The structure of the state is changing, political system, government policy, but the task of protecting the Fatherland always remains paramount, therefore Armed forces must meet their purpose - protecting the country from external aggression.

The development and formation of the Russian Armed Forces, their purpose are inextricably linked with the development Russian state, its social system, economy and policies pursued in the interests of protecting the state from external aggression.

Throughout the history of the Russian state, Russian people constantly had to wage an armed struggle, defending their lands from foreign invaders.

Therefore, the state was constantly ready for war, and its entire structure met these requirements. All social groups and the classes were divided into those who fought the enemies, and those who supported the fighters financially or spiritually.

The regular Russian army was created under Peter I in the period from 1701 to 1711. The impetus for accelerating its creation was the defeat of Russian troops in 1700 near Narva from the Swedish army. Streltsy regiments and noble cavalry showed their complete helplessness in the battle of Narva.

With the creation of the army, Peter the Great introduced new system recruiting troops. It began to be carried out on the principle of recruitment, when 10-20 peasant households, by lot, supplied one person for lifelong military service. The introduction of conscription allowed Peter I to increase the number of troops. Since 1705, the entire Russian army was recruited. The officer corps of the Russian army consisted of nobles, for them civil service was mandatory and lifelong. To receive an officer rank, a nobleman had to serve as a soldier in the Preobrazhensky or Semyonovsky Guards Regiment.

In total, 47 infantry and 5 grenadier (selected infantry) regiments, 33 cavalry regiments, which included artillery, were created.

The Governing Senate and the Military Collegium subordinate to it (the prototype of the Ministry of Defense) began to be in charge of all matters relating to the army. During this period, a navy was created in the Baltic Sea. Constant training of regiments for combat tactics is being introduced. The creation of a regular army and the organization of its combat training increased the combat power of the Russian army. All this determined Russia's victory in Northern War (1700-1721).

The improvement of the Russian armed forces continued under the reign of Catherine II. At this time, the Military Collegium ceased to depend on the Senate and gradually turned into War Department. Ground Army consisted of 4 guards, 59 infantry regiments and 7 ranger corps 1.

The talented commander of Catherine's times, Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev, formulated a new tactics for conducting military operations. He divided the infantry into small squares of 2, 2-3 thousand people. The infantry was followed by the cavalry. Artillery was placed in front, on the flanks or in reserve. This made it possible to quickly rebuild troops in accordance with the situation in battle.

The military reforms of Peter I, the organization and management of the armed forces during the time of Catherine II brought Russian troops many victories in individual battles and entire campaigns (Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774, 1787-1791).

The next major military reform of the Russian armed forces was carried out after the defeat in the Crimean War (1853-1856), which revealed Russia's military backwardness from European states.

Military reforms were carried out under the leadership of Minister of War Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who was appointed to this post in 1861. He saw the main task of military reforms in peacetime the size of the army was minimal, and in wartime - maximum due to trained reserves.

In 1874, a new Charter on military service was approved. Recruitment into the army was abolished and universal conscription was introduced, which extended to the male population of all classes and estates who had reached the age of 21.

The total service life was set at 1 5 years: 6 years were spent on active military service, and 9 years were spent in the reserves.

Particular attention was paid to improving the professional training of officers. Literacy among soldiers was recognized as essential, and teaching them to read and write became mandatory. The network of special military educational institutions is expanding.

An important part of the reforms in the army was its rearmament. In 1891, a repeating rifled five-shot Mosin rifle of 7.62 mm caliber was adopted for infantry service in 1891. Steel guns with a rifled barrel, which had a greater firing range, began to enter service with the artillery.

In the second half of the 19th century. In Russia, a transition was made from a sailing to a steam armored fleet. By the end of the century, Russia had 107 combat steam ships. Russian-Turkish War 1877-1878 became a serious test of the effectiveness of the ongoing reforms. A few years after the war, Milyutin himself recalled: “My most notorious enemies had to admit that never before had the Russian army entered the theater of war so well prepared and equipped.”

After the defeat in Russo-Japanese War(1904-1905) the government of Nicholas II took measures to revive the combat capability of the armed forces. This was forced by the difficult international situation. The First was approaching world war, which broke out in July 1914. It became another heroic and at the same time tragic page for the history of Russia and its armed forces.

The October Revolution of 1917 destroyed the existing state structure of Russia and eliminated the armed forces.

