Introduction of universal conscription. Introduction of universal conscription in Russia: date, year, initiator

A person who recognizes war not only as inevitable, but useful, and therefore desirable - these people are terrible, terrible in their hatred and perversion

L.N. Tolstoy

The period of Alexander II's reign represented grandiose reforms in the history of the Russian Empire. By carrying out these reforms, the emperor tried to overcome Russia's lag behind the advanced countries of the world. One of the most ambitious, both in terms of time and results, was the military reform of Alexander 2, which was prepared by Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin. This article offers an overview of the key areas of military reform, as well as its main results.

In 1853-1856, Russia participated in the Crimean War against the Ottoman Empire and its European allies (England, France). The war was lost, and the main reason was the backwardness of the Russian Empire, both militarily and economically.

Alexander 2 understood the urgent need for reforms to ensure the future of the empire. In 1861, Dmitry Milyutin, a participant in the war in the Caucasus, who took part in the transformation of the troops in this region, was appointed Minister of War. In 1862, the minister, together with his subordinates, prepared a report for the emperor (it was with this report that the military reform under the control of Alexander 2 actually began), which identified the following problems of the Russian army:

• The need to normalize spending on the army, since Russia spends a lot of money on an army that is not combat-ready enough.
• The presence of recruitment kits, because of which the quality of the military of the Russian army suffers.
• The following problem follows from the previous point: reserve officers had to train recruits, which is why there was no normal division of troops into “active” and “reserve”.
• Lack of military education institutions, as a result, about 70 percent of officers did not have a military education!
• The underdevelopment of the network of government institutions that control conscription, equipping the army, etc.
• A large number of the army, some of which are inactive. It is necessary to increase reserve troops, thereby reducing regular ones. In the event of war, it will be possible to call up a reserve as soon as possible.

The essence of military reform

Despite the fact that in most textbooks the beginning of the military reform of Alexander 2 and Milyutin is recorded as 1861, this is a formality. This year, Russia began preparing for reform, and the first changes took place only in 1862 and continued until the early 1880s. Most of the changes were implemented before 1874. This reform affected all aspects of the life of the military: from the very essence of the army (from recruiting to universal duty) to the new regulations and uniforms.

To understand the essence of Milyutin’s military reform, it is necessary to examine in detail the main changes in the army based on the classification of the reform proposed by modern historians.

Organizational changes

Back in 1862, to create a unified control system for the armed forces of the Empire on the territory of the First Army (western provinces), three military districts were created: Warsaw, Kiev and Vilna. Until 1874, 15 military districts were created throughout the Empire. According to the regulations on districts of 1864, the commander of a military district was considered a full-fledged and unified manager of military affairs in the region, thereby creating a single centralized leadership of military units (the principle of unity of command). At the same time, the Minister of War reformed the ministry itself, reducing the headquarters by 327 officers, which contributed to the fight against bureaucratization.

Further, from 1864 to 1869, military units were reduced and some officers and soldiers were transferred to the reserve. Thus, the leaders of the reforms planned to reduce the cost of the army in peacetime, and in the event of the outbreak of war, to have a large reserve of trained military personnel. Its mobilization took up to 50 days, while at the beginning of the century it could take more than a year.

One of the main changes during the military reform of Alexander 2 occurred in 1874, when the conscription system was finally eliminated, and in its place universal military service for men was introduced. All men at the age of 20 were required to undergo military service, the duration of which was 6 years for the ground forces and 7 years for the navy. The following were not subject to conscription: clergy, sectarians, foreigners from Central Asia, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, as well as the only sons and breadwinners in the family. In 1888, the conscription age was changed to 21 years. After the subjects completed military service, most of them replenished the reserves. The reserve period was also clearly regulated: 9 years for the ground forces and 3 years for the navy.

In addition, the Military Court and the Military Prosecutor's Office were created.

Technological innovations

The military reform of Alexander 2 affected not only changes in management and recruitment systems. The army of the Russian Empire was seriously lagging technically behind the leading countries of Europe. That is why Milyutin suggested Alexander 2 to carry out a serious technical modernization:

• Smoothbore weapons have been replaced by rifled ones. So, back in 1865, the army was armed with an 1856 capsule rifle. In 1868, the Berdan rifle (smaller caliber) was adopted. As a result, already in the war of 1877-1878 with the Turks, the Russian army was fully armed with modern, at that time, firearms.
• In 1860-1870, the artillery was completely re-equipped: lighter guns with better speed and range of fire were adopted, for example the Baranovsky cannon or the Gatling cannon.
• In 1869, the first battleship in Russian history, the Peter the Great, was launched. Thus, the replacement of sailing ships, which were a symbol of the backwardness of the Russian fleet, with steam ships began.

