The era of Alexander II is known for its global reforms that affected all aspects of public life in Russia. Military service was no exception.
Reform Project
The reform fell on the shoulders of Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin. The count and field marshal proposed a bill that completely changed the conscription system. The reform took place in 1874. During it, the state completely abandoned the outdated and inefficient Petrine conscription system.
The abolition of conscription led to the emergence of universal military service. Now the entire male population of Russia, who had reached the age of 21, had to serve in the army. Social exclusions have disappeared. Representatives of all classes had to serve 6 years, after which they were in reserve for another 9 years in case of war.
In addition, a militia was organized. It was made up of those who had already served in the regular army. The term of stay in the militia was 40 years. The abolition of conscription has also brought about changes for members of families with few children. If the parents had one son, then he was not drafted into the army. The same rule applied to the sole breadwinners in the family if the father died and there werelittle brothers and sisters. One way or another, but the fate of the conscript in controversial situations was decided individually.
Benefits
In case of a difficult financial situation and lack of money in the family, the young man was given a two-year deferment. Those who had he alth problems could go to serve later. This was determined by the commission. There was also a system under which men who had an education could receive a shorter service life. If the conscript finished elementary school, he had to stay in the army for 4 years; city school - for 3 years; having received higher education - for a year and a half. There were benefits for those who went to serve voluntarily after graduating from the university. In this case, the service life was reduced by half.
Summoning ethnic minorities
The abolition of conscription included separate amendments regarding the conscription of the indigenous peoples of the outlying regions of the empire. The population of the Caucasus, as well as Central Asia, was not subject to military service. On the contrary, such benefits were abolished for the Siberian peoples and ethnic minorities of the northern provinces. Before the abolition of conscription, they did not serve in the army.
The inhabitants of the Caucasus (mostly Muslims) had to pay a special tax. As planned by the reformers, he compensated for their absence in the army. This amendment applied to the Kalmyks, Nogais, Chechens, Kurds, Yezidis, etc. The situation with the Ossetians was exceptional. Part of this people professed Orthodoxy,the other half is Islam. Muslim Ossetians served like Christians, but in the army they were on preferential terms. Due to such privates, the Terek Cossack army was replenished. Such was the abolition of recruitment duty. Alexander 1 at one time tried to carry out a similar reform, focusing on the interests of the population in the new lands of the empire. However, the changes only occurred under his namesake nephew.
Territorial features
For the convenience of manning the army, the territory of the Russian Empire was divided into three zones. The first was called Great Russian: in it the Russian population accounted for more than 75% of the total number of inhabitants. The second was a foreign zone where indigenous ethnic minorities lived. The third section is Little Russian. There were not only Russians, but also Ukrainians and Belarusians.
The abolition of recruitment and the transition to all-class military service were marked by a new system of recruiting regiments. Now each army detachment was made up only of recruits from a certain territorial unit, for example, a county. The exception to this rule was engineering, cavalry, as well as small guardsmen. All these changes included the abolition of recruitment. Who canceled the old system, you now know: Alexander II. He wanted to make the army more efficient. This was due to the painful defeat in the Crimean War, after which the humiliating Peace of Paris was signed.
Efficiencyreforms
The reforms showed their benefits already in 1877-1878, when the conflict with the Ottoman Empire broke out. The Bulgarians, who lived under the rule of the Turks, demanded independence and started an uprising. Russia supported them. The regiments, equipped according to the new rules, crossed the Dnieper and successfully fought the Turks. This helped the Bulgarians achieve independence.
The provinces have been waiting for generations for the abolition of conscription. The date of this event became joyful for the peasants. Now the family did not lose the breadwinner, who had to go to serve in the army for the rest of his life. On the contrary, now the soldiers were returning at a still active age. They helped their parents with housework, and later they themselves developed the economy of the hinterland. The new conscription system lasted until the First World War and the fall of the monarchy.
