From the history of the Russian army. History of the Russian army

1. Military reforms in the history of Russia.

2. Lessons from Russian military reforms.

Turning to the historical past and honoring one’s historical traditions is not just a tribute to fashion or a way of formally bowing to the memory of ancestors. Studying your own military history is of great practical importance. Over the course of a number of centuries, Russia has accumulated vast experience in military development, which is rich in both positive and negative examples.

Taking into account the historical experience of Russian military reforms is very important today when choosing the main directions of the ongoing reform of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It will help not only to most correctly determine the priorities of modern military development and avoid the most characteristic mistakes of the past, but will also be the foundation for the spiritual and moral revival of our army and navy.

1. Military reforms in the history of Russia.

It is advisable to begin the presentation of the material with an explanation of the essence of the terms “military reform” and “military transformations”.

Military reform is a significant transformation of the military system of the state carried out by decision of the highest bodies of state power, with the aim of bringing it to a qualitatively new state that corresponds to the realities of the domestic and international situation of the country.

Military reform is a complex of fundamental changes in the military-political, military-economic, military-legal, military-scientific, military-technical and military spheres themselves.

Military transformations, as a rule, affect only certain aspects of military affairs. Based on this approach, a number of military reforms are identified in Russian military history: military reform of Ivan IV (1550-1571), military reforms of Peter I (1698-1721), military reforms of D.A. Milyutin (1862-1874) .), military reforms 1905-1912, military reform in the USSR (1924-1925).

Military reform of Ivan IV (1550-1571).

Before we begin to consider the military reform of Ivan IV, which led to the formation of a standing army, let us trace the logic of the military transformations that historically preceded this reform.

In ancient times, we see the initial division of the people into military and non-military, husbands and muzhiks; Military people in relation to their leader, the prince, are called squads. This name, no matter what root it is derived from, embodies the concept of partnership, company. In the Moscow state, the concept of a squad disappears. What is it gradually being replaced by? From behind the squad, the court and its derivative, the nobleman, first appear. At first, the boyars and boyar children retain their independent primacy position relative to the nobles, the position of warriors; but then, with the rise in importance of the sovereign and his court, the title nobleman takes precedence over the title son of a boyar. With the disappearance of the concept of partnership, the concept of service to the sovereign appears in full force to the leader. And the name “service people” appears for military people, as opposed to the rest of the population.

But there was another name that denoted reward for service, the name landowner. If the title “service man” determined the attitude towards the sovereign, then the title “landowner” determined the attitude towards the land, towards the population that was supposed to support the military man. That. The change in the status of the Grand Duke, who became the sovereign and determined his attitude towards the land, became its owner, manager, led to a change in the system of recruiting troops. She became local. Legislatively, the local recruitment system was enshrined during the military reform of Ivan IV (“Code of Service” (1556)).

The transition to this recruitment system was also due to economic reasons, since as the armed forces increased, the question of how to support this armed mass arose and increasingly demanded resolution. “There was an urgent need,” noted V.O. Klyuchevsky, “for new economic means. But the Moscow unification of Northern Rus' did not provide such means, was not accompanied by a noticeable increase in the people’s well-being; trade and industry did not make significant progress. Subsistence farming continued to dominate. Successful By collecting Rus', the Muscovite sovereign acquired one new capital: these were vast expanses of land, empty or residential, inhabited by peasants. Only this capital could he put into circulation to provide for his service people.”

Militarily, the local recruitment system had a number of shortcomings, the main one of which was the unstable nature of the troops.

Here is what S.M. Solovyov writes about this: “Thus, the removal of service people destroyed the character of the ancient squad: instead of a standing army, which was the squad with a military spirit, with an awareness of military duties, with the motives of military honor, it created a class of peaceful citizens -owners who, only by chance, during the war, were already carrying out a service that was difficult for them.”

Therefore, in the middle of the sixteenth century. In Russia, a permanent Streletsky army was created, recruited through the recruitment ("device") of free ("hunting") people from free peasants and townspeople, who were not subject to taxes and other duties. Their service was lifelong, hereditary and permanent. Sagittarius carried out military service in both peace and war. They had firearms (squeaks) and bladed weapons (sabers, reeds), and uniform clothing. The archers were supported by the state, received cash and grain salaries from the treasury, lived in special settlements, had their own yard and personal plot, and could engage in gardening, crafts and trade. Organizationally, the Streltsy army consisted of orders of 500-1000 people, which were divided into hundreds, fifty and tens. The formation and management of the Streletsky army was in charge of the Streletsky Order.

At the end of the sixteenth century. The Streltsy army represented an impressive fighting force. It numbered 20-25 thousand people.

In the sixteenth century. The central bodies of military command were formed - the orders Razryadny, Local, Streletsky, Pushkarsky. The central military government institution was the Rank Order. He was in charge of service people, providing them with land and monetary salaries, and kept books on the appointment of nobles and boyars to military, civil and court positions. In wartime, the Rank Order, by order of the tsar, assembled an army, distributed service people among regiments, and appointed governors and their assistants. He was also in charge of the management of southern (“Ukrainian”) cities and the organization of the border service.

In the sixteenth century. - significant changes have occurred in the armament of the Russian army. Along with cold weapons, firearms are widely used: hand-held weapons (arquebuses, shotguns and pistols) and artillery (“attack”), which is distinguished from a type of weapon into an independent branch of the military. Artillery was divided into fortress, siege and regimental artillery. At the end of the century there were up to 5,000 different guns.

During the reform, an attempt is being made to develop a unified procedure for military service in various situations and to consolidate it in the regulations. The first military charter in Russia was developed under the leadership of governor M.I. Vorotynsky in 1571 and had the name: “Boyar verdict on stanitsa and guard service.”

The military reform, which took place under the direct control of Ivan the Terrible, produced tangible results. The Russian army became much more organized, discipline strengthened, combat skills increased, and due to the development of artillery, in terms of its firepower, it became one of the strongest armies in Europe at that time.

Thus, the armed forces of Russia in the 16th century. developed towards a regular army. In the 17th century This process continued. With the formation of the “new order” regiments, the number of marching troops increased 5-6 times and its combat effectiveness increased significantly. In the 70-80s, the government could immediately send up to 200 thousand people on a campaign. The Russian army was the largest in Europe.

At the same time, the armed forces of Russia by the end of the 18th century. also had serious drawbacks. They presented an extremely motley picture. They included regiments of the “new order”, locally - noble cavalry and rifle infantry. The manning, armament, training and supply of all these categories of troops were heterogeneous. The role and importance of the noble militia and the Streltsy army steadily declined. They fell further and further behind the demands of the time.

A significant drawback was the lack of a unified central command of the armed forces.

Despite the significant increase in the production of firearms and improvements in their quality, due to the economic backwardness of Russia, the army experienced a great shortage of guns, muskets, pistols and ammunition. We had to buy large quantities of weapons, gunpowder, lead, iron, and copper abroad.

All this indicated that the existing at the end of the 15th century. the military system could not adequately ensure the successful solution of pressing internal and foreign policy problems of the Russian state. Its radical reorganization was necessary.

Military reforms of Peter the Great (1698-1721).

According to the remark of V.O. Klyuchevsky: “Military reform was Peter’s primary transformative task, the longest and most difficult for both himself and the people. It is very important in our history; it is not just a question of state defense: reform had a profound effect both on the structure of society and on the further course of events."

The military reform of Peter I included a set of government measures to reorganize the system of army recruitment and military administration, create a regular navy, improve weapons, develop and implement a new system of training and education of military personnel. The need to carry it out stemmed from the shortcomings in the development of the armed forces that we discussed above.