According to historians, one small gap was made in this area: the Dragunov regiments never received firearms, although the European analogues of these units had pistols. In addition, the artillery troops existed separately from the infantry, which could have a negative impact on their joint actions.

Military education reform

Milyutin paid much attention to education in military reform. The education system for the military was radically reformed:

• A system of cadet schools and military academies was created.
• Professional gymnasiums with a military focus were created, the graduates of which could continue their studies at cadet schools.

Thus, the military in Russia became a full-fledged profession, which was trained before being used for military purposes. In addition, thanks to the training, the officers had the opportunity to receive education in theory, and not directly in practice.

Introduction of new uniforms

During the period from 1862 to 1874, 62 orders were signed that concerned changes in the uniform, in particular the color, length and shape of individual elements of the uniform. These actions caused great criticism, both from the public and the military themselves, since it was said that these events were of little significance for the army itself. In general, it’s a fun fact, but any military reform in Russia also comes down to changing the uniform (just remember the events that took place in modern Russia several years ago).

Reform results

In general, despite some inaccuracies, the results that the military reform of Alexander 2 implemented had a huge effect on the transformation of the army of the Russian Empire. Russia's active army was reduced by 40%, which significantly reduced the cost of its maintenance. The ministry's headquarters was also reduced, which contributed to the fight against bureaucracy. The system of military districts helped make the army more organized and mobile. Mass conscription contributed to the elimination of weak and ineffective recruitment.

At the end of the material, I would like to note that the foundation of the modern army was laid precisely by the military reform of Alexander 2, which was supervised by Milyutin. I am talking now about the principles of formation of units, mobilization work, organization of ministries and departments, and so on. For the first time, Russia had an army that could be globally controlled independently and collectively, without waiting for a genius (Suvorov, Kutuzov) to appear at a critical moment and help correct the situation in the army. So, for example, it happened in the war of 1812, when Alexander 1 and his advisers did nothing but prevent the army from fighting, and the disgraced general Kutuzov saved the country. Now the structure of the army was changing. Changed for the better. This is why historians say that Milyutin’s military reform of 1874 is one of the most important transformations in Russia under Alexander II.

Essay

Course: “History of the Russian State and Law”

Military reform 1863-1874 Military justice reform

Completed by: 1st year student

specialty "Jurisprudence",

Checked:

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………..3

Chapter I. Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin. An excursion into history…………...4

Chapter II. Military reform program……………………………8

Chapter III. Transformations in military justice……………………………9

Chapter IV. Reform of military educational institutions…………………………..11

Chapter V. Universal conscription………………………………...12

Chapter VI. Results of reform activities…………..15

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….16

List of references………………………………………………………17

Introduction.

The defeat of Tsarist Russia in the Crimean War, which revealed the military-technical backwardness of the Nicholas Army, the further growth of armaments and the development of military equipment in Europe, and the increased expansion of the leading European powers urgently required a radical reorganization of the entire military affairs in Russia. But the reorganization of the army on a new basis, its rearmament largely depended on the technical and economic potential of the country, mainly on the state of industry and transport. Therefore, military transformations could not be carried out immediately; they were carried out gradually.

In the 60s - 70s of the XIX century. A whole series of military reforms were carried out, starting with the reorganization of military administration and military educational institutions and ending with the most important reform - a new system of recruiting the army through the introduction of all-class conscription, as well as a number of measures to rearm the army.

Already during the Crimean War, in July 1855, a “Military Improvement Commission” was formed under the chairmanship of Minister of War F.V. Ridigera. However, even after the end of the war, nothing significant was done in this direction for another 5 years, with the exception of reducing the size of the army, which significantly reduced military spending. By the end of the war, 2.2 million people were under arms. By 1858, the army was reduced to 1.5 million people and its further reduction was expected.

In practice, military reforms began with the appointment of D.A. to the post of Minister of War in 1861. Milyutin, a professor at the Academy of the General Staff, then the chief of staff of the Caucasian Army, who had outstanding military and personal talents and adhered to liberal views. With the name D.A. Milyutin, who served as minister for 20 years, was responsible for the radical restructuring of the Russian army.

ChapterI. Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin. Excursion into history

Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin was born in 1816 in Moscow. The family raised their sons in the spirit of love for work, alien to the “conceited parasitism source of evil.” In D.A. Milyutin successfully combined an encyclopedic scientist, statesman and military leader with a wide range of interests and areas of activity.

In 1832 D.A. After graduating from the provincial gymnasium, Milyutin graduated from a boarding school at Moscow University with a silver medal and immediately, having moved to St. Petersburg, entered military service in the 1st Artillery Guards Brigade as a fireworksman, and six months later, at the age of 17, he received his first officer rank, which opened the way for him, Thanks to a brilliantly passed exam, he immediately entered the senior class of the Imperial Military Academy. Having graduated with a small silver medal, which was an indicator of outstanding abilities, D.A. Milyutin was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the General Staff.