In the first months of Soviet power, its military support was the Red Guard - armed detachments of workers. The Red Guard was created on a voluntary basis in March 1917 under the leadership of the Bolsheviks; by the beginning of 1918 there were 460 thousand people in it.

The small, poorly trained Red Guard could not resist the invasion German troops. The threat of invasion forced the Soviet government to begin recruiting standing army. On January 15, 1918, a decree was adopted on the creation of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), and on January 29, 1918, on the organization of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet. The army and navy were created on a voluntary basis.

The main core of the new armed forces was the Red Army. The main branch of the army was the infantry. Cavalry was the main mobile branch of the army. The republic's naval forces included Baltic Fleet and 30 different flotillas.

The experience of the Russian army was used in the construction of new armed forces. After a series of reorganizations, unity of command and compulsory military service were restored.

The international situation required the constant strengthening and improvement of the armed forces. World War II was approaching. Under these conditions, the Soviet government took measures to strengthen the country's defense capability. The size of the armed forces increased steadily.

Efforts were made to technically re-equip the armed forces. New types of military equipment and weapons were being developed. The organizational and staffing structure of the armed forces was improved. In 1937, the Navy was separated from the Red Army.

Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945 was the greatest test of the ability of the USSR Armed Forces to defend the country's independence. During this period, the domestic military school put forward a number of talented military leaders (G.K. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky, N.F. Vatutin, A.M. Vasilevsky, I.S. Konev, A.I. Eremenko, I.Kh. Bagramyan, I. N. Voronov, L. A. Govorov, A. G. Golovko, N. G. Kuznetsov, R. Ya. Malinovsky, K. A. Meretskov, A. A. Novikov, I. E. Petrov , F. I. Tolbukhin, V. F. Tributs, I. D. Chernyakhovsky). Our generals and naval commanders skillfully carried out military operations that led to the defeat of a persistent and well-armed enemy.

On May 8, 1945, in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst, the Act of unconditional surrender armed forces of Nazi Germany. The victory in the Great Patriotic War once again showed the inexhaustible capabilities of the Soviet people and their Armed Forces in defending their Fatherland.

After the war, the improvement and strengthening of the Armed Forces continued in accordance with the forecast of the international situation and the policies pursued by the Soviet government.

In 1960, a new branch of the USSR Armed Forces was created - Rocket Forces strategic purpose.

The Armed Forces of the USSR included the following branches: Strategic Missile Forces (RVSN), Ground forces(SV), Troops air defense(air defense), Air Force(Air Force), Navy (Navy). The Armed Forces included the Rear Services of the Armed Forces, headquarters and Civil Defense Troops.

The highest leadership of the country's defense and the Armed Forces of the USSR was carried out by the CPSU Central Committee and higher authorities state power(Supreme Council of the USSR and Council of Ministers of the USSR). The direct leadership of the USSR Armed Forces was carried out by the USSR Ministry of Defense.

After the breakup Soviet Union The Russian Federation became the main successor to the Armed Forces of the USSR, the Armed Forces were created Russian Federation.

Front commanders final stage Great Patriotic War(from left to right): I. S. Konev, F. I. Tolbukhin, A. I. Vasilevsky, R. Ya. Malinovsky, G. K. Zhukov, L. A. Govorov, K. K. Rokossovsky, A. I Eremenko, K. A. Meretskov, I. Kh. Bagramyan

1 Jaegers - a type of light infantry and light cavalry, formed from the best shooters who operated in loose formation.

2 Square - infantry combat formation in the form of one or more squares.

Conclusions

1. The Armed Forces have been and remain the defenders of our Fatherland for centuries.
2. Regular Russian army at the beginning of the 18th century. created by Tsar Peter the Great.
3. The work of building the armed forces of Russia was successfully continued by Empress Catherine the Great (in the second half of the 18th century) and Minister of War D. A. Milyutin (in the 19th century).
4. New armed forces were created in the USSR, which successfully resisted Hitler's aggression in 1941-1945.

Questions

1. How did the organization of the armed forces of the Moscow state change during the 16th-18th centuries?
2. Why did Peter I fail to defeat the Swedish army at the Battle of Narva, although Russian troops had a numerical superiority? Justify your answer.
3. What major transformations were carried out in the construction of the Russian armed forces after the defeat in the Crimean War (1853-1856)?
4. What structure did the USSR Armed Forces have after the Great Patriotic War?