During the course of Peter's military reforms, the previous military organization was abolished: the noble and streltsy army and the regiments of the “new system”. These regiments went to form the regular army and formed its core.

The construction of a regular army required a new recruitment system. Since 1699, conscription was introduced, legalized by the decree of Peter I in 1705. Its essence was that the state forcibly annually recruited a certain number of recruits into the army and navy from the tax-paying classes, peasants and townspeople. Every year from 1705 to the end of 1709. they recruited one recruit from 20 tax yards, which was supposed to give each set 30 thousand recruits. By the end of Peter's reign, all regular troops, infantry and cavalry, numbered from 196 to 212 thousand, and 110 thousand Cossacks and other irregular troops.

The successful reorganization of the army largely depended on the quality and speed of training of command personnel. The government of Peter I paid special attention to the education of the national officer corps. At first, all young nobles were required to serve as soldiers in the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments for 10 years, starting at the age of 15. Upon receiving their first officer rank, noble children were sent to army units, where they served for life. However, such a system of training officers could not fully satisfy the growing needs for new personnel, and Peter I established a number of special military schools. In 1701, an artillery school for 300 people was opened in Moscow, and in 1712 a second artillery school was opened in St. Petersburg. To train engineering personnel, two engineering schools were created (in 1708 and 1719). Peter I forbade the promotion to officers of persons who had not received appropriate training at a military school. He decisively punished those who promote his relatives, his friends, into officers from young people who do not know the basics of soldiering, because they did not serve in the lower ranks.” There were often cases when Peter I personally examined “minors” (children of the nobility). Those who failed the exam were sent to serve in the navy as privates without the right to be promoted to officer.

A unified system of military ranks was introduced, finally formalized in the Table of Ranks of 1722. The service ladder included 14 classes from field marshal and admiral general to ensign. The basis of service and rank production was based not on birth, but on personal abilities. The possibility of producing officers from lower classes was ensured. All who received the lowest military rank in the service became hereditary nobles.

The Armed Forces (AF) of the Russian Federation form the basis of the country's defense. They are intended to repel possible aggressions directed against the Russian Federation, for the armed protection of the integrity and inviolability of the territory of our country, as well as to carry out tasks in accordance with international treaties of the Russian Federation.

The concept of “armed forces,” combining the army and navy, was first introduced by F. Engels. He also wrote that the economic condition of the country has a decisive influence on the development of the armed forces: “Nothing depends more on economic conditions than the army and navy. Armament, composition, organization, tactics and strategy depend primarily on the stage of production currently achieved...”

At all stages of the existence of the Russian state, the population constantly had to wage an armed struggle aimed at protecting their land from foreign invaders. In ancient times, the armed struggle for independence was sung only on land, so the main type of armed forces were ground troops. According to domestic historians, the Moscow state in the 16th century. could have an army of 150 - 200 thousand soldiers.

The basis of the armed forces during this period was noble formations. The nobles were a military service stratum, opposed to the boyars, who until the 14th century. also actively participated in the military campaigns of the princes. For military service, the nobles received estates from the Moscow sovereigns - land holdings with peasants. Throughout their lives, nobles were obliged to perform military service; this honorable duty was passed down from generation to generation - from grandfather to father, from father to son. Over many years of service, the nobles acquired the skills of professional warriors.

In addition to the military servicemen from the nobility, a considerable part of the troops were hired servants, who received not estates, but cash salaries. Among them the most numerous were cmpepeople- infantry armed with arquebuses (matchlock guns) and berdyshes (battle axes with crescent-shaped curved blades). Subsequently, the service of the archers also became lifelong and hereditary. The first permanent streltsy units were formed under Ivan the Terrible (around 1550).

In the period 1631 -1634. appeared in the Moscow state new shelves according to the image; Western European armies. They were divided into soldier, dragoon and reitar. The officers in the regiments of the new system were foreigners who were in military service.

At the end of the XV - XVII centuries. the army was replenished by date people, which were exhibited by peasants and the guilty urban population. The datochny people, like subsequently the recruits, served for life.

Basics regular Russian army were founded under Peter I in the period from 1701 to 1711. The impetus for accelerating its creation was the defeat of poorly trained Russian troops in 1700 in the battle with the Swedish army near Narva. The noble cavalry, infantry and dragoons showed complete helplessness on the battlefield. The Russian army near Narva lost more than 8 thousand people and all its artillery.

In 1705, Peter I finally approved a new system of recruiting troops. They began to recruit into the army according to the principle recruitment, when 10-20 peasant households, by lot, nominated one person for lifelong military service. The introduction of conscription made it possible to increase the number of troops; the officer corps of the Russian army consisted of nobles, and service was also compulsory and lifelong. To receive an officer rank, a nobleman had to serve as a soldier in the Preobrazhensky or Semenovsky guards regiments.

Initially, the affairs of the army were in charge of the Preobrazhensky Order, created in 1686. Then, management began to be carried out by the Governing Senate and the Military Collegium subordinate to it (the prototype of the Ministry of Defense).

The improvement of the Russian armed forces continued during the reign of Catherine II. At this time, the Military Collegium ceased to depend on the Senate and gradually began to turn into a military ministry. As such, the Ministry of War was formed in 1802 by decree of Emperor Alexander I (it existed until 1918).

Reforms in the field of military development brought Russia many victories both in individual battles and in entire campaigns, but there were also defeats, among which the most significant was in the Crimean War (1853-1856), which revealed Russia’s military backwardness from European states. In 1860 - 1870 Military reforms were carried out in Russia under the leadership of D.A. Milyutin. Military command and control bodies underwent significant reorganization.

In 1874 a new Charter on universal military service. From that time on, army recruitment was abolished. Universal conscription extended to the male population aged 21 to 40 years.

Enrollment into the service was carried out by lot. The total service life in the ground forces was set at 15 years: 6 years of which were in active military service, and 9 years in the reserves (in the navy - 10 years, of which 7 years in service and 3 years in reserve).

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 has expanded.

An important part of the reforms in the army was its rearmament. 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. As a result of the measures taken, massive armed forces were created and their combat effectiveness increased significantly.

In 1911, pre-conscription military training was introduced. Law on conscription 1912 expanded educational benefits for military personnel; terms of service in the infantry and artillery were reduced to three years.

The October Revolution of 1917 destroyed the existing state structure of Russia and eliminated its armed forces. The government of the Soviet republic had to create an army taking into account the new social structure of the country, the international situation and material capabilities.

In the first months of Soviet power, its armed support was Red Guard(armed groups of workers). It was created on a voluntary basis in March 1917 under the leadership of the Bolsheviks and by the beginning of 1918 it numbered 460 thousand people.

The small, poorly trained Red Guard could not withstand the invasion of German troops, the threat of which (the First World War was ongoing) forced the Soviet government to begin recruiting a standing army. On January 15 (28), 1918, decrees were adopted on the creation Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army(Red Army), and on January 29 (February 11), 1918 - about the organization 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, and its main branch of service was the infantry. Cavalry was the main mobile branch of the army. The country's naval forces included the Baltic Fleet and 30 different flotillas.

Over time, the experience of the Russian army was used in the construction of the new Armed Forces. After a series of reorganizations, unity of command and compulsory military service were restored. In September 1925 it was adopted Compulsory Military Service Law, and in 1939 - Law on universal conscription. Young men who had reached the age of 19 were subject to conscription, and those who graduated from secondary school were conscripted earlier - from the age of 18. They served in the ground forces for 3 years, in the Navy - 5 years. Military ranks and military awards were introduced in the army, and strict discipline was established.