By that time A.V. Suvorov was almost forgotten, and D.A. Milyutin is credited with “creating the Suvorov cult. He was the first to scientifically develop Suvorov’s principles, thanks to which the commander won his brilliant victories.” The author wrote that A.V. Suvorov “in relation to military affairs stood above his age; no one could comprehend that he created a completely new image of war before Napoleon gave Europe lessons in new strategy and tactics.” He critically assessed the activities of other military leaders, therefore, for censorship reasons, the article “Russian commanders of the 18th century” was not published.

In 1839, the service of D.A. began. Milyutin at the headquarters of the Chechen detachment in the Caucasus. YES. Milyutin took part in military operations against the highlanders.

In one of the battles D.A. Milyutin was wounded by a bullet in the shoulder, damaging the bone. For participation in hostilities D.A. Milyutin was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav, 3rd degree, and St. Vladimir, 4th degree.

Returning to St. Petersburg with the rank of captain, D.A. Milyutin took up the post of quartermaster of the 3rd Guards Infantry Division. Since 1843, he has been chief quartermaster of the troops of the Caucasian line and the Black Sea region. The experience of personal participation in hostilities, supported by academic education, allowed him to write “Manual for the occupation, defense and attack of forests, buildings and villages and other local objects” to help troops, which was highly appreciated by officers at that time.

In 1845 D.A. Milyutin was appointed to the position of professor at the Imperial Military Academy in the department of military geography. After some time, he came to the conclusion about the scientific inconsistency of the military geography course in the academy program in general: “The more I read and thought about it, the more I became convinced that it was unthinkable to compose a special military science from purely geographical knowledge alone.” And Dmitry Alekseevich becomes the founder of a new discipline - military statistics, which, from a military point of view, took into account the whole variety of different information about the state, its territory, population, government structure, finances, armed forces, etc.

The appearance of the new course was preceded by the publication of two detailed articles: “A critical study of the significance of military geography and statistics” and “First experiments in military statistics.” The second work was noted in 1850. Demidon Prize. It took only two years to introduce a new subject to the academy's course.

Turning today to the military-scientific heritage of D.A. Milyutin, it should be noted that, in essence, he took the baton from N.Ya. Danilevsky and K.N. Leontyev, supported the military school, including Vasily Nikitich Tatishchev, who thoroughly studied the ancient origins of Russian history. Military geography and military statistics were compiled in the interpretation of D.A. Milyutin began geopolitics and, with his light hand, took up a quarter of the entire teaching time.

Under him, the Academy of the General Staff became the most authoritative forge of the country's scientific personnel, and its diploma was most preferred when appointed to any government position. This was facilitated by the opening of a third course in addition to the two existing courses at the academy, to which officers who showed exceptional abilities in the first two courses were enrolled. They received the rank of “General Staff officer,” special insignia, and a number of service advantages.

Wide erudition and scientific approach to resolving military problems put forward D.A. Milyutin to the post of Director of the Office of the War Ministry under Minister of War V.A. Dolgoruky. His replacement, N.O. Sukhozanet may have seen Milyutin as a rival and did not allow him to actively participate in the work of the War Ministry. And in the fall of 1856, the new commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps, Prince A.I. Baryatinsky suggested D.A. Milyutin, the post of chief of the Main Staff of the Separate Caucasian Corps (hereinafter referred to as the Caucasian Army).

Reorganization of command and control of troops and military institutions of the region, carried out according to the proposals of D.A. Milyutin, played a positive role, and after the capture of Shamil in 1859, during the storming of the village of Gunib, in which D.A. Milyutin, the Caucasian War was over. To a large extent, it was D.A. The Russian army was indebted to Milyutin for the successful completion of the Caucasian War. For military services, he was awarded orders, promoted to lieutenant general and soon awarded the rank of adjutant general.

At the suggestion of A.I. Baryatinsky D.A. Milyutin in 1860 was appointed associate minister of war, and after the appointment of N.O. Sukhozaneta governor of the Kingdom of Poland, he was approved as Minister of War.

His twenty-year service in this post was closely connected with the implementation of deep military reform. Its necessity was determined by the defeat of the Russians in the Crimean War and the reform of the armies of Western Europe.

ChapterII. Military reform program.

From a supply system in which the provision and commissariat departments were hotbeds of abuse, the army was transferred to supply by the Main Quartermaster Directorate, and the number of officials was sharply reduced. Emergency reserves were created at all supply levels. The archaic system of managing a regiment - a combat unit of the Russian army, in which the regiment commander individually and unaccountably controlled the expenditure of regimental funds, was replaced by a system of spending funds only on the basis of a pre-compiled estimate. According to the law, control of economic activities was carried out by provision commissions and elected economic committees.