Quests

1. Prepare a report on one of the outstanding commanders(or naval commanders) of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
2. Using historical literature and the “Additional materials” section, prepare a message on the topic “Streltsy - the basis of the Russian army in the 17th century.”
3. Using historical literature and the Internet, prepare a message on the topic “The reasons for Russia’s defeat in the Russo-Japanese War.”
4. Using a history textbook, give examples of successful military operations Soviet army during the Great Patriotic War.

Introduction

At all times of the Russian state, military service has been a matter of honor for every citizen, and faithful service to one’s Fatherland is the highest meaning of a warrior’s life and service.

Loyalty to duty and oath, dedication, honor, decency, self-discipline - these are the traditions of the Russian military. They were rightfully treasured by our fathers and grandfathers, who walked the fiery roads of the Great Patriotic War. But recently, the desire to serve in the armed forces of the Russian Federation has decreased somewhat. It is difficult to say what this is connected with. In order to find out the reason for the current situation, it is advisable to consider the history of the formation of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

From the above, the relevance of the following research topic follows: “The history of the creation of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.”

The purpose of the work is to study the history of the creation of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:

Consider the history of the formation of the Russian army under the reign of Peter I;

Explore the features of the development of the armed forces during the Soviet Union;

Study the current stage of development of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

The methodological basis of the study is the works of the following authors: V.O. Klyuchevsky, T.N. Nerovnya, T.M. Timoshina and others.

The history of the formation of the Russian army under Peter I

The period of the Russian army under the reign of Peter I deserves special attention, because at this moment the navy of the Russian Empire was created.

The beginning of the reform of the armed forces dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Even then, the first reiter and soldier regiments of the new system were created from datochny and “willing” people (i.e. volunteers). But there were still relatively few of them, and the basis of the armed forces was still made up of noble cavalry militia and streltsy regiments. Although the archers wore uniform uniforms and weapons, the monetary salary they received was insignificant. Basically, they served for the benefits provided to them for trade and crafts, and therefore were tied to permanent places of residence. The Streltsy regiments, neither in their social composition nor in their organization, could provide a reliable support for the noble government. They also could not seriously resist the regular troops of Western countries, and, consequently, they were not a sufficiently reliable tool for solving foreign policy problems.

Therefore, Peter 1, having come to power in 1689, was faced with the need to carry out radical military reform and form a massive regular army.

The core of the military reform were two guards (formerly “amusing”) regiments: Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky. These regiments, staffed mainly by young nobles, simultaneously became a school for officers for the new army. Initially, the emphasis was placed on inviting foreign officers to serve in Russia. However, the behavior of foreigners in the battle of Narva in 1700, when they, led by commander-in-chief von Krui, went over to the side of the Swedes, forced them to abandon this practice. Officer positions began to be filled primarily by Russian nobles. In addition to training officers from soldiers and sergeants of the guards regiments, personnel were also trained in the bombardier school (1698), artillery schools (1701 and 1712), navigation classes (1698) and engineering schools (1709) and Maritime Academy(1715). It was also practiced to send young nobles to study abroad. The rank and file was initially made up of “hunters” (volunteers) and datochny people (serfs who were taken from the landowners). By 1705, the procedure for recruiting recruits was finally established. They were recruited one from every 20 peasant and township households every 5 years or every year - one from 100 households. Thus, a new duty was established - conscription for the peasantry and townspeople. Although the upper classes of the settlement - merchants, factory owners, factory owners, as well as the children of the clergy - were exempt from conscription. After introduction poll tax and the census of the male population of the tax-paying classes in 1723, the recruitment procedure was changed. Recruits began to be recruited not from the number of households, but from the number of male tax-paying souls. The armed forces were divided into a field army, which consisted of 52 infantry (including 5 grenadier) and 33 cavalry regiments, and garrison troops. The infantry and cavalry regiments included artillery. Klyuchevsky V.O. History of Russia. - M.: Education, 2003. - p. 23

The regular army was maintained entirely at the expense of the state, was dressed in a uniform government uniform, armed with standard government weapons (before Peter 1, the militia nobles had weapons and horses, and the archers also had their own). The artillery guns were of the same standard caliber, which greatly facilitated the supply of ammunition. After all, earlier, in the XVI - XVII centuries, the cannons were cast individually by cannon makers, who serviced them. The army was trained according to uniform Military regulations and instructions. The total number of the field army by 1725 was 130 thousand people; the garrison troops, called upon to ensure order within the country, numbered 68 thousand people. In addition, to protect the southern borders, a land militia was formed consisting of several irregular cavalry regiments with a total number of 30 thousand people. Finally, there were also irregular Cossack Ukrainian and Don regiments and national formations(Bashkir and Tatar) with a total number of 105-107 thousand people.