The international situation required the constant strengthening and improvement of the country's Armed Forces. The size of the USSR Armed Forces grew steadily: in 1935 - 930 thousand, in 1938 - 1.5 million and by the beginning of 1941 - 5.7 million people.

Great Patriotic War 1941 -1945 showed the ability of the USSR Armed Forces to defend the country's independence. In 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 and others, who skillfully carried out military operations that led to the defeat of armed and organized enemy.

After the war, the improvement and strengthening of the country's Armed Forces continued in accordance with the international situation and the policies pursued by the Soviet government. The period that lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s was characterized by a global geopolitical, economic and ideological confrontation between the United States and its allies, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union and its allies, on the other, which is defined as “ Cold War." The Cold War policy was proclaimed on March 5, 1946 by W. Churchill in the so-called “Fulton Speech,” which called for the fight against “world communism.” Although the United States and the USSR never entered into direct military confrontation, their rivalry often led to the outbreak of local armed conflicts around the world. To consolidate spheres of influence, the military-political blocs NATO (1949) and the Warsaw Pact Organization (1955) were created.

In the mid-1950s. a radical transformation of the Armed Forces began, equipping them with nuclear missile weapons and other modern types of weapons and military equipment. In particular, in 1960, strategic missile forces were created.

In 1967, a new Law on universal conscription. The length of service in the ground forces was reduced to two years, in the navy to three. Persons with higher education served for one year. This law was amended in 1980, 1985 and 1989.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the construction of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation began. The starting point is the corresponding Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 1992 No. 466 (RG 92-106). According to the decree, the Armed Forces included all military command bodies, all associations, formations, military units, all institutions, organizations, military educational institutions of the former USSR located on the territory of Russia, as well as groupings of troops and naval forces outside the Russian Federation located to the moment of signing this document under its jurisdiction.

The most acute problem was the division of the Black Sea Navy between Russia and Ukraine. The status of the former Black Sea Fleet of the USSR Navy was determined only in 1997 with a division into the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy and the Ukrainian Navy. The territories of naval bases in Crimea (Sevastopol) were leased by Russia from Ukraine until 2017. After the “Orange Revolution” in December 2004, the position of the Black Sea Fleet was greatly complicated by a number of conflicts, in particular accusations of illegal sublease in commercial targets and the capture of lighthouses. Almost the entire time of its existence, the Armed Forces of the new Russia were in the stage of reform. The most important laws include: “On military duty and military service"(1998), "About status of military personnel"(1998), Regulations on the procedure for military service(1999). Changes were made to each of these documents. The next stage of military reform ended on November 16, 2004. In October 2008, the beginning of a new stage was announced, which, according to the authors, should lead to a radical change in the appearance of the Russian army.

Questions for self-control

1. What is the purpose of the Armed Forces?

2. What formed the basis of the armed forces in the XIV-XVII centuries?

3. When was the regular Russian army created?

4. Reveal the essence of the new troop recruitment system introduced by Peter I.

5. When was universal military service introduced in Russia?

6. Tell us about the modernization of the army in the 19th - early 20th centuries.

7. When were the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet created?

8. How was the construction of the Armed Forces carried out before World War II?

9. How did the Cold War policy affect military development?

10. How did the construction of the Russian Armed Forces begin in the post-perestroika period?

Objectives of the event: to acquaint schoolchildren with the formation of the Russian and Russian armies, with major victories of Russian weapons.

Tasks:

Development of patriotism among schoolchildren.

Development of creative abilities in schoolchildren.

Expanding students' horizons.

Introductory words from the teacher:

Every year on February 23 we celebrate Defenders of the Fatherland Day. However, few of us know the history of the emergence and formation of our army. Today we will try to fill this gap.

Presenter 1: The formation of a state and its development is associated with its close interaction with neighboring peoples. And this interaction is not always peaceful. This is due to the protection of one’s borders or campaigns in neighboring territories, which in turn requires the presence of an army and navy. So it was with Russia. (Slide 2). Kievan Rus had to constantly repel the raids of the Varangians and nomads.

The first military campaigns of the Russians are associated with the names of Russian princes, who solved the problem of protecting their lands from raids by their neighbors and conquering new territories. And the first campaigns were carried out by squads of princes, and a people's militia was formed. (Slides 3-4).

Like any state, Kievan Rus experienced a period of feudal fragmentation, which led to a weakening of the military power of the state. For Kievan Rus, this was reflected in the fact that it was unable to repel the Tatar-Mongol hordes and was under their rule for three long centuries, although the Russian people tried to resist. (Slide 5).

At the same time, the Novgorod princes had to repel the invasion of German-Swedish aggression from the north-west, and the military talent of Alexander Nevsky manifested itself. (Slide 6)

A century and a half after the start of the Mongol invasion, the Russian lands, united under the rule of Moscow in 1380, were able to inflict a crushing defeat on the Tatar-Mongol troops. Russian troops in this battle were led by Dmitry Donskoy. (Slide 7).

The final overthrow of the Mongol yoke occurred under Ivan III (Slide 8) in 1480. Moreover, Ivan III makes a number of changes to military affairs, in particular, the troops are now led by the chief governor, and not the head of state.

As a result, Rus' became one of the strongest states in the world, although until about the 16th century there was no regular army in Russia.

Presenter 2: The regular army begins to take shape under Ivan IV. (Slides 9-10). This is manifested in the military reforms of Ivan IV, which was reflected in the abolition of localism during campaigns, a uniform procedure for military service was determined, regiments of a new system (streltsy) appeared.

Until the 17th century, Russia faced 3 main tasks: finding access to the Baltic Sea, protecting its southern borders from the raids of the Crimean Khan, and returning previously lost territories. These tasks were also solved with the help of military weapons. In these wars, Russia partially managed to solve these problems, although there were significant defeats (during the oprichnina, the Time of Troubles).

Presenter 1: Until the end of the 17th century, there was no regular army in Russia, although there were regular regiments. The creation of a regular army is associated with the name of Peter I. (Slide 11). All his reforms are related to the transformation of Russia into a great power, and as a result were aimed at a radical reorganization of the country's armed forces. His “amusing” regiments became the prototype of combat training for new formations. Streltsy regiments were disbanded in 1698 and regular regiments were created. When recruiting them, the practice of recruiting soldiers and dragoons, which developed by the end of the 17th century, was used. (Slide 12). A recruitment system was established, according to which the soldiers were recruited from peasants and other classes, the officer corps from the nobles.

To train soldiers and officers, various manuals and regulations, schools are created, and young nobles undergo internships abroad to learn military affairs. Along with the creation of a regular army, a navy is being built. The main efforts were aimed at creating the Baltic Fleet, which began to form in 1708 (slide 13), and 20 years later it became the Baltic fleet. Instructions were created for the training of naval officers; in 1715, the Naval Academy was created, and since 1716, training has been conducted through the midshipman school.

