The foundation of military settlements began in the years 1810-12. Then in the Mogilev province, Emperor Alexander the First tried to settle a reserve battalion from the Yelets Infantry Regiment. However, the tsar failed to do this - the war prevented.
The economic condition of Russia after the hostilities was very difficult. The areas where the battles were fought were devastated, and the financial system of the state was in deep crisis. The situation inside the country required decisive action. Assessing the situation, Alexander the First again takes up the creation of military settlements.
The new system was designed primarily to reduce the cost of maintaining the army. In addition, the issue of eliminating recruiting recruits in peacetime, which caused discontent on the part of the peasants and landlords who were deprived of working hands, was also being decided. Thus, to solve at least part of the problems, it was decided to start forming military settlements.
Questions about new transformations were resolved in a very narrow circle, which included Alexander the First himself, as well as Arakcheev, Ermolov, Sambursky and Witt. It should be noted that the introduction of the new system was carried out exclusively by practical acts of autocracy. At the same time, neither provisions nor regulations on the settlement of the army were drawn up, and the transformations themselves were carried out without discussion with state bodies.
In practice, military settlements enslaved peasants even more. Released (formally) from serfdom, they could not leave to work, as well as engage in crafts or trade. In addition, the peasants had to serve.
The first military settlements were organized in the Novgorod province. State peasants lived in this area . Their emperor planned to transfer to the settler.
Novgorod province was famous for its land, water and land communications were developed here. In addition, great importance was attached to the proximity of the capital. Strategic moments were taken into account along with this.
Military settlements formed in the Novgorod province were under the leadership of Arakcheev.
In 1817, on April 18, in the Vysotsky volost, the formation of the first settled battalion and uniforms of peasants and the grenadier count Arakcheev regiment began. Thus, the foundation was laid for the emergence of military settlements in the Novgorod province.
In 1817-18 a regulatory document was drawn up. On the basis of the "Institution on a Military Settlement", the lower governing bodies were first formed : company and regimental committees. Subsequently, higher organs began to form.
Military settlements changed the entire economic structure of the peasants. Of course, the new orders met the resistance of the masses. In addition to the fact that the peasants lost all their ties due to attachment to the ground, they also had to contain soldiers. The new system strictly regulated all aspects of the life of the population.
The costs of forming military settlements were not foreseen. The state allocated fifty thousand rubles at a time. Subsequently, an expenditure item was budgeted. Legal income included fees from the Cossacks. There were also hidden profits. For example, free farmers, landowners and specific peasants were exempted from recruitment packages if they paid two rubles per soul for 500 recruits.
Contemporaries treated military settlements very ambiguously. The formation of a negative opinion was influenced by several facts. In particular, contemporaries spoke of the isolation of settlements, their isolation from the world. In addition, peasants who resisted the new system were severely punished.
However, the new system also had supporters. In particular, support for the transformation was received in the person of General Davydov, Marquis Pau, Governor Riesch. Among the supporters of military settlements was Speransky.