The military command system has changed radically. Instead of numerous orders, between which the military administration had previously been fragmented, Peter 1 established a military board and an admiralty board to lead the army and navy. Thus, military control was strictly centralized. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. under Empress Catherine II, a Military Council was created, which carried out general guidance war. In 1763, the General Staff was formed as a planning body for military operations. Direct control of troops in peacetime was carried out by division commanders. In the second half of the 18th century. the Russian army had 8 divisions and 2 border districts. Total number of troops by end of the XVIII V. increased to half a million people and they were fully provided with weapons, equipment and ammunition at the expense of domestic industry (it produced 25-30 thousand guns and several hundred artillery pieces per month).

In the second half of the 18th century. the army switched to barracks housing, i.e. barracks began to be built on a massive scale, into which troops settled. After all, at the beginning of this century, only the guards regiments had barracks, and the bulk of the troops were located in the houses of ordinary people. Constant conscription was one of the most difficult for the tax-paying classes. The army, which was recruited through conscription, reflected the social structure of society. Soldiers, emerging from serfdom from the landowner, became serfs of the state, obligated to lifelong service, later reduced to 25 years. The officer corps was noble. Although the Russian army was feudal in nature, it was still national army, which was sharply different from the armies of a number of Western states (Prussia, France, Austria), where the armies were staffed by mercenaries interested only in receiving payment and robbery. Before this battle, Peter 1 told his soldiers that they were fighting “not for Peter, but for the Fatherland, handed to Peter” Klyuchevsky V.O. History of Russia. - M.: Education, 2003. - p. 46.

In conclusion, we can say that only under the reign of Peter I the army became constant unit a state capable of protecting the interests of the fatherland.

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

“In the whole world we have only two faithful allies - our army and navy” (Russian Emperor Alexander III)

XIV-XVII centuries

• 1382, August 23 - during the siege of Moscow by the Tatars, its defenders led by Lithuanian prince Osteem (? - August 26, 1382) - one of the princes of the Gedimin dynasty) used cannons for the first time. The birth of Russian artillery
  
• 1475 - the first mention in the chronicles of the Cannon Hut (Cannon Yard) - the first Russian center of cannon-foundry and bell production
• 1550 - on the initiative of Ivan the Terrible, the first regular military unit Russian army - infantry Streltsy army

From the already existing scattered and poorly organized detachments of “official” and “staff” squeakers, 3,000 people were “selected” and brought into 6 detachments of 500 riflemen each. Ivan gave them a salary of 4 rubles a year, allocated a special settlement within Moscow - Vorobyova, and demanded that the archers and their leading people regularly learn the art of handling matchlocks. The corps was divided into Moscow archers, who served in Moscow itself, and policemen, who garrisoned cities and some large monasteries. By the beginning of the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov (around 1613), the number of archers from the original 3 thousand to 20 thousand

• 1552 - the first baptism of fire of the archers in the campaign of Ivan IV against the Kazan Tatars
• 1609, August - on the initiative of Prince M.V. Skopin-Shuisky, a regiment of 18,000 people was created in Novgorod according to Western European models. After the death of the prince in 1610, the regiment was disbanded
• 1620, September 26 - artillery engineer (according to other sources - clerk of the Ambassadorial Prikaz) A. Mikhailov-Radishevsky completed work on revising the military treatise German baron Leonhard Fronsperger " War book"in the Russian military charter "Charter of military, cannon and other matters related to military science." The “Charter” included about 660 articles. 500 were devoted to artillery, the rest were devoted to the positions, rights and responsibilities of commanders, the rules of siege and defense of fortresses, the disposition of troops in a fortified camp and in order of battle, the basics of troop control on the march and in battle
• 1630-1632 - during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich, an attempt to organize troops in Rus' according to Western European models

Since 1630, 5,000 recruited infantrymen were sent from Sweden to Russia, and English, Dutch and German fortification engineers were invited. By order of King Gustav II Adolf, the Dutch cannon master Julis Koet was sent to Moscow. who knew the methods of casting light field guns, the Swede Andreas Winnius, who founded the first weapons factories near Tula to prepare the Russian army for Poland - a Scottish mercenary in the Swedish service, Alexander Leslie; 10 regiments of the new system were formed with a total number of up to 17,000 people. each consisted of 1,600 privates and 176 initial men. The regiments were divided into eight companies led by a colonel, a lieutenant colonel, a major and five captains. Each company had 120 musketeers and 80 pikemen. Soldier regiments bore the names of their commanders, they had their own banners, drums and cannons.
After the unsuccessful Russian-Polish War of 1632-1634, the regiments were disbanded

