modern readers. While this is a smaller book in the @War series, it packs a punch above its weight. My only disappointment is the lack of maps that would help casual readers to follow along better. I hope there is a follow-on volume to pick up where this book leaves off on the Eve of World War II.

Profuse thanks to Casemate and IPMS/USA for providing the review sample.