YES. Milyutin wrote: “From that time on, regimental commanders stopped looking at the regiment’s economy as their own, their own personal economy.” This made it possible to increase the size of soldiers' rations and the salaries of combat officers; to improve their financial situation, officer borrowed capital and a military emeritus fund were introduced.

On the occasion of the introduction of all-class conscription, Alexander II sent a personal rescript to the Minister of War, in which he wrote: “With your hardest work in that matter and your enlightened look at it, you provided the state with a service, which I take the special pleasure of witnessing and for which I express to you my true heartfelt appreciation. The law, approved by me and now promulgated, will, with your assistance, be carried out in the same spirit in which it was drawn up.” The emperor's gratitude and words addressed to D.A. Milyutin, can be extended to all of his reform activities.

ChapterIII. Transformations in military justice.

On January 15, 1862, he presented Alexander II with a program of military reforms. It provided for the reduction of armed forces in peacetime and their deployment through trained reserves in times of war, the reorganization of officer training and the creation of a new army command structure. First of all, Milyutin achieved a reduction in the period of military service to 15 years, while after 7-8 years of service the soldier was granted temporary leave. Then corporal punishment was abolished in the army - spitzrutens, "cats", whips and whips. Following this, the military command system was reorganized.

According to the “Regulations” published on August 6, 1864, the entire territory of Russia was divided into 15 military districts, each with its own administration, directly subordinate to the Ministry of War. The military district system had a number of advantages: excessive centralization of control was eliminated and more favorable conditions were created for the operational command of troops, and the time frame for mobilizing reserve forces in wartime was reduced. In the conditions of Russia with its vast spaces, this acquired paramount importance.

According to the “Regulations” of 1867, the central military administration was also reorganized. Artillery, guards, engineering troops, military educational institutions (before that they had their own separate departments), and for the duration of hostilities - the active army were transferred under the control of the Ministry of War.

In 1867, a new military judicial charter was adopted, built on the principles of the judicial reform of 1864. Three courts were introduced - regimental, military district and main military courts. During the war, the Main Military Field Court was established. Decisions of military courts were subject to approval by the regimental and district commanders, respectively, and, in the final instance, by the Minister of War. A special Military Justice was preserved, to whose jurisdiction a large number of cases of state crimes (resistance to authorities, attacks on police and troops) were transferred in 1878. Even earlier, in 1863, in connection with the Polish Uprising, governors-general were given the right to declare provinces under martial law, in connection with which many cases came under the jurisdiction of military courts.

In 1863, the “Regulations on the Preservation of Military Discipline and Disciplinary Punishments” was approved, which established the procedure for imposing disciplinary sanctions and determined the boundaries of their application by commanders. For the first time in the Russian army, the “Disciplinary Regulations” (1869) and the new regulations of the “Internal Service” (1877) were introduced. Disciplinary practice began to correspond to the legal norms of civil bourgeois laws brought to life by judicial reform in the country. Officers' courts of honor and officers' assemblies were introduced.

ChapterIV. Reform of military educational institutions.

In the mid-60s, a reform of military educational institutions was carried out. In 1863, the cadet corps was transformed into military gymnasiums, similar in terms of the program of general education disciplines (in addition to special military ones) to real schools. In 1864, military schools were established, which enrolled students from military gymnasiums. Military schools annually graduated up to 600 officers.

For the special training of military engineers, artillerymen, and cavalrymen, 16 cadet schools with a three-year training period were created. Advanced training for officers during their service was introduced into practice. The system of higher military education was expanded in military academies - the Academy of the General Staff, Artillery, Engineering, Military Medical and the newly established Military Legal Academy.

ChapterV. Universal conscription.

These transformations significantly improved the combat training of the Russian army. However, a radical reorganization of military affairs could be carried out only if a new system of recruiting the army was introduced - replacing the old recruiting system with all-class (i.e., universal) military service, which would ensure the creation of a stock of trained reserves needed in wartime.

Universal conscription had long been introduced in many European countries, but in Russia for a long time the system of conscription, introduced by Peter I, was preserved. Universal conscription gave the necessary effect only if the military reserves in reserve were quickly mobilized, and this largely depended on state of the means of communication. The rapid growth of railway construction in the late 60s and early 70s of the 19th century in Russia created the necessary conditions for carrying out one of the most important reforms. The urgent need for this reform was dictated by the complex external political situation, especially aggravated in connection with the defeat of France by Prussia in 1870 and the formation in the center of Europe of the militaristic German Empire, which openly declared its expansionist aspirations.

In 1870 D.A. Milyutin presented a report to Alexander II on the introduction of universal conscription and received his approval. Under the chairmanship of Milyutin, a special commission was created to develop military regulations. Two years later, the draft military regulations were ready and submitted for discussion to the State Council. On January 1, 1874, Alexander II approved the “Charter on Military Service” and a special Manifesto about it.