• 1632-1652 - the Dutch Vinnius, Akema and Marcelius founded arms factories near Tula, for which they recruited foundries, hammerers, gunsmiths and other specialists from abroad in the amount of up to 600 people
• 1634, January 17 - the first company of light cavalry - hussars - was staffed by immigrants from Poland

• 1638-1662 - another attempt to organize the Russian army according to European models. In the Russian-Polish war of 1654-1667, new formations played main role
• 1647 - during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, a new charter “Teaching and cunning of the military structure of infantry people” was published, whose primary source was the work of Johann Jacobi von Wallhausen “Kriegskunst zu Fuss” with the rules of the then advanced Dutch military school
• 1652 - during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich - a decree expanding the circle of persons subject to conscription for military service
• 1681, November 24 - the royal decree of Alexei Mikhailovich to the boyar prince V.V. Golitsyn “with his comrades” to “take charge of military affairs for the better organization and management of his sovereign armies.” The project of a military structure with the division of regiments not into hundreds, but into companies led by captains and lieutenants (60 people in a company and 6 companies in a regiment), the boyars reported this project to the sovereign, who approved it
• 1683, June 5 - Peter the Great established the future Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment in the village of Semenovskoye near Moscow under the name of the “amusing” army. In the same year, by the will of Peter, the future Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment was created from among the peers of the “children of the boyars” in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow for “amusing military fun”.
  
• 1698 - Peter the Great's associate Adam Weide presented him with the "Military Regulations", which became the basis for the military regulations of Peter the Great
• 1699, November 18 - decree of Peter the Great on “On the admission of all free people to the Great Sovereign Service as soldiers” and the first recruitment, that is, Peter at the first stage of the formation of his army assumed, along with voluntariness, coercion.
  The norm of one recruit from 25 households was established for monasteries; nobles in the civil service supplied recruits from 30 households, and those serving in the army from 50. As a result, 29 infantry regiments and two dragoon regiments with a total strength of 32,000 people were formed. The cavalry, as before, consisted of noble militia.
• 1700 - appearance of shoulder straps on military clothing. Then it was called a “garus cord”

XVIII century

• 1701, January 25 - by decree, the School of Mathematical and Navigational Sciences (Pushkarsky Prikaz School) was created - the first artillery, engineering and naval school in Russia,
• 1705, January 20 - second recruitment. Peter’s decree “on the recruitment of recruits from 20 households per person” applied to all categories of the tax-paying population and took young men 15–20 years old into the army for life, for a period “as long as strength and health allow.” Only married people were exempt from recruitment.
• 1712, January 16 - Peter the Great founded the first Russian Military Engineering School.
• 1716, March 30 - Peter the Great approved a new military charter: the military criminal code, preparation for the march, ranks and positions of regimental ranks, etc.
• 1720, January 1 - the so-called Military College began to operate, replacing the corresponding “orders”. Prince A.D. Menshikov became the first president of the military college
• 1720, April 24 - The St. Petersburg printing house published the Maritime Charter, which became law on January 24
• 1722, January 13 - A “table of ranks” was published, establishing a hierarchy in both the civil department and the military
• 1722 - founding of the Izhora plant, one of the main defense enterprises in Russia
• 1731, June 29 - Decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna on the creation of the Land Noble Cadet Corps - a military educational institution, which was the initial step in the training of officers. Under Alexander I, cadet corps appeared in Shklov, Omsk, Orenburg, Helsingfors, and Nizhny Novgorod.
• 1732 — Changes were made to the recruitment system: one recruit per 350 peasants with the possibility of redemption
• 1757 — Recruitment extended to Little Russian provinces
• 1758, January - a decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna appeared, regulating the rules for state procurement of food for the army and the conditions for its distribution through regimental and garrison stores. The code dealt with supplying the army mainly with bread and fodder
• 1762, February 18 - in the “Manifesto on the Granting of Liberty and Freedom Russian nobility» Emperor Peter the Third exempted nobles from compulsory military (and civil) service
• 1763, January 25 - by decree, the General Staff, which previously had the appearance of only a meeting of the highest military ranks, became the permanent and supreme governing body of the army
• 1763, April 24 - epaulettes for officers and soldiers were introduced into the army; were abolished by Paul the First
• 1785, May 2 - In the “Charter of Complaint” to the nobility, Catherine the Great confirmed the optionality of military service for nobles
• 1786 - the Main Medical School was formed from several medical schools at hospitals (Admiralty hospitals in St. Petersburg and Kronstadt, the Land Hospital, a hospital in Moscow), which trained doctors for the army and navy.
• 1792 - the first legislative collection “Provision Regulations composed for the Commission of the General-Praviantmeister-Lieutenant of the General War of 1758 established at the Observation Corps” was published; the collection was published twice more - in 1797 and 1798
• 1796, November 8 - Paul the First, who ascended the throne, forbade nobles assigned to the guard to evade service
• 1796, November - new military regulations were published, drawn up according to the Prussian model: “On field and infantry service”, “On field cavalry service” and “Rules on cavalry service”. The regulations also established the criminal liability of officers for the life and health of soldiers
• 1797-1800 -
• 1798 - The army was reduced by more than 45 thousand people, all non-noble officers were dismissed, it was forbidden to promote non-commissioned officers of non-nobles to officers
• 1798, December 29 - Decree of Paul the First “on ... the establishment of a special building at the main hospitals for a medical school and training theaters” - the future Military Medical Academy