The main events of the reign of Peter I can be considered the Northern War (slide 14), which Russia is waging with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. The start of the war was unsuccessful for Russia, as a large amount of army and artillery were lost. Since 1703, Russian troops have been winning victories. The most significant victories were the Battle of Poltava (June 27, 1709) and the naval battle at Cape Gangut (Hanko, July 27, 1714). (Excerpt from A.S. Pushkin’s poem “Poltava”). These victories placed Russia among the strongest states of the 18th century, which did not satisfy the countries of Europe. This manifested itself in a number of military clashes in the second half of the 18th century (the Seven Years' War of 1755–1762, the Russian-Turkish War of 1768–1774, in clashes with Sweden and France). In these wars, the military talent of Potemkin, Rumyantsev, Ushakov, and Suvorov manifests itself. (Slide 15)

Presenter 2: The 19th century also wrote a number of bright and bitter pages in the military history of the country. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian army took part in the wars against France. The bright pages of the military history of this period are the Patriotic War of 1812 (slide 16) and the Crimean War of 1853–1856. If the first proved the strength of Russian weapons, then the second ended unsuccessfully for Russia, since it was lost, despite the efforts of the officers and people. The bright pages of these wars were the Battle of Borodino, the Battle of Sinop and the defense of Sevastopol.(M.Yu. Lermontov “Borodino”).

In the second half of the 19th century, a military reform was carried out in the Russian army, as a result of which military settlements were abolished, the period of military service for university graduates was shortened, railway troops appeared, and military ministries and headquarters were reorganized. This made it possible to create a combat-ready army, small in peacetime, but with a well-trained reserve in case of war. What affected the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878 (slide 17), when Russian troops supported the uprising of the Balkan peoples against Turkey, which was forced to admit a number of territorial losses.

Presenter 1: (The waltz “Manchurian Waves” plays in the background).At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Russia tried to pursue a peaceful policy in Europe, which resulted in the convening of international conferences on disarmament. This provided some freedom for a more aggressive foreign policy in the Far East, where Russia and Japan were clashing over Manchuria. This, in turn, resulted in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905 (slide 18), which was unsuccessful for Russia, since almost the entire Pacific Fleet was lost, and the ground forces suffered defeats due to the passivity of the command. And the consequence of this war was Russia’s territorial losses in the Far East (Southern Kuril Islands and Southern Sakhalin, which went to Japan). (Song “Varyag”, lyrics by R. Greits, translation by E. Studeniskaya, folk music).

(The “March of the Slav” sounds in the background).

During the First World War, a number of changes occurred in Russia. First of all, this concerned the structure of the army (the officer corps includes representatives of other classes, and not just nobles). The First World War leads to the collapse of the Russian Empire, which resulted in two revolutions in 1917 and a civil war, which led to the establishment of Soviet power and the creation of the Soviet army (February 23, 1918). (Slide 19).

The Civil War split Russian society into two large camps: the white and red movements. (Song “There, in the distance beyond the river”, arrangement by A. Alexandrov, lyrics by N. Kool). The emergence of Soviet power and the totalitarian regime also affected the army, which was expressed in the repressions of the 20-50s of the 20th century, when almost the entire command staff of the army was destroyed, this was reflected in the failures of the Soviet army at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War.

Presenter 2: The turn of the 30–40s of the 20th century was marked by a number of military conflicts between the USSR and neighboring states (with Japan in 1938–1939, with Finland in 1939–1940). But the largest war of this period was World War 2 (September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945) and the Great Patriotic War (June 22, 1941 - May 9, 1945). (Slides 20-21).

(Song “Holy War”, music by A.V. Alexandrov, lyrics by V. Lebedev-Kumach).

During the Second World War, the Soviet people showed courage and heroism. Despite the tragic beginning in 1941, by the end of the year, Soviet troops were able to stop the Nazi troops near Moscow. In addition, at the beginning of the Second World War, the border guards who met the invaders showed heroism and helped thwart the idea of a “blitzkrieg”. The main events of the Second World War were: the battles near Moscow and for the Caucasus, the blockade of Leningrad, the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, the crossing of the Dnieper, the battles for the liberation of the western territories of the USSR. In 1944–1945, Soviet troops liberated Eastern Europe.

(“Dugout”, music by K. Listov, words by A. Surkov, poem by K. Simonov “Wait for me”) .

The partisan movement played a major role in the Second World War, carrying out subversive operations in the rear of the fascist troops. On the night of May 8-9, 1945, the absolute surrender of Germany was signed, ending the Great Patriotic War. World War 2 continues with the war with Japan, which ended on September 2, 1945, with the signing of the Japanese surrender on board the American battleship Missouri. (Slide 22). The USSR is also involved in this war.

Presenter 1: This war brought great losses both for the USSR and for the whole world. Thus, in the USSR, more than 29 million people went through the war, and about 27 million people died. During the war, about 1 million died. officers, 4 million partisans; More than 1,700 cities, 70 thousand villages and villages, a large number of enterprises, collective farms and state farms were destroyed. Direct material damage in 1941 prices amounted to 679 million rubles.

(The song “Buchenwald Alarm” sounds, words by A. Sobolev, music by V. Muradeli).

Subsequently, Soviet troops participated in regional conflicts that were caused by the Cold War. The largest such conflicts were the Korean War of 1950–1953, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961, and the Afghan War of 1979–1989. Currently, Russian troops are part of the UN peacekeeping forces in the former Yugoslavia, Georgia, and Central Asia.

The teacher’s final word: “This concludes our story about the history of the Russian army. Let me thank everyone who took part in it.”

The senior squad included not only Slavs, but also various Scandinavians who contributed to the formation of the ancient Russian army. The younger ones were divided into three subgroups: youths(military servants, who could be people of various nationalities), Greedy(the prince's bodyguards) and children's(children of senior warriors). Later, new categories appeared in the junior squad - almsmen(armed at the expense of the prince) and stepsons(prototype of the gentry). The system of official position is also known - after the prince came the governors, then the thousanders, centurions, and tens. By the middle of the 11th century, the senior squad turned into boyars. The exact number of squads is unknown, but it was small. One prince hardly has more than 2000 people. For example, in 1093, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatopolk had 800 youths. But, in addition to the professional squad, free community members from the common people and the urban population could also take part in wars. They are mentioned in the chronicles as howls. The number of such a militia could be several thousand people. At the same time, women took part in some campaigns on an equal basis with men. People living on the border combined crafts and agriculture with the functions of border troops. Since the 12th century, cavalry has been actively developing, which is divided into heavy and light. The Russians were not inferior to any of the European nations in military matters.

Sometimes foreigners were hired to serve. Most often these were Normans, Pechenegs, then Cumans, Hungarians, Berendeys, Torques, Poles, Balts, and occasionally even Bulgarians, Serbs and Germans.

The bulk of the army was infantry. But by that time there was already cavalry formed to protect against the Pechenegs and other nomads, taking into account the Hungarian experience. There was also a good fleet consisting of rooks.

The tactics used were different, although not very diverse. A common battle formation was the wall. It could be covered from the flanks by cavalry. They also used a “regimental row” - a three-tier battle formation, divided into a center and flanks.

Armament varied depending on the stratification. Swords were mainly used by senior warriors and gridi. Initially these were swords of the Carolingian type, about 90 cm long. Archaeological evidence shows that many of the swords were French, which were used throughout Europe. The origin of many swords cannot be established. The oldest Russian-made sword found dates back to the 10th century. At the same time, Arab sources report that sword production was very well developed in Rus'. Two types of battle axes were very actively used - Varangian axes with long handles and Slavic infantry hatchets. Impact weapons were widespread - maces with bronze or iron tops. Flails were also very much used, but as an additional weapon, and not the main one. In the 10th century, sabers, more effective for fighting horse nomads, took root in Southern Rus'. At first they were massive and slightly curved. In the 13th century, the use of the best example of an impact weapon, the six-arm, began. Another type of weapon were coins and klevets. Of course, various knives were used, mainly skramasax and shoemaker. A more common weapon was the oslop. In the people's militia, in case of poverty, cheap homemade weapons were also used - in particular, a pitchfork, a flail and a wooden bident-grab, which is sometimes incorrectly called a spear. There were several types of spears. "Armor-piercing" infantry; cavalry; from the street ; anti-horse spears. Another type of weapon was the owl. Everyone knew how to use bows, since they are necessary for hunting. Crossbows were also used, but much less frequently. Throwing weapons are known in Rus' no later than the 10th century.

