Crimean War was an armored conflict that happened before Alexander II succeeded the throne in 1855. The conflict had its beginning 1853 when Russian troops invaded the Ottoman Empire. Allied countries such as British and French empires as well as Kingdom of Sardinia opted for the occupied Empire starting the war which was also called Eastern War. This war is considered as the first of ‘modern’ wars, which changed the face of combat forever. Why this war is important in matter of reforms of the army? Well, after destroying the main Russian base Sevastopol Alexander II, Russian’s throne new ascendant had to agree to negotiate the end of the war. Both sides of the conflict had big army loses (around 800’000, predicted even more) but the war showed Russian Empire that it’s backward in matters such as armament and above all combat readiness of soldiers. The issue was that most of them were not professional soldiers. Before the Emancipation Edict landlord was to choose which of his serfs will serve in the military for a period of 25 years. However Alexander II agreed army needs some changes and along with the emancipation of serfs he rearranged the army.
Final reforms of the army took place in 1874. Dimitrij Milyutin was an enlightened military reformer of the Russian army who believed that improvement of the military education is based on improvement of military schools. It was him who introduced conscription for all young men no matter on the social class with exemptions for hardship cases, corporal punishment was abolished. Alexander also decided whoever lacks basic education in the army was abaout to receive it. From that moment conscripts had to serve in the army for only 6 not 25 years like they did before. No matter what social class they were in, conscripts could be legal part of military with promotion based on merits not the class they belonged to. When we compare the slavery in U.S. and serfdom in Russia in that time it is vital to understand that no one defended serfdom from ideological point of view. There was no racial divide and serfs’ owners thought they have a right to own and use people as tools. People believed that emancipation of serfs and giving them conscription right could help Russia advance economically and military. Additionally army received more comfortable uniforms.
We can argue that reforming the army could have been influenced by the need of better military service after losing the war but is that the only factor? How do you think, did tsar used freedom of peasants to create a stronger army without them realizing it?
Crimean War was an armored conflict that happened before Alexander II succeeded the throne in 1855. The conflict had its beginning 1853 when Russian troops invaded the Ottoman Empire. Allied countries such as British and French empires as well as Kingdom of Sardinia opted for the occupied Empire starting the war which was also called Eastern War. This war is considered as the first of ‘modern’ wars, which changed the face of combat forever. Why this war is important in matter of reforms of the army? Well, after destroying the main Russian base Sevastopol Alexander II, Russian’s throne new ascendant had to agree to negotiate the end of the war. Both sides of the conflict had big army loses (around 800’000, predicted even more) but the war showed Russian Empire that it’s backward in matters such as armament and above all combat readiness of soldiers. The issue was that most of them were not professional soldiers. Before the Emancipation Edict landlord was to choose which of his serfs will serve in the military for a period of 25 years. However Alexander II agreed army needs some changes and along with the emancipation of serfs he rearranged the army.
Final reforms of the army took place in 1874. Dimitrij Milyutin was an enlightened military reformer of the Russian army who believed that improvement of the military education is based on improvement of military schools. It was him who introduced conscription for all young men no matter on the social class with exemptions for hardship cases, corporal punishment was abolished. Alexander also decided whoever lacks basic education in the army was abaout to receive it. From that moment conscripts had to serve in the army for only 6 not 25 years like they did before. No matter what social class they were in, conscripts could be legal part of military with promotion based on merits not the class they belonged to. When we compare the slavery in U.S. and serfdom in Russia in that time it is vital to understand that no one defended serfdom from ideological point of view. There was no racial divide and serfs’ owners thought they have a right to own and use people as tools. People believed that emancipation of serfs and giving them conscription right could help Russia advance economically and military. Additionally army received more comfortable uniforms.
We can argue that reforming the army could have been influenced by the need of better military service after losing the war but is that the only factor? How do you think, did tsar used freedom of peasants to create a stronger army without them realizing it?