19th century

• 1802, September 8 - decree of the new Emperor Alexander I on replacing the Collegiums with ministries, including the military. The full military board was included in its composition. Count Sergei Kuzmich Vyazmitinov, who served in office for 6 years, was appointed the first Minister of War
• 1804 - an engineering school for the training of engineering non-commissioned officers was created on the basis of the school of the Pushkar order, which after 6 years was transformed into Engineering school, first Higher Engineering educational institution Russia
• 1807, February 20 - by decree, the mining chief of the Goroblagodat, Perm, Kama and Bogoslovsky factories, Andrei Fedorovich Deryabin, received permission to begin construction of an arms factory near the Kama River - the future Izhevsk Arms Factory (now PJSC Izhevsk Mechanical Plant)
• 1807, September 17 - epaulettes began to be introduced into the army, but only for officers. The process continued until 1808, the epaulettes were abolished in 1917
• 1810 - on the basis of the reserve battalion of the Yelets musketeer regiment in the Mogilev province, the first military settlement- an economic-military organization in which soldiers combined military activities with rural labor

The first experiment seemed successful to the authorities, but its spread was prevented by the war with Napoleon, so military settlements began to be organized en masse in 1816. By 1825, military settlements were created in St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Mogilev, Slobodsko-Ukrainian, Kherson, and Yekaterinoslav provinces. The settlements made up between a third and a quarter of the entire army. The settlers were made up of married soldiers who had served for at least 6 years and local peasants. All of them were called villagers-owners. The remaining local residents, who were not included in the army, but fit for service, were enrolled as assistants to the masters and were included in reserve military units. Children of military settlers from the age of seven were enrolled as cantonists, and from the age of 18 they were transferred to military units. From the age of 45, the settlers retired, but served in hospitals and in the household. Each military settlement consisted of 60 communication houses, in which a company of 228 people was located. Each house accommodated four owners with an undivided household. The life of military settlements was strictly regulated, all year round peasants passed military training, agricultural work was carried out untimely, corporal punishment was common. So revolts by military settlers were not uncommon. The uprisings of 1817-1818 in the Novgorod province, the uprising of the Sloboda-Ukrainian military settlements in 1819, and the uprisings near Staraya Russa in 1831 are known. In 1857, military settlements were liquidated

• 1820, October 17 - a soldier's revolt of the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment, provoked by the rudeness of the commander Colonel Schwartz and the introduction corporal punishment. The regiment was surrounded by troops loyal to the government and sent in full force to the Peter and Paul Fortress. The instigators were driven through the ranks, the rest were exiled to distant garrisons
• 1823. May 9 - the “School of Guards Ensigns and Ensigns” was founded cavalry cadets", in 1859 renamed the Nikolaev Cavalry School
• 1832, November 26 - Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff was founded
• 1863, May 14 - the beginning of the reform of military educational institutions: cadet corps were transformed into military gymnasiums, military schools and cadet schools were created, which made it possible for non-nobles to receive officer ranks
• 1867, May 15 - the emperor approved a new Military Judicial Charter, based on the principles of classlessness, publicity and competition; judicial instances were introduced: regimental courts, military district courts and the Main Military Court. The courts were recognized as independent from administrative bodies; the positions of investigator and military prosecutor were established; the class privileges of the defendants were formally abolished; established a procedure for appealing sentences
• 1870, August 31 - Military marching telegraph parks were established, the first units of the future signal troops
• 1874, January 1 - the beginning of the military reform of the Minister of War D. Milyutin: conscription was replaced by universal conscription, service life was reduced from 25 years to 6, recruits were selected by lot
• 1890, June 13 - successful shooting at air targets(to balloons) at the Ust-Izhora training ground. The birth of Russian air defense forces