The main protective equipment was shields, teardrop-shaped or round. Helmets in Rus' have always traditionally been dome-shaped, with only a few exceptions. But the types of helmets were different - mainly conical and spheroconic. The same type was used among different peoples of Asia. But there were also Western hemispherical ones. The helmets were equipped with a cap to protect the face and an aventail to protect the back of the neck. Chain mail was used as armor, which was widespread already in the 10th century. Later, plate and scale armor appeared and became more rare.

Moscow Rus'

XIV-XVI centuries

Weapons used in Russia before the 18th century

Common people
late 15th century warrior

For various reasons, the main one of which is the influence of Asian peoples (especially the Mongols), the importance of cavalry increases sharply. The entire squad becomes mounted and by this time is gradually transformed into a noble militia. The Mongols also had a great influence on military tactics - the mobility of cavalry and its use of deceptive techniques increased. That is, the basis of the army is quite numerous noble cavalry, and the infantry fades into the background.

Firearms in Rus' began to be used at the end of the 14th century. The exact date is unknown, but it is believed that this happened under Dmitry Donskoy no later than 1382. With the development of field firearms, heavy cavalry lost its importance, but light cavalry could effectively resist it, which, in particular, was shown by the Battle of Vorskla. At the end of the 15th century, they moved from the feudal militia to a standing all-Russian army. Its basis was the noble estate cavalry - sovereign servants, united in regiments under the command of the grand ducal governors. But at first they did not have firearms. It was used by gunners and squeakers, the first information about which dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. At the same time, the Cossacks were formed.

XVI-XVII centuries

Equipment
in the 16th century

Russian firearms were represented by various cannons and arquebuses. At first, guns were imported from Europe, but at the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries, we organized our own large-scale production of firearms. There is information about their export to other countries. Pike were of different types and purposes - both manual and easel. There were multi-stemmed arquebuses. In the 1660s, Russian cannon makers produced rifled squeaks, which were not common due to the difficulty of manufacturing.

Melee weapons have not lost their importance, since reloading firearms took considerable time. First of all, sabers and reeds were used; pernachs and some other weapons were also used. Protective equipment almost lost its role, but was still retained due to hand-to-hand combat. To protect the head, spheroconic cones were used, in particular, erichonki.

Imperial period

Main article: Army of the Russian Empire

End of XVII - first half of XIX

Infantry of the late 18th century

Back in the 30s of the 17th century, “regiments of the new system” appeared, that is, soldier, Reiter and dragoon regiments formed according to Western European models. By the end of the century, their number amounted to over half the number of all troops, which amounted to over 180 thousand people (not counting more than 60 thousand Cossacks). Army reform was carried out under Peter the Great. In 1698-1699, the rifle regiments were disbanded, and regular soldiers were formed instead. In preparation for the war with Sweden, Peter ordered in 1699 to carry out a general recruitment and begin training of recruits according to the model established by the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovtsy. This first recruitment gave Peter 25 infantry regiments and 2 cavalry - dragoons. At first, he formed an officer corps from his friends, former members of the “amusing regiments,” and later from the nobility. The army was divided into field (infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineering troops), local (garrison troops and land militia) and irregular (Cossacks and steppe peoples) troops. In total, its number exceeded 200 thousand people. The infantry had approximately twice as many men as the cavalry. In 1722, a system of ranks was introduced - the Table of Ranks.

The armament was also changed to a European style. The infantry was armed with smoothbore rifles with bayonets, swords, cutlasses, and grenades. Dragoons - carbines, pistols and broadswords. The officers also had halberds, not the best weapons for battle. The uniform was similarly changed.

On October 20, 1696, the Boyar Duma decided to found a navy. The ships were built with the help of European engineers, and by 1722 Russia had a good fleet of 130 sailing and 396 rowing ships.

After this, until the middle of the 19th century, there were no particularly serious changes in the structure of the army. In the second half of the 18th century, chasseurs appeared in the infantry, and cuirassiers and hussars in the cavalry. Flintlock guns of the 1753 model were adopted. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov made a significant contribution to the troop training system. In 1810, on the initiative of A. A. Arakcheev, military settlements began to be used. By 1853, the size of the army was about 31 thousand command personnel, 911 thousand regular soldiers, 250 thousand irregular troops.

Second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries

Artillerymen on the German front

At the beginning of the 20th century, the active development of military equipment continued. In the city, armored cars appear in the Russian army, in the city - military aviation, in the city - tanks. But officials preferred to use foreign developments rather than support Russian inventors. Therefore, many successful projects, such as the Porokhovshchikov tank and automatic rifle, were not used. However, for example, Sikorsky aircraft were produced and were no worse than foreign ones. But still, the majority of serial equipment was supplied with components of French, English, American or Italian production or development. The Maxim machine gun, new 76-152 mm caliber guns, and Fedorov assault rifles came into service. But still, the equipment was extremely lacking, although in terms of combat training the Russian army was not inferior to the armies of Western European countries. Before the First World War, its number reached 1,423,000 people, and after mobilization it amounted to 5,338,000 people; it was armed with 6,848 light and 240 heavy guns, 4,157 machine guns, 263 aircraft, and over 4 thousand cars.