According to the law of 1874, all military forces of the Russian Empire were divided into 4 categories: regular army and navy, irregular troops (Cossacks), reserve troops and militia. Military service extended to the entire male population who had reached the age of 20, without distinction of class, i.e. it acquired an all-class character. For regular ground forces, a 6-year period of active service was established. Those who served this period were transferred to the reserve for 9 years, and after this period they were enlisted in the militia until the age of 40. For the fleet, a 7-year period of active service and 3 years in reserve was established.

For a peacetime army, the required contingent of conscripts for active service was significantly less than the total number of conscripts. So, in 1874, out of 725 thousand men subject to conscription, 150 thousand were called up, in 1880, out of 809 thousand, 212 thousand people, in 1900, out of 1,150 thousand - 315 thousand.

Thus, of those of military age, 25-30% were taken into the army for active service. Those exempted from active service were, first of all, based on their marital status: the only son of their parents, the only breadwinner in the family with young brothers and sisters, as well as those conscripts whose older brother was serving or had already served his term of active service. Up to half of the conscripts were exempt from active service due to marital status. About 15-20% were released due to physical unfitness. The remaining conscripts fit for service, who did not have benefits, drew lots.

Both those who had the benefit and those who were not chosen to go into active service were enlisted in the reserves for 15 years, and after this period - in the militia. Deferments from active service were also given for 2 years due to property status. The length of active military service was significantly reduced depending on the educational qualification: up to 4 years for those who graduated from primary school, up to 3 years for a city school, up to a year and a half for a gymnasium, and up to six months for those with a higher education. If a person who received an education entered active service voluntarily (as a volunteer), then the indicated service periods were halved.

Soldiers on active duty were required to be taught literacy. Therefore, the army played a significant role in spreading literacy among the male population, since at that time up to 80% of those called up for service were illiterate.

According to the law of 1874, clergy of all religions, representatives of some religious sects and organizations (due to their religious beliefs), the peoples of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and some peoples of the Caucasus and the Far North were exempted from military service. In relation to the Russian population, military service actually extended to the tax-paying classes, since the privileged classes, thanks to their education or training in military educational institutions, were practically exempt from military service. Class differences persisted in the army itself. The command staff of the Russian post-reform army was predominantly made up of nobles, although formally persons from the tax-paying classes had the right to enter military educational institutions and eventually become officers. An ordinary soldier could only rise to the rank of non-commissioned officer.

Since the 60s, the rearmament of the Russian army began. Since 1866, smooth-bore weapons began to be replaced by rifled weapons. A rapid-fire rifle of the Berdan system was adopted for service. The artillery fleet was replaced with new systems of steel rifled guns, and the construction of a military steam fleet began. Since 1876, military conscription was introduced: during the war, horse stock suitable for military purposes was subject to mobilization with monetary compensation to its owners. In this regard, military-horse censuses began to be carried out regularly.

ChapterVI. Results of the reform activities carried out.

At the end of the 19th century. The following changes were made in the Russian army. According to the new military regulations of 1888, a 5-year period of active service and a 13-year period of stay in the reserve were established for all branches of the military, followed by enlistment in the militia. The conscription age for active service was raised from 20 to 21 years. The age limit for a militia member increased from 40 to 43 years. The previous benefits for marital status were retained, but the terms of service for persons who graduated from secondary and higher educational institutions, as well as for volunteers, were increased by 2-4 times.

Military reforms 1861-1874 played an important role in increasing the combat effectiveness of the Russian army. However, the results of these reforms did not appear immediately. Military educational institutions were not yet able to fill the acute shortage of officer personnel; the process of rearmament of the army dragged on for several decades.

Conclusion

The reforms of the 50s - 70s of the 19th century, starting with the abolition of serfdom, marked significant changes in the political system of Russia. The general course of Russia's socio-economic development has created an urgent need for reforms, which in turn gave impetus to the rapid growth of the country's economy and culture. However, the bourgeois reforms of the 60s and 70s were not consistent and incomplete.

Along with bourgeois principles in the new local government bodies, the judicial system, public education, etc. At the same time, the reforms protected the class advantages of the nobility and actually preserved the unequal position of the tax-paying classes. The concessions made primarily to the big bourgeoisie did not in any way violate the privileges of the nobility. New local government bodies, schools and press were subordinated to the tsarist administration. The contradictory policies of Emperor Alexander II combined both reformism and reactionary tendencies. The latter openly declared themselves after the assassination attempt on Alexander II by D.V. Karakozov in 1866

These trends slowed down the progress of reforms and in some cases distorted their nature. While carrying out reforms, the autocracy at the same time applied old administrative and police methods of management and supported class in all spheres of the country's socio-political life. This created the conditions for a series of “counter-reforms” during the reign of Alexander III.

LIST OF REFERENCES USED.