Century XX-XXI centuries

• 1912, August 12 - the Aeronautical Unit was created General Staff, which was headed by Major General M.I. Shishkevich - the birth of the Russian Air Force
  
• 1914, August 19 - an automobile machine-gun company was formed, armed with armored vehicles with machine guns and cannons. They were manufactured at the Izhora plant. The birth of armored forces
• 1914, December - the first four samples of a 76-mm anti-aircraft gun were manufactured at the Putilov plant
• 1917, November 10 - Decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the gradual transition to the demobilization of the old army"
• 1917, December 15 - after that, the All-Army Congress opened in Petrograd, which lasted until January 3, 1918. His main task there was a solution to the issue of demobilization.
• 1917, December 21 - The Congress decided on the procedure for demobilization, according to which the procedure was carried out according to seniority, starting with the senior conscription age
• 1918, January 15 - decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the creation Workers' and Peasants' Army on a voluntary basis

February 23 is the day of the Soviet Army (today is Defender of the Fatherland Day). By official version On this day in 1918, Red Guard soldiers near Pskov and Narva stopped the German advance on Petrograd. An alternative history claims that on February 23, 1918, not only were there no battles, but nothing noteworthy happened at all

• 1918, March 15 - L. D. Trotsky was appointed People's Commissar for Military Affairs
• 1918, March - Russian army officers, the so-called “military experts”, began to be recruited into the Red Army
• 1918, April 22 - by order of Trotsky, the election of commanders in the army was abolished, universal military training was introduced for men 18-40 years old, and the text of the oath composed by him was adopted

“I, the son of the working people, a citizen of the Soviet Republic, accept the title of warrior of the workers’ and peasants’ army.
In the face of the working classes of Russia and the whole world, I undertake to bear this title with honor, to conscientiously study military affairs and, like the apple of my eye, to protect national and military property from damage and theft.
I undertake, at the first call of the workers’ and peasants’ government, to come out in defense of the Soviet Republic from all dangers and attempts on the part of all its enemies, and in the fight for the Russian Soviet Republic, for the cause of socialism and brotherhood of peoples - not to spare either one’s strength or life itself...
If, out of malicious intent, I deviate from this solemn promise of mine, then may universal contempt be my lot, and may the harsh hand of revolutionary law punish me.”

• 1918, May 4 - decree of the Council of People's Commissars on the creation of military districts
• 1918, May 29 - The All-Russian Central Executive Committee decided to transition from a volunteer army to a general mobilization of workers and the poorest peasants and announced the mobilization of several ages.
• 1918, July 29 - to participate in the mobilization of former officers and military officials into the Red Army
• 1918, July - The All-Russian Congress of Soviets introduced universal military service, on the basis of which a regular mass Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was built
• 1919, February 15 - by orders of the RVS, the Charter of the internal, garrison, and field service of the Red Army was put into effect
• 1919, November 17 - formation of the 1st Cavalry Army
• 1920, November 13-20 - tests of the first Soviet tank created at the Nizhny Novgorod plant "Krasnoe Sormovo", the prototype of which was the French Renault tank (Renault FT-17) - the birth of Soviet armored forces
  
• 1924, summer - reduction of the Red Army to 562,000 people
• 1925, January 15 - Trotsky resigned as Minister of War, on January 26 he was replaced by M. Frunze, and he, in turn, was replaced by Voroshilov
• 1925, March 2 - order of the Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR M.V. Frunze “On the implementation of unity of command”, which relieved the commissar staff of the Red Army from the duties of day-to-day control over combat, administrative and economic activity commanders, retaining commissars responsibility for the moral and political state of personnel
• 1925, May 13-20 - The III Congress of Soviets approved the military reform carried out in 1924-1925, the main result of which was the introduction of a mixed system of the Red Army - a personnel army and territorial police formations
• 1925, September 17 - by order of the RVSR (Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic), the Combat Regulations of Artillery, the Combat Regulations of Cavalry, Field and Rifle Regulations, and the Regulations of Armored Forces were introduced. Then the regulations of the military branches and life of the Red Army changed more than once (1927, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1944)
• 1925, September 23 - a law on compulsory two-year military service was passed
• 1927, May 10 - the position of commissar was replaced by deputy commander for political affairs
• 1930, August 2 - parachute landing at military exercises of the Moscow Military District near Voronezh - the birth of the Airborne Forces
  
