As you know, the great sovereign Peter Alekseevich made many transformations in our country. Historians can spend hours listing the innovations of the Tsar Reformer, and they will also note that under Peter 1 the army was formed on the basis of a set of recruits.
Peter carried out a very serious military reform, which strengthened the Russian Empire and contributed to the fact that our country and its army were stronger than the army of the Swedish conqueror Charlemagne, who kept in fear the whole of Europe at that time.
But first things first.
Why did you need to carry out army reform?
When Peter Alekseevich was married to the kingdom with his brother John Alekseevich, the army in Russia was as follows:
- Of the regular units, there are archery regiments, Cossack units and foreign mercenaries.
- Of the temporary formations in the event of a military threat - local troops, which were gathered from peasants and artisans by large feudal lords.
During the stormy XVII century, our country experienced many military upheavals, as a result, it was saved from the Time of Troubles not only by the military courage of the regular units, but also by the forces of the militia.
Were there any attempts to create a regular army before Peter the Great?
Peter’s father, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, was still thinking about the regular army, in which there would be a recruit. However, the sudden death did not allow him to carry out all his military plans, although the king tried to partially bring them to life.
His eldest son and heir was seriously ill, he was given difficulty in managing the state, he died shortly after the death of his father.
The sister of Peter and John, the heirs to the throne, Tsarevna Sofya Alekseevna, who in fact appropriated the power of her infant brothers, relied on streltsy. It was by teaching the people faithful to Sophia that she actually received royal power.
However, the archers were demanding privileges from her, and Sophia did not skimp on them. Her faithful helpers thought of their service a little, therefore the army of the Russian state at that time was relatively weak in comparison with the armies of other European states.
What did Peter do?
As you know, the path of Peter the Great to power was very difficult, his sister interfered with him, wishing him dead. As a result, the young king managed to win the battle with Sophia, brutally crushing her supporters of the archers.
The young sovereign dreamed of military victories, but where could they come from in a country that actually did not have a regular army?
Peter, with his characteristic ardor, zealously set to work.
So, under Peter 1, the army was formed on the basis of completely new principles.
The tsar began by setting up his two “amusing regiments,” Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, according to the European model. They were commanded by foreign mercenaries. The regiments showed their best side during the Azov battle, therefore already in 1698 the old troops were completely disbanded.
In exchange, the king ordered the recruitment of new military personnel. From now on, over each settlement of the country there was a recruit service. It was necessary to provide a certain number of physically strong young men to serve the Tsar and the Fatherland.
Military transformation
As a result, it was possible to recruit about 40,000 people, who were divided into 25 infantry regiments and 2 cavalry. The commanders were mainly foreign officers. The training of soldiers was carried out very strictly and according to the European model.
Peter was eager to go into battle with his new army. However, his first military campaign ended in defeat near Narva.
But the king did not give up. Under Peter 1, the army was formed on the basis of recruitment, and this became a condition for its success. In 1705, the king issued an order according to which such a set was to become regular.
What was the service like?
The service for the soldiers was long and difficult. The service life was 25 years. Moreover, for the courage shown in battle, a simple soldier could rise to the rank of officer. Peter did not like lazy offspring from wealthy families at all, so if he noticed that some discharged young nobleman was evading his duties in the service, he did not spare him.
Particular importance was given to the military training of the nobility, which was obliged to carry out military service for 25 years. In exchange for this service, the nobles received land allotments from the state with peasants.
What has changed?
Despite the fact that the population reacted negatively to heavy recruitment, trying to evade it in every possible way (young people were sent to monasteries, attributed to other classes, etc.), the army of Peter I grew. At that moment, when the Swedish king Karl decided to defeat our country, Peter already had 32 infantry regiments, 2 regiments of guardsmen and 4 regiments of grenadiers. In addition, there were 32 special dragoon regiments. It was about 60 thousand well-trained soldiers under the command of experienced officers.
Such an army was a huge force, which ensured the Russian sovereign his military victories in the near future.
The results of the reform of Peter
As a result, by his death in 1725, the king created a whole military machine, which was distinguished by its power and effectiveness in military affairs. Of course, the creation of the army by Peter the Great is a great merit of the sovereign. In addition, the king created special economic institutions that provided his army with the possibility of existence, created service regulations, recruiting service, etc.
Representatives of all classes were obliged to serve in this army, including the spiritual estate (priests performed their immediate functions in it).
Thus, we can confidently say that under Peter 1 the army was formed on the basis of a universal recruitment. It was a strict and strong military system, a coordinated social mechanism that ensured its main task was to protect the country from external threats in that turbulent time.
Seeing such an army, the Western powers simply lost their desire to fight with Russia, which ensured our country a relatively successful development in the following centuries. In general, the army created by Peter, in its main features, lasted until 1917, when it was destroyed under the pressure of the famous revolutionary events in our country.