Armed Forces Rear

The city was taken as the starting point for the history of the Armed Forces' Home Front. Then, on February 18, Peter I signed the Decree “On the management of all grain reserves of military men to Okolnichy Yazykov, with the name for this part General Proviants.” The first independent supply body was established - the Provision Order, which was in charge of the supply of bread, cereals and grain fodder to the army. He carried out centralized food supply, which, as is known, is today one of the types of material support for troops. On the same day, “in the second half of the bright day” - by his Decree, the autocrat established another Order - Special, which later received the name Military (sometimes it is also called Commissariat). This order was in charge of the appropriations allocated for the armament of the troops, the monetary allowance of the army, and the supply of its uniforms and horses. The regular army and navy created by the Tsar-Transformer required further steps to centralize their support, and in the city, by decree of Peter I, supply bodies became part of the active army. A commissariat was created in its field administration, which was in charge of all types of supplies, including food supplies. In divisions, the organization of supply was entrusted to chief commissars and chief provisions masters, and in regiments, respectively, to commissars and provision masters. Moreover, the regiments acquired their own military facilities. The structure of command and control bodies that took shape at the beginning of the 18th century and the experience gained during the Northern War in supplying the active army were enshrined in the Military City Charter. Responsibility for providing troops was assigned to the army commander (Field Marshal General), and the direct management of its supply was assigned to General Kriegs -commissar, whose duties, in particular, included supplying troops with money, clothing, provisions, weapons and horses. Medical support was provided: in the army - a doctor under senior generals, in divisions - a doctor and a staff doctor, in regiments - a doctor, in a company - a barber (paramedic). It is interesting to evaluate the status of the General Kriegs Commissioner by current standards. On the one hand, managing finances made him the most important figure. But, on the other hand, he is seen as weaker than the modern chief of logistics in terms of the available capabilities for organizing support. The main thing: there were no vehicles in his hands. The convoy in the army was subordinate to the General-Wagenmeister. The Quartermaster General stood above him. Along with transportation, the Quartermaster General also supervised the deployment of troops and hospitals, that is, in fact, it was he who created the rear infrastructure of the field army, although at the same time he was not the organizer of material support. The division of supply and transport powers between officials had its own reasons at that time. In particular, in case of urgent need, the convoy could turn into a kind of fortification and was used as a defensive line. But the situation when one boss determines the rear “disposition”, and the other - its supply content, is internally contradictory. At first it is barely noticeable. The rear of Peter's armies was decorated with Spartan modesty. However, as military affairs developed and the rear organization became more complex, the “worm” of contradictions became more dangerous. “Rear fragmentation” became like death at the beginning of the Patriotic War. In the overall supply system, food had the largest share. The army was provided with provisions entirely from state reserves. By this time, food warehouses had been opened in many cities. Products were delivered on carts or along rivers on plows (large boats). In addition to permanent (stationary) ones, temporary and mobile warehouses were also organized. Temporary troops were deployed during short stops. In mobile warehouses, called stores, it was prescribed to have constant food supplies in the amount of monthly needs. You can get an idea of these prototypes of modern logistics brigades, for example, from the report of Admiral Apraksin dated March 11. He reported to Peter I about the organization of a camp store on 2609 carts, carrying 4160 quarters of crackers, 384 quarters of cereals, 1200 quarters of oats and 22713 pounds hay If you calculate, this is about 1300 tons. It is quite comparable to the carrying capacity of the airborne transport of a separate logistics battalion of a modern division. Since the matter of supplying the army became entirely the concern of the state, rationing was inevitably required. On February 18, the Decree determined the exact amount of the grain “salary” for all lower ranks without exception. The “great-great-grandfather” of the modern food ration of the RF Armed Forces consisted of half an octet of flour (about 24 kg) and a small quart of cereals (about 3.5 kg) per month. Money was given for the purchase of other “welding” products. Troops outside Russia were provided with additional “portions”: two pounds of bread (820 g), one pound of meat (410 g), two glasses of wine (250 g) and one garnz of beer (3.28 l) per person per day. In addition, two pounds of salt and one and a half garnets of cereals were provided for the month. As a rule, portions were given not in kind, but in money. Warriors could buy food at their own discretion. Contemporaries argued that “the allowance was excellent, and the tsar himself tested the soldiers’ rations for a month before approving them.” Many aspects of modern logistics issues are rooted in history. For example, in the era of Peter the Great, provision masters and commissars were subordinate only to superior commanders in their specialty and were not subordinate to regiment and division commanders. They served with the troops as representatives from the army, sometimes from the province. In order to better protect the treasury from theft, commanders were removed from direct management of material resources. The image of the “voivode on feeding” was painfully enduring. And take the military economy. After the death of Peter I in the city, the Provisional Military Commission noted the insufficient supply of troops. Decisions followed that gave the regiments the right to accumulate funds allocated by the treasury. With “economic amounts” (money saved) it was possible to buy everything necessary - even horses. The certain autonomy of the military economy was beneficial to the state: its own property was preserved better than state-owned property. And what is not the “economic sum”, say, the current type 101, which receives funds from subsidiary plots, saving bread, etc. Obviously, the practice of extra-budgetary funds has a long history. In the middle of the 18th century, up to 49 percent of a soldier’s salary was deducted for a uniform issued for wear. Thus, the state improved the conservation of property. By the way, the fact that for a long time salaries and clothing was supervised by one official - the commissar - was determined precisely by this close relationship between them. From time immemorial, private contractors have been involved in supplying the regular army in Russia. For example, since the middle of the 19th century, five methods of procuring material resources were legalized: contract by auction, commercial, commission, cash purchase, and also the release of money to the shelves for procurement “at their own expense.” Contracting by auction was considered the most profitable. Moreover, the dual purpose of any government contract was officially recognized. It consisted: “1) in the acquisition of items necessary for procurement at prices that are not burdensome for the treasury and harmless for private individuals and 2) in the development of all branches of private industry, opening the way for it to sell its products for the sustenance and supply of troops.” Along with the conditions (conditions) of the auction, the quartermaster department set the “extreme price”. It was impossible to pay more. A minimum price was also determined, and buying below which was also prohibited. The instructions to the procurers indicated that the treasury should not pursue the lowest possible contract price, but should always compare it with the minimum, beyond which the contractor's losses or dishonest fulfillment of obligations (bribery of acceptors, etc.) are inevitable. In both cases, harm to government interests was seen, and therefore competition in contracts had to have certain limits. The rear of the Russian army received significant development at the beginning of the 19th century. In Russia, the Military Ministry was formed, initially called the Ministry of Military Ground Forces. The first Minister of War was Infantry General S.K. Vyazmitinov, who had previously headed the Commissariat Department for some time. It was under him that in the city the Commissariat and Provision departments were united into one Quartermaster Department. (“Intendant” is a word of French origin, meaning “manager, manager.” Today, we hear its English equivalent - “manager”). The quartermaster's department did not last long then. Contemporaries were unable to appreciate the importance of having a body for centralized management of material support for troops. The commissariat was given the main blame for the failures in the wars of 1807 with France and Sweden, although at that time the entire military mechanism of the state was slipping. It is not the best tradition to see those in the rear as a “scapegoat”. True, quartermasters were still retained in armies, corps and divisions. Since then, the War Ministry has included 7 independent departments, including provisions, commissariat and medical. There has been significant progress in the field command and control of troops. According to the new Regulations, called “Institution for the management of a large army in the field,” control of the rear was entrusted to the army headquarters. He was obliged, with the participation of the relevant commanders, to develop plans for providing the army with weapons, ammunition, food, engineering and clothing equipment, salaries, plan the delivery of supply cargo, equip military roads and control traffic along them, organize medical support, place and move shops, artillery parks, hospitals. The headquarters as a control body, planning simultaneously both the combat operations of the troops and their supply, subordinated the entire organization of the rear to the interests of supply. The efficiency of the rear was raised to a higher level. And yet, the issues of organizing the rear and organizing supplies were still divided - now between the quartermaster general and the chief of the main staff, who were equally subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief. But an important point: the position of a general on duty was introduced, reporting to the chief of the army's main staff. This official united, on the one hand, the management of transport support: the director of military communications reported to him (also a new position - author) and, through the General-Wagenmeister, the army convoy. And, on the other hand, he was also responsible for organizing the evacuation of the wounded and sick and providing them with medical care. Half a century later, the idea of the closest consolidation of supply bodies was taken up by the outstanding Russian military reformer D. A. Milyutin. In the city, the Commissariat and Provision departments were again united in one department - the Main Quartermaster Directorate of the War Ministry. A Committee on the movement of troops by railways, which by that time had become quite widespread, was established in the city. The concept of “quartermaster transport” is replacing the convoy. A truly revolution in the theory and practice of military art, which can be considered the discovery of D. A. Milyutin and his associates, was the organization of the rear of the active army during the Russian-Turkish war. Changes in methods of warfare and an increase in the size of the army made effective organization impossible supply without “rear” unity of command. Then an extraordinary step was taken - the position of “chief of military communications of the army in the field and commander of the troops located in its rear” was introduced. The commander of the Kyiv Military District was appointed to this position. The headquarters of the head of the department, the quartermaster, artillery, military medical, engineering in the rear of the army, and the military medical department in the rear of the army were subordinate to him. The rights and responsibilities of the new official were set out in the “Temporary Regulations on the Management of Military Communications of the Active Army and the Troops in its Rear.” This was the first experience of real centralization of rear management. The territory where the troops “in the rear” were stationed received the status of a military district. The district commander was essentially the chief of the logistics of the active army. According to the Regulations of the city “On Field Command of Troops,” each active army was to be provided with “its own military district,” that is, its own rear. But nevertheless, “rear” as a special term was added to the military lexicon only in the Russian-Japanese War - g.. They began to distinguish between “general” and “closest” rear. In fact, the first is nothing more than the rear of the front, and the second is the rear of the army. The common rear received a kind of autonomy - independence from other officials. The chief logistics officer of the Manchu armies was subordinate only to the commander-in-chief. He was in charge of the rear department, which, located in Harbin, had at its disposal various units and institutions that performed the functions of supply and evacuation. The rear, in an understanding close to the current one, developed at the operational-strategic level. The increased number of services, units and institutions of the rear, the volume of support tasks, moving personnel and cargo, wounded and sick people led to a qualitative change in the management system. The headquarters of the operational-strategic association could not digest the rear information. A new independent management body was created in the person of the chief of logistics and his staff. Logistics support was thus self-determined. But the new body was not yet fully the organizer of providing support for the unification troops. At the front, other bodies and officials were also involved in this. The territorial component still largely prevailed over the functional one. However, the fact remains that an independent rear organ has emerged! From this moment on, the future can be viewed through the prism of the introduction of the rear - into all links of the military organism - the rear, permanently evolutionary. The construction of the military and operational rear, in the image and likeness of the model acquired for the front, could not proceed smoothly, if only due to the multiplicity of possible solutions. For example, a set of armies (in some cases this is an “active army”) solving a common operational-strategic task began to be officially called a front in the First World War. The management of its supply was carried out by the chief supply officer of the front armies. Reporting directly to the commander, he was essentially the head of the independent rear of the front. But calling it that was prevented by a glance at the past, or rather, the lag in the theory of military art. When a concept is vague, it is usually not possible to find the best form of expressing its content, including organizational form. Not to mention the interpolation of this shape to other levels. The First World War is a clear confirmation of this. Other rear units have not yet gained independence. Management of the rear and supply of the army was concentrated in the economic department of its headquarters. Which in itself is unprecedented! Although the headquarters were periodically in charge of transport, sanitary service issues, and gave separate instructions on the rear, the supply services had never previously reported directly to the headquarters. Also subordinate to the chief of staff was the chief field quartermaster at the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command in the theater of military operations, created during the war. Unfortunately, this link was not destined to establish a reliable supply connection between the fronts and the center, where complete disunity of supply departments reigned. At the military level, a third scheme was in effect: neither at headquarters nor in the rear - the corresponding rear services were not united at all. Their superiors autonomously turned directly to the commander. And at the front line itself there was a retreat from the organization of the rear, suffered through several wars and enshrined in the Regulations on the Field Command of Troops in Wartime, in which on July 16