• 1935, September 21 - restoration of military ranks

After October Revolution army ranks were abolished. Commanders differed in their positions: platoon commander, company commander, battalion commander, etc. In 1924, a single rank was introduced for all military personnel - the red warrior of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, or Red Army soldier for short. Commanders were distinguished from privates first by red bows and armbands, then by triangles, squares, rectangles and diamonds. According to the new resolution, the concepts of “sergeant major”, “lieutenant”, “captain”, “major”, “colonel” were returned. The insignia was assigned a place on the buttonholes. Sergeants and foremen were given triangles. The lieutenants were given dice. Senior officers - rectangles

• 1937, May 10 - the institution of political commissars was restored
• 1937, June 11 - newspapers reported the arrest of 8 military leaders accused of treason and collaboration with Germany: Marshal M. Tukhachevsky, army commanders I. Yakir, I. Uborevich, R. Eideman, A. Kork and V. Putna

Within a few months, most of the command staff Red Army: out of 5 marshals - 3, out of 8 admirals - 8, out of 16 army commanders - 14, 9/10 corps commanders and 35 thousand officers out of 80 thousand

• 1937, August 15 - army orders must have two signatures - commanders and commissars
• 1939, February 23 - New oath of soldiers of the Red Army

“I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, joining the ranks of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, take the oath and solemnly swear to be an honest, brave, disciplined, vigilant fighter, to strictly preserve military and state secret, unquestioningly carry out all military regulations and orders of commanders, commissars and superiors.
I swear to conscientiously study military affairs, to protect military and national property in every possible way, and to be devoted to my People, my Soviet Motherland and the Workers' and Peasants' Government.
I am always ready, by order of the Workers' and Peasants' Government, to come out in defense of my Motherland - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and, as a warrior of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, I swear to defend it courageously, skillfully, with dignity and honor, not sparing my blood and life itself for achieving complete victory over enemies.
If, out of malicious intent, I violate this solemn oath of mine, then may I suffer the severe punishment of Soviet law, the general hatred and contempt of the working people.”

• 1939, September 1 - another law on universal conscription. The conscription age has been reduced to 19 years (18 years for those with secondary education). Service life increased to 3 years, in the navy - to five
• 1940, May 7 - decrees establishing the ranks of general and admiral
• 1940, August 13 - political commissars were again renamed political deputies
• 1941, July 16 - decree introducing the institution of political commissars
• 1942, October 9 - another establishment of unity of command, the ill-fated commissars were again demoted to deputy commanders for political affairs
• 1943, January 6 - By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, shoulder straps were introduced in the Red Army
• 1946, February 25 - The Red Army was renamed the Soviet Army
• 1955, March-1959, December - significant reduction of the army at the behest of N. S. Khrushchev. From 5,396,038 people to 3,623,000 people
• 1960, January 15 - another reduction, to 2,430,000 people
• 1960, August 23 - the next oath was approved

“I, a citizen of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, joining the ranks of the Armed Forces, take the oath and solemnly swear to be an honest, brave, disciplined, vigilant warrior, strictly keep military and state secrets, unquestioningly carry out all military regulations and orders of commanders and superiors.
I swear to conscientiously study military affairs, to protect military and national property in every possible way, and to be devoted to my people, my Soviet Motherland and the Soviet government until my last breath.
I am always ready, by order of the Soviet government, to defend my Motherland - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and, as a warrior of the Armed Forces, I swear to defend it courageously, skillfully, with dignity and honor, not sparing my blood and life itself to achieve complete victory over the enemies .
If I violate this solemn oath of mine, then may I suffer the severe punishment of Soviet law, the general hatred and contempt of the working people.”

• 1997, July 15 - B. Yeltsin’s decree “On military reform”
• 2006, April 15 - the holiday of February 23, renamed in 1995 from Soviet Army Day to Defender of the Fatherland Day, declared a day off
• 2007, November 10 - the charters of the internal, garrison and guard services, the disciplinary charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were put into effect
• 2015, August 1 - the Russian Military Space Forces were created