Description
This volume explores the military aspects of Russian society and the "service state" from its fifteenth-century origins unitl its obsolescence in the age of mass conscription and mechanized warfare. The author examines the complex interplay of military and civilian elements in Russia's administration; the social and economic impact of the armed forces; the way officers and men were recruited and the conditions in which they worked; and the development of opposition to military dominance. Focusing on the human rather than the technical aspects of military history, this book offers a rare picture of the inner life of the armed forces and of the Russian political and social system under the tsars.
About the author
Contributor Notes
John Keep is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Toronto.
