This volume examines how Imperial Russia's armed forces sought to adapt to the challenges of modern warfare. Russian rulers always understood the need to maintain an army and navy capable of preserving the empire's great power status. Yet they inevitably faced the dilemma of importing European military and technological innovations while keeping out political ideas that could challenge the autocracy's monopoly on power. Reforming the Tsar's Army touches on many broader issues in politics, international relations, economy and society, and combines the efforts of leading specialists of Russian military history from North America, Europe and Russia to consider many aspects of this dilemma. Grouped around broad themes of resources, intelligence, personality, and responses to specific wars, these essays benefit from the new archival openness to yield some surprising insights into the empire's willingness and ability to adapt to change.

This volume examines how Imperial Russia's armed forces sought to adapt to the challenges of modern warfare.
Reviews
"A collection of essays on various aspects of Russian military reform, by some of the most notable scholars in the field. The 18 essays are grouped into five broad categories, covering national resources, intelligence and education, specific wars and campaigns, person-alities, and some broad conclusions. Of particular value to the serious student of Russian military history, some of the essays are likely to be useful for persons interested in particular aspects of the practice of war, such as conscription, or the Napoleonic Wars." - The NYMAS Review



Book Information
ISBN 9780521174435
Author David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye
Format Paperback
Page Count 376
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 550g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 21mm