1. Isaev I.A., History of state and law of Russia, M., 2000.

2. History of Russia from antiquity to the present day / edited by Zuev M.N., M., 1998.

3. History of the state and law of Russia. / Ed. Titova Yu.P. M., 1999.

4. Kargalov V.V., Savelyev Yu.S., Fedorov V.A., History of Russia from ancient times to 1917, M., 1998.

5. Platonov S.F. Lectures on Russian history., M., 1993

6. Fedorov V.A. History of Russia 1861-1917 Second-hand book shelf.web:(http://polbu.ru/fedorov_rushistory/)

The Crimean War revealed the glaring shortcomings of the Nicholas army and the entire military organization of Russia. The army was replenished by conscription, which fell with all its weight on the lower classes of the population, because the nobility was free from compulsory military service (since 1762), and rich people could pay off the conscription. Soldiers' service lasted 25 years and was associated, in addition to military dangers, with such hardships, hardships and deprivations that the population, handing over their youth as recruits, said goodbye to them, in most cases, forever. Conscription into military service was viewed as a severe punishment: landowners sought to recruit the most vicious (or rebellious) element from their villages as recruits, and the criminal law directly provided for conscription as a soldier as a punishment, on a par with exile to Siberia or imprisonment in prison companies.

The replenishment of the army with officers was also in a very unsatisfactory situation. Military schools were far from sufficient to replenish the army with the necessary officers; Most of the officers (from the noble “juniors” or from well-established non-commissioned officers) were of a very low level. Mobilizing the army in wartime was difficult due to the lack of trained reserves, both officers and soldiers.

At the very beginning of the reign of Alexander II, the most glaring hardships and injustices of the previous era were eliminated: the stick schools of the “cantonists” - soldiers' children - were closed and the cantonists were dismissed from the military class.

(1805 -1856 - Cantonists (“Canton” - from German) called minor sons of soldiers who were registered with the military department from birth, as well as children of schismatics, Polish rebels, gypsies and Jews (children of Jews) who were forcibly sent to prepare for service taken from 1827 - under Nicholas I, before that there was a cash tax) - ldn-knigi)

Military settlements were abolished. In 1859, the period of compulsory military service for newly entering lower ranks was established in the army - 15 years, in the navy - 14.

With the entry into control of the War Ministry

D. A. Milyutin, in 1861, began energetic and systematic work in order to fundamentally and comprehensively {244} reforms of the army and the entire military department. In the 60s, Milyutin transformed the central military administration. In 1864, the “Regulations” on military district administration introduced local bodies of military administrative administration. All of Russia was divided into several military districts (in 1871 there were 14: 10 in European Russia, three in Asian and the Caucasian district) with “commanders” at the head, and thus the central military administration in St. Petersburg was relieved of many small matters and On the other hand, conditions were created for faster and more organized mobilization in certain parts of the state.

In his concern for the training of army officers, Milyutin completely reorganized the military education system. The former few cadet corps (consisting of general education and special classes) were transformed into “military gymnasiums” with a general education course of real gymnasiums, and their senior classes were separated for special military training of future officers and formed special “military schools.” Due to the insufficient number of existing military schools, “military gymnasiums” (with a 4-year general education course) and “cadet schools” (with a 2-year course) were created. In 1880 in Russia there were 9 military schools (including special ones), 16 cadet schools; 23 military gymnasiums, 8 pro-gymnasiums. For higher military education there were academies: general staff, engineering, artillery and military medical; The Military Law Academy was again created.

But Milyutin’s main reform and his main merit is the introduction of universal military service in Russia. The project developed by Milyutin met with strong opposition in the State Council and in the “special presence on conscription.” Hardened conservatives and supporters of noble privileges objected to the reform and frightened the tsar with the future “democratization” of the army, but with the support of the sovereign he led. Prince Konstantin Nikolaevich, {245} presiding over the State Council, Milyutin managed to carry out his project.

(December 3, 1873, the Tsar told Milyutin: “There is strong opposition to the new law..., and the women are shouting most of all” (Miliutin’s Diary). Of course, these were not village women, but the countesses and princesses surrounding the Tsar, who in no way they did not want to come to terms with the idea that their Zhorzhiki would have to join the ranks of soldiers along with the village Mishkas and Grishkas. In his diary for 1873, Milyutin notes about the progress of the project: “it’s going slowly, there’s a lot of controversy,” or: “a heated meeting,” or. : “Count D. A. Tolstoy appears on the stage again, and again there are irritable, bilious, persistent bickering.” Minister of Public Education Count Tolstoy most of all argued against those benefits for education, which he insisted on minister of war Milyutin.) .

On January 1, 1874, the Manifesto on the introduction of universal conscription was published. On the same day, the Charter on Military Service was published, the first article of which read: “Defense of the throne and fatherland is the sacred duty of every Russian subject. The male population, regardless of condition, is subject to military service.” According to the new law, every year (in November) a call is made to serve military service.