V-VIII centuries

The armament of the Eastern Slavs before the 9th century can mainly be judged only from foreign chronicles. Procopius of Caesarea, describing the Slavs of the 6th century, reports that they do not have armor, they are armed only with spears (we are talking about Sulitsa) and small shields. John of Ephesus reports a similar situation, but does not mention shields. There is also no doubt about the use of axes of the Slavic type; it can be assumed that many had bows. In addition, the Byzantines describe only individual East Slavic tribes, and the weapons subsequently varied greatly in different regions of Rus'. The Byzantines write that the Slavs often used sabotage tactics of war. The Slavs not only carried out raids, but also participated as mercenaries in many wars on the side of Byzantium. The Slavs did not have cavalry. The Slavs were influenced by different peoples, but mainly they were Avars, Byzantines, and Varangians.

IX-XIII centuries

The main part of the princely army was the squad. It had a clear classification of people according to their level of experience and professionalism. She was divided into older and younger. The senior squad included not only Slavs, but also various Scandinavians who contributed to the formation of the ancient Russian army. The younger group was divided into three subgroups: youths (military servants, who could be people of various nationalities), gridi (the prince’s bodyguards) and children’s (children of older warriors). Later, new categories appeared in the younger squad - almsmen (armed at the expense of the prince) and stepsons (a prototype of the gentry). The system of official position is also known - after the prince came the governors, then the thousanders, centurions, and tens. By the middle of the 11th century, the senior squad turned into the boyars. The exact number of squads is unknown, but it was small. One prince hardly has more than 2000 people. For example, in 1093, the Grand Duke of Kyiv Svyatopolk had 800 youths. But, in addition to the professional squad, free community members from the common people and the urban population could also take part in wars. In the chronicles they are mentioned as warriors. The number of such a militia could be several thousand people. At the same time, women took part in some campaigns on an equal basis with men. People living on the border combined crafts and agriculture with the functions of border troops. Since the 12th century, cavalry has been actively developing, which is divided into heavy and light. The Russians were not inferior to any of the European nations in military matters.

Sometimes foreigners were hired to serve. Most often these were Normans, Pechenegs, then Cumans, Hungarians, Berendeys, Torques, Poles, Balts, and occasionally even Bulgarians, Serbs and Germans.

Armament varied depending on the stratification. Swords were mainly used by senior warriors and gridi. Initially these were swords of the Carolingian type, about 90 cm long. Archaeological evidence shows that many of the swords were French, which were used throughout Europe. The origin of many swords cannot be established. The oldest Russian-made sword found dates back to the 10th century. At the same time, Arab sources report that sword production was very well developed in Rus'. Two types of battle axes were very actively used - Varangian axes with long handles and Slavic infantry hatchets. Impact weapons were widespread - maces with bronze or iron tops. Flails were also very much used, but as an additional weapon, and not the main one. In the 10th century, sabers, more effective for fighting horse nomads, took root in Southern Rus'. At first they were massive and slightly curved. In the 13th century, the use of the best example of an impact weapon, the six-arm, began. Another type of weapon were coins and klevets. Of course, various knives were used, mainly the skramasax and the shoemaker. Oslops were a more common weapon. In the people's militia, in cases of poverty, cheap homemade weapons were also used - in particular, a pitchfork, a flail and a wooden grip, which is sometimes incorrectly called a spear. There were several types of spears. "Armor-piercing" infantry; cavalry; from the street; anti-horse spears. Another type of weapon was the owl. Everyone knew how to use bows, since they are necessary for hunting. Crossbows were also used, but much less frequently. Throwing weapons are known in Rus' no later than the 10th century.

Moscow Rus'

XIV-XVI centuries

Firearms in Rus' began to be used at the end of the 14th century. The exact date is unknown, but it is believed that this happened under Dmitry Donskoy no later than 1382. With the development of field firearms, heavy cavalry lost its importance, but light cavalry could effectively resist it, which, in particular, was shown by the battle of Vorskla. At the end of the 15th century, they moved from the feudal militia to a standing all-Russian army. Its basis was the noble local cavalry - the sovereign's servicemen, united in regiments under the command of the grand ducal commanders. But at first they did not have firearms. It was used by gunners and squeakers, the first information about which dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. At the same time, the Cossacks were formed.

