The Hunt for Red October

The lack of trust Soviet leaders have in their subordinates is mentioned multiple times throughout the novel. This theme first appears when Ramius is waiting with the political officer to open their orders on the maiden voyage of ballistic missile submarine Red October:

The crew of such vessels had to be trusted. And so they sailed less often than their Western counterparts, and when they did it was with a political officer aboard to stand next to the commanding officer, a second captain always ready to pass approval on every action (25).

This statement shows Ramius’s understanding that his country’s leaders don’t trust that their trained Navy men won’t take these heavily armed submarines and use them against the Soviet Union in some fashion. This lack of trust not only leads to a sense of rebelliousness among the people but also causes difficulties in career advancement, as the party officials will not promote someone who has a history that could suggest a lack of loyalty. This lack of career advancement often leaves citizens without simple luxuries such as a home or car of their own. In turn, the lack of trust shown to the Soviet Union’s citizens causes dissatisfaction among those who feel they’ve been unfairly punished and promotes a lack of trust of the citizens toward their leaders.