All young people who turned 20 years old by January 1 of this year must report for conscription; then, from those who are recognized as fit for military service, the number of “recruits” required in the current year to replenish the personnel of the army and navy is selected by lot; the rest are enlisted in the “militia” (which is called up for service only in case of war). The period of active service in the army was set at 6 years; those who served this term were enlisted in the army reserve for 9 years (in the navy, the terms were 7 years and 3 years, respectively).

Thus, for the first time, Milyutin’s law created trained reserves for the Russian army in case of mobilization. - When serving military service, a number of benefits were provided based on marital status and education. Young people who were the sole breadwinners of their families were exempt from conscription for active service. {246} (the only son had the 1st category benefit), and for those who received an education, the period of active service was significantly reduced, to varying degrees depending on the level of education. Persons who had a certain educational qualification could (upon reaching the age of 17) serve military service as “volunteers”, and the period of active service for them was further reduced, and upon completion of service and upon passing the established exam, they were promoted to the first officer rank and formed a cadre of reserve officers.

Under the influence of the “spirit of the times” and thanks to the cares and efforts

YES. Milyutin in the 60s and 70s completely changed the entire structure and character of life of the Russian army. Severe drilling and cane discipline with cruel corporal punishment were expelled from her.

(Corporal punishment was retained only for those who had been fined," that is, those who had seriously offended and were transferred to the "disciplinary battalions" of the lower ranks.) Their place was taken by the reasonable and humane education and training of soldiers; on the one hand, combat training was increased: instead of “ceremonial marches”, they were trained in target shooting, fencing and gymnastics; the army's weapons were improved; at the same time, the soldiers were taught to read and write, so that Milyutin’s army, to some extent, compensated for the lack of school education in the Russian village.

Lyudmila

Timonina

Leonid

Timonin

Life story

General Serzhanov

Tolyatti

2011 - 2015

Instead of a preface

Different people, different destinies. In the stormy stream of the city, everyone is on their own until they meet a person akin to their destiny, thoughts, actions and deeds. In our case, we are talking about people whose lives were in one way or another connected with the past 20th century, to which humanity gave a strict definition - atomic. These are veterans of special risk units - soldiers and officers who took part in military atomic exercises, in testing new types of nuclear and thermonuclear charges, in the operation of underwater nuclear missile carriers. These include scientists, engineers, technicians, laboratory assistants, workers of secret research centers and production facilities for the production of components for filling nuclear and thermonuclear charges...

During meetings with Togliatti residents, sometimes random, I heard more than once that in their lives they too had to come into contact with the atomic secrets of the past century. Most of them do not have any official supporting document, but this does not make their memories lose their value as evidence of large-scale historical events that descendants should know about. Major General Alexander Ilyich Serzhanov is one of those people whose part of his life was connected with the creation of the Motherland’s atomic shield. The Chernobyl disaster did not escape him either. And all life is military labor for the benefit of the Motherland, including during the harsh times of the Great Patriotic War.

Sergeant's Farm...

They say you can’t run away from your own name - to ak the ship will be named, So he will float! The life story of Major General Serzhanov is a clear confirmation of this. The well-known and often quoted aphorism of Napoleon Bonaparte: “In the knapsack of every soldier lies a marshal’s baton,” akin to the life path of a person with a telling military surname. There are seven generations of this family name. For years, Alexander Ilyich corresponded with the archives, picking up all the documents that were available... And all this in order to establish all the facts of his genealogy. Later he will say about these searches:

– The work is monotonous, but at the same time interesting. Maybe someone will find it useful. According to the pedigree, my great-grandfather, from whom the surname came, was called up as a recruit and ended up in the navy. Emperor Alexander II reduced his service life from twenty-five years to twenty*, and therefore my ancestor was dismissed a year earlier. And we can say that he was lucky - he spent only 24 years in the navy and army.

* In the Russian army and navy (Armed Forces) from 1705 to 1874, a recruit is a person enrolled in the army under conscription, to which all tax-paying classes (peasants, townspeople, etc.) were subject and for whom it was communal and lifelong and they supplied a certain number of recruits (soldiers) from their communities. The recruitment of serfs into the army freed them from serfdom. The nobility was exempted from conscription duties. Later, this exemption was extended to merchants, families of clergy, honorary citizens, residents of Bessarabia and some remote areas of Siberia. Since 1793, the indefinite period of service was limited to 25 years, from 1834 - to 20 years, followed by a stay on the so-called indefinite leave for 5 years. In 1855 - 1872, 12, 10 and 7-year terms of service and, accordingly, stay on leave 3 were successively established; 5 and 8 years old.