XVI-XVII centuries

Under Ivan the Third, a system of military recruitment for temporary service was introduced. Squads of squeakers were formed from the urban population. From the rural areas - auxiliary infantry detachments - a marching army. A clear system for collecting military personnel was developed. The military command was the grand ducal governors. The noble cavalry was equipped with hand grips, convenient for shooting while riding. Under Ivan the Fourth, the Streltsy army appears. Streltsy are a fairly numerous (several thousand) infantry armed with arquebuses. Recruited from among urban and rural residents. The total number of troops in the middle of the 16th century could be increased to 300 thousand people. The nobles supplied one man with full weapons and a horse from one hundred quarters of good land. For long trips - with two horses and supplies for the summer. Landowners supplied one person from 50 households, or from 25 households if necessary. The army usually gathered by March 25th. Those who failed to show up at the appointed place were deprived of their estate. Non-local troops (merchants, foreigners, clerks, etc.) received a salary for their service - such troops were called stern troops.

Melee weapons have not lost their importance, since reloading firearms took considerable time. First of all, sabers and reeds were used; pernachs and some other weapons were also used. Protective equipment almost lost its role, but was still retained due to hand-to-hand combat. To protect the head they used helmets and shishaks, in particular erihonkas, as well as iron hats.

Imperial period

End of XVII - first half of XIX

Back in the 30s of the 17th century, “regiments of the new system” appeared, that is, soldier, reiter and dragoon regiments formed according to Western European models. By the end of the century, their number amounted to over half the number of all troops, which amounted to over 180 thousand people (not counting more than 60 thousand Cossacks). The army reform was carried out under Peter the Great. In 1698-1699, the rifle regiments were disbanded, and regular soldiers were formed instead. In preparation for the war with Sweden, Peter ordered in 1699 to carry out a general recruitment and begin training of recruits according to the model established by the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovtsy. This first recruitment gave Peter 25 infantry regiments and 2 cavalry - dragoons. At first, he formed an officer corps from his friends, former members of the “amusing regiments,” and later from the nobility. The army was divided into field (infantry, cavalry, artillery, engineering troops), local (garrison troops and land militia) and irregular (Cossacks and steppe peoples) troops. In total, its number exceeded 200 thousand people. The infantry had approximately twice as many men as the cavalry. In 1722, a system of ranks was introduced - the Table of Ranks.

The armament was also changed to a European style. The infantry was armed with smoothbore rifles with bayonets, swords, cutlasses, and grenades. Dragoons - carbines, pistols and broadswords. The officers also had halberds, which were not the best weapons for battle. The uniform was similarly changed.

On October 20, 1696, the Boyar Duma decided to found a navy. The ships were built with the help of European engineers, and by 1722 Russia had a good fleet of 130 sailing and 396 rowing ships.

After this, until the middle of the 19th century, there were no particularly serious changes in the structure of the army. In the second half of the 18th century, huntsmen appeared in the infantry, and cuirassiers and hussars appeared in the cavalry. Flintlock guns of the 1753 model were adopted. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov made a significant contribution to the troop training system. In 1810, on the initiative of A. A. Arakcheev, military settlements began to be used. By 1853, the size of the army was about 31 thousand command personnel, 911 thousand regular soldiers, 250 thousand irregular troops.

Second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries

The Crimean War of 1853 - 1856 showed the shortcomings of domestic weapons. Namely, with the spread of steam engines, steamships were invented, of which there were only 16 in the Russian fleet; and mass production of rifled weapons became possible, but in Russia its quantity was also insignificant. Therefore, in 1860-1870, military reforms were carried out under the leadership of D. A. Milyutin. The first steps to reorganize the army were taken during the Crimean War. In 1855, by decree of the Tsar, the “Commission for the Improvement of the Military Unit” was created. It was tasked with revising regulations, discussing issues of rearmament of troops, and improving physical and combat training. On November 9, 1861, General D. A. Milyutin was appointed Minister of War; on January 15, 1862, he presented a report to Alexander II, which formulated the basic principles, goals and objectives of military reform. In 1864, a military district reform was carried out. 15 military districts were created on Russian territory. The governor general was usually appointed commander of the district troops. Each district was simultaneously a body of military command and military administrative structure. This made it possible to quickly command troops and quickly mobilize them. With the creation of districts, the War Ministry got rid of a wide range of responsibilities that were now performed by commanders; only those management issues that were important for the entire army remained under its jurisdiction. The General Staff was created. The conscription system was replaced by universal conscription. On January 1, 1874, the “Charter on all-class military service” was adopted. In accordance with it, the entire male population, regardless of condition, was subject to military service from the age of 21. The period of active service was 6 years in the ground forces and 9 years in the reserve, in the navy, respectively, 7 years and 3 years. Rearmament took place. Transition to rifled breech-loading weapons. In 1868, the American Berdan rifle was adopted, in 1870 - the Russian Berdan rifle No. 2. In 1891 - the Mosin rifle. Since 1861, the production of armored steam ships began, and in 1866 - submarines. By 1898, the Russian navy, consisting of the Baltic, Black Sea fleets, Caspian and Siberian flotillas, had 14 battleships, 23 coastal defense battleships, 6 armored cruisers, 17 cruisers, 9 mine cruisers, 77 destroyers, 96 torpedo boats, 27 gunboats boats.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the active development of military equipment continued. In 1902, armored vehicles appeared in the Russian army, in 1911 - military aviation, in 1915 - tanks. But officials preferred to use foreign developments rather than support Russian inventors. Therefore, many successful projects, such as the Porokhovshchikov tank and machine gun, were not used. However, for example, Sikorsky aircraft were produced and were no worse than foreign ones. But still, the majority of serial equipment was supplied with components of French, English, American or Italian production or development. The Maxim machine gun, new guns of 76-152 mm caliber, and Fedorov assault rifles came into service. But still, the equipment was extremely lacking, although in terms of combat training the Russian army was not inferior to the armies of Western European countries. By the First World War, its number reached 1,423,000 people, and after mobilization it amounted to 5,338,000 people; it was armed with 6,848 light and 240 heavy guns, 4,157 machine guns, 263 aircraft, and over 4 thousand cars.

Russian Army in the Civil War 1917-1922

The officer cadres of the Russian Imperial Army formed the basis of the armies of the White movement, in which many units of the Russian Imperial Army were revived.

Volunteer Army, 1917-1920

Formed on January 8, 1919 as a result of the unification of the Volunteer Army and the army of the All-Great Don Army for a joint fight against the Bolshevik government.

Soviet period

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federative Socialist Republic began to form in 1917 in the form of detachments of Red Guards and did not have historical continuity from the old Russian Army. The official founding date of the Red (Soviet) Army is February 23, 1918. Officers of the Russian Imperial Army made a significant contribution to their formation. During the Civil War, the weapons of the Red Army were no different from the weapons of the White Army. After the formation of the USSR, first on the basis of foreign models, and later on our own developments, further development of firearms, armored vehicles, aviation and navy took place. In 1937, rockets were adopted for service, and a little later - multiple launch rocket systems. The Great Patriotic War led to significant development of military technology. After her, Marshal G.K. Zhukov began to form special-purpose sabotage detachments, and nuclear weapons were also developed. The USSR Armed Forces consisted of the following branches: strategic missile forces, air defense forces, ground forces, air force, navy, logistics forces, border and internal troops.

Federal period, since 1991

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (AF of Russia) is a military organization of the Russian Federation, intended for the defense of the Russian state, the protection of freedom and independence of Russia, one of the most important weapons of political power. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces is the President of Russia.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation include the ground forces, air force, navy, as well as such individual branches of the military as space and airborne troops and the Strategic Missile Forces. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are one of the most powerful in the world, numbering more than a million personnel, distinguished by the presence of the world's largest arsenal of nuclear weapons and a well-developed system of means of delivering them to targets.