Military Model Scene

Title: Cominform Crisis
Author: Bojan Dimitrijevic
Publisher: Helion & Co
ISBN: 978-1-804510-28-5

The Soviet-Yugoslav Stand-Off, 1948-1954, number 24 in the Europe@War series. A 66-page soft-cover book in the standard style for the series, with plenty of archive images and a section with colour maps and vehicle/aircraft profile artworks..
The Introduction sets the scene and then the book goes into the relationship between Tito's partisans, who formed the armed forces of the new communist state of Yugoslavia and Stalin's Russia. After initial links which included the supply of large numbers of tanks, equipment and aircraft, plus training of Yugoslav personnel in Russia, not everything went to plan. Many of the tanks etc were well used and unsuitable for refurbishment, and there was a lack of spare parts. Tito was keen to promote links with other neighbours, such as Albania, Bulgaria and others, but Russia still tried to resort to old fashioned spying which naturally upset the Yugoslavs. It goes on to talk about Tito encouraging their own arms production facilities, so as not to have to rely on the Soviets. While the Korean War took attention away from the Balkans, there were border clashes between Russia and Yugoslavia, but no major invasion. Then in 1953, Stalin died and the new leaders wanted to restore the relationship. Stalin and Tito were clearly strong personalities and that is a feature that is clear. America saw this division between the two communist states to court Tito to the Western side of the developing Cold War. It includes the tale of defecting Soviet pilots whose jets were then quietly sent to the USA for evaluation in the continental US. For many of us, certainly for me, as well as the basic story, the archive photos show such a great mixture of equipment in use. Not just Soviet supplied weapons such as the T-34/85, but captured German small arms, AFVs and aircraft all in use. The cover photo of an Sdkfz 250 Neu Pakwagen is a really good example. Potential for a very varied collection of themed models if you want to go for it.
Like many others, I am familiar with the stories of Russian intervention in Hungary in 1956, and Czechoslovakia in 1968. I wasn't conscious of the border war between Russia and Yugoslavia from 1948-1954 so I found this interesting reading. As a modeller I always like the colour profile artwork elements and with this one there is so much in the many archive photos to grab the interest of modellers as well. Well worth reading in my view, I consider these good value books.
Thanks to Helion & Co for our review copy.

Robin