Recruitment sets were not produced regularly, but as needed and in varying quantities. Only in 1831 were annual recruitments introduced, which were divided into regular: 5-7 people per 1,000 souls, reinforced - from 7 to 10 and emergency - over 10 people. In 1874, after the start of the military reform of Alexander II, conscription was replaced by universal military service, and the word “recruit” was replaced by the word “recruit”. In the USSR and modern Russia, the term “conscript” is applied to persons subject to service and called up for service.

The military reform developed by Minister of War D. A. Milyutin and carried out on January 1, 1874 by Alexander II was approved by the manifesto on universal conscription and the Charter on conscription. It marked the transition from the principle of conscription in the army to all-class military service. It is worth noting that reforms in the army began to be implemented from the late 1850s, that is, immediately after the Crimean War, and were carried out in several stages. Their main goal was to reduce the army in peacetime and at the same time make it possible to deploy it in time of war. The main content of the military reform of Alexander II was as follows:

1. Reducing the size of the army by 40%;

2. Creation of a network of military and cadet schools, where representatives of all classes were accepted;

3. Improvement of the military administration system, the introduction of military districts (1864), the creation of the General Staff;

4. Creation of public and adversarial military courts, military prosecutor's office;

5. Abolition of corporal punishment (with the exception of canings for those specially “fined”) in the army;

6. Re-equipment of the army and navy (adoption of rifled steel guns, new rifles, etc.), reconstruction of state-owned military factories;

The introduction of universal conscription in 1874 instead of conscription and a reduction in terms of service.

According to the new law, all young people who have reached the age of 21 are conscripted, but the government determines the required number of recruits every year, and by lot takes only this number from the conscripts, although usually no more than 20-25% of conscripts were called up for service. The only son of his parents, the only breadwinner in the family, and also if the conscript's older brother is serving or has served in service were not subject to conscription. Those recruited for service are listed in it: in the ground forces 15 years in service and 9 years in reserve, in the navy - 7 years of active service and 3 years in reserve. For those who have completed primary education, the period of active service is reduced to 4 years, for those who have graduated from a city school - to 3 years, a gymnasium - to one and a half years, and for those who have had a higher education - to six months.

Military reforms related to the reorganization of the army and the transformation of the military department lasted for several years. The urgent need for them arose after the failure of Most of the transformations were carried out under the leadership of D. In an effort to reduce cash costs, he reduced the service life to fifteen years. Moreover, after serving for seven years, each soldier could go on leave, as a result of which the army was significantly reduced in peacetime. Company schools began to systematically teach soldiers to read and write, and beatings and physical punishment were abolished.

In 1864, local military administration was reformed. From then on, the territory of the state was divided into several military districts. This led to the fact that the department became closer to its troops, and therefore could mobilize them much faster if necessary. The army has become much more stable. Since 1865, the General Staff, the central body, began to control the troops. Cadet corps, which previously trained officers, were transformed into military gymnasiums; military schools were opened to train future officers. The created cadet schools allowed young people who did not have noble origins to eventually enter the officer corps. The new system required the Academy of the General Staff to create a new

Now they began to devote more time to combat training. The infantry and cavalry were equipped with Berdan rifles, the corps were abolished, and the troops were divided into local and field. For the first time, artillery received new guns, rifled ones, which were loaded from the breech. The whole complex of these measures led to the need to create a different military service.

The military reform of 1874 consisted of the approval by Alexander II of the Charter on military service. According to the new decree, all men aged 21 and up to 40 years inclusive were required to perform military service. They served in the army for six years and were in the reserve for another nine years, and in the navy for seven years and three years in the reserve. Then all those liable for military service were enlisted in the state militia (those who were exempt from conscription were also enrolled there). The actual length of active service in the army also depended on the level of education, which was not a privilege of all classes. The military reform of 1874 served to significantly increase literacy among men, since only illiterate men who were taught reading, writing and mathematics in the army served full terms. For those with a higher education, service was reduced to four years; former high school students served for one and a half years, and those with higher education - only six months.

On the one hand, the military reform of 1874, like no other reform of Alexander II, concerned the entire society, all classes. On the other hand, it most expressed the principle of social inequality. The fact is that all kinds of exemptions and benefits directly depended on the conscript’s class and his material well-being. Some peoples of Central Asia, the Far East, and the Caucasus were exempt from service for national and religious reasons.

The military reform of 1874 was not approved by part of the generals, led by Field Marshal A.I. Baryatinsky. He and his like-minded people reproached Milyutin for the fact that the army was mired in bureaucracy, and the command staff was very weakened. However, participation in the Russian-Turkish war showed that the army was combat-ready, and the officers and soldiers were well trained.

The military reform of 1874 was unable to change the class character of the officer corps, and did not pursue this goal, but it made the army modern. Among the shortcomings of the transformations, one can note the fact that little attention was paid to the commissariat unit, which nevertheless made itself felt during the war between Russia and the Turks.