The expanses of our country, its we alth has invariably attracted many conquerors who sought to wipe Russia as a state from the face of the earth. From the beginning of the existence of ancient settlements to the present day, the threat of invasion of our territory is constantly present. But the Russian land has defenders, the history of the armed forces of our country begins with epic heroes and princely squads. The Russian Imperial Army, the Red Army of the USSR, the modern armed forces of the Russian Federation support and strengthen the glory of domestic weapons.
History
The formation of the regular armed forces of Russia begins under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, their basis was the existing archery units and parts of the city squads. The troops of foreign Western European powers were taken as a model. The "new army" was formed on the basis of recruitment, service lifewas for life. 18 orders controlled the recruitment, training, and provision of ground military units. Irregular (volunteer) cavalry formations were not included in the official number, they were made up of Cossacks, Caucasians, Siberians and peoples of Central Asia. The process of reforming the troops at the end of the 17th century was started by Peter I. It was from this moment that the Russian imperial army traces its history. After the rebellion of 1698, the streltsy regiments were disbanded, the number of orders was reduced to three, and urgent mobilization was carried out. According to its results, the Russian army received 25 infantry and 2 dragoon (cavalry) regiments, the structure of units and their management changed significantly. A “Military Charter” was created, according to which recruits were trained, the Preobrazhensky and Semenov formations served as a model.
Structure
Peter I paid great attention to the clear division of troops into infantry, artillery, cavalry and fleet. This structure made it possible to bring all types of weapons to a single standard, to streamline the supply through the creation of manufactories that fulfilled government orders. The Russian imperial army increased due to the fleet created at the initial stage by foreign engineers. By 1722, the ground forces numbered 200 thousand soldiers and officers, the fleet was equipped with 500 ships (rowing and sailing). All weapons were standardized in the European manner, horse artillery was created, and the first educational institutions for training military personnel were opened. Created by Peter Table ofranks”divided all types of ground forces by type, highlighting the fleet as a separate unit. At the present stage, this division is used in a modernized version, in accordance with the requirements of today. Further reform of the army was carried out by the great commander A. V. Suvorov at the end of the 18th century, more serious changes in the structure and management are associated with the name of Emperor Alexander II.
Composition
More than 75% of the armed forces were infantry regiments formed on a recruit basis (service life was reduced from life to 25 years), about 20 -25% - cavalry. The peoples of Transcaucasia, Siberia, and Central Asia were exempted from compulsory military service, but paid taxes to the state treasury. Often, these regions, following the example of the Cossacks, created volunteer cavalry regiments that were not included in official statistics, but took an active part in military operations. The officers of the Russian imperial army had an obligatory noble origin until 1762, when the "Manifesto of Liberty" was adopted. Under Peter I, most military commanders were recruited from among foreigners, this was due to the lack of trained domestic personnel. In the future, their recruitment for the service was limited in accordance with the requirements personally developed by Peter I.
Uniforms
Foreign forces created by Peter I were equipped according to the traditions existing in Europe at that time with weapons and Prussian-style uniforms. Thus were equipped the armies of Prussia,UK, Russia, Austria. Traditional gaiters, cocked hats, wigs with pigtails made it difficult to quickly gather troops and quickly respond to a threat in battle. The British were the first to change the shape of the uniform, who faced a different climate during military operations on the territory of future colonies. The form of the Russian imperial army changed dramatically in the second half of the 18th century. Outfit becomes more practical and simple. For the huge number of types of military formations that existed at that time, 86 sketches were developed. The Russian imperial army wore uniforms, the creation of which was directly related to the president of the military college, Count G. A. Potemkin. For all its simplicity, the form was overloaded with decorative elements: lapels were stitched with colored fabrics, gilded weaving, complex-shaped stripes, helmets intended for parades, but unsuitable for everyday wear and combat conditions. The uniform reform did not affect all types of troops, some guards regiments wore Prussian-style uniforms until the beginning of the 19th century. In the future, the form was improved many times, but at the same time, the main principle of the reform was comfortable wearing in peacetime and during hostilities.
Shoulder straps
Legends have overgrown not only the history of many army formations, but also elements of uniforms. Shoulder strap belongs to this category, although its use is quite prosaic and has a clear practical purpose. For the first time this element of the uniform is used in timesPeter I. The epaulette is attached to the seam of the sleeve and has a clamping valve. Its main function is to fasten the bag, which stores the things necessary for the soldier and ammunition. Artillerymen, officers, cavalrymen of that time did not wear shoulder straps, there was no need for it. Alexander I, in the process of reforming the army, made an attempt to use shoulder straps as a distinctive sign between officers and privates. During this period, they become not only a distinction, but also a decorative element of the form, which was decorated with rich sewing and weaving. Shoulder straps of the Russian imperial army in the 19th century become an identification mark. By their color, applied monograms, it was possible to determine the type of troops, regiment and rank of each serviceman. Mass mobilization during the First World War complicated this process, the number of units increased, respectively, the number of numbers and letters on shoulder straps increased, which often led to confusion. The remnants of the imperial army, who fought after 1917 as the White Guards, wore an optional uniform, epaulets were used as decoration of the uniform and rarely corresponded to the system adopted in the Russian Empire.
Military units
In the time of Peter the Great, the regiments of the Russian imperial army bore the name of their commander. The first exception was the Semenov and Preobrazhensky formations, which received their name from the settlement of the formation. In the future, army units were named after Russian cities, while the regiment was not formed and did not evenwas based at the point whose name it bears. Part of the units bore the names of "chiefs", as a rule, members of the royal family acted in this capacity. Such regiments had distinctive features in uniforms, their uniforms were decorated with special insignia. During the period of reforming the imperial army, Alexander introduced a simplified system for designating military units. Their names corresponded to the place of formation with the assignment of a serial number. In the future, awards and titles received for successful operations became part of the regiment's name.
Numbers
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian imperial army was the largest in Europe. The General Staff was the main administrative body. Recruitment service was abolished in 1874, it was replaced by a system of all-class military service. All males from the age of 21 were called up for service, the terms of service for the ground forces were 6 years, in the navy - 7. After completing compulsory training, the military personnel went into reserve for a period of 9 to 3 years. In the case of general mobilization, the reservists became the first to be called up to the active troops. As a percentage of the population, the Russian army could mobilize 2.5% in wartime. In absolute terms, this is about 3 million soldiers and officers. With the development of technology, the army is replenished with imperial aviation, tank, automobile and railway troops.
Glory to Russian arms
Military successes and defeats accompanied any commander. In this regard, the Russian imperial army is legendary troops, the names of Suvorov A. V., Kutuzov M. I., Ushakov F. F., Nakhimov P. S., Davydov D. V. are synonymous with heroism and courage. The great commanders left their name in world history and consolidated the glory of Russian weapons. After the disbandment of the imperial army in 1918, the history of its creation, existence, victories and defeats was interpreted in a truncated form. But it contains the invaluable experience of many generations, which must be taken into account by modern military officers and commanders in chief.
