The era of Alexander II is known for its global reforms affecting all aspects of public life in Russia. Military service was no exception.
Reform project
The reform fell on the shoulders of Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin. The Earl and Field Marshal proposed a bill that completely changed the draft system. The reform took place in 1874. During it, the state completely abandoned the outdated and ineffective Peter's draft system.
The abolition of recruiting conscription led to the emergence of universal conscription. Now the entire male population of Russia, having reached the age of 21 years, was to serve in the army. Social exclusions have disappeared. Representatives of all classes were supposed to serve 6 years, after which they were still in reserve for another 9 years in case of war.
In addition, a militia was organized. It was composed of those who had already served in the regular army. The term of stay in the militia was 40 years. The abolition of recruitment has also introduced changes regarding family members with a small number of children. If the parents had one son, then he was not drafted into the army. The same rule affected the only breadwinners in the family if the father died and the little brothers and sisters remained in the house. One way or another, but the fate of the conscript in controversial situations was decided individually.
Privileges
In the event of a difficult financial situation and lack of money in the family, the young man was given a two-year delay. Could go to serve later and those who had health problems. This was determined by the commission. There was also a system in which men with education could receive a shorter service life. If the conscript graduated from primary school, he should have remained in the army for 4 years; city school - for 3 years; having graduated - for a year and a half. There were benefits for those who went to serve voluntarily after graduating from university. In this case, the service life was reduced by half.
The appeal of ethnic minorities
The abolition of recruiting service included separate amendments regarding the appeal of indigenous peoples of remote regions of the empire. The population of the Caucasus, as well as Central Asia, was not subject to military service. On the contrary, such benefits were abolished for the Siberian peoples and ethnic minorities of the northern provinces. Before the abolition of recruitment, they did not serve in the army.
Residents of the Caucasus (mostly Muslims) had to pay a special tax. According to the idea of the reformers, he compensated for their absence in the army. This amendment concerned Kalmyks, Nogais, Chechens, Kurds, Yezidis, etc. The situation with Ossetians was exceptional. Part of this people professed Orthodoxy, the other half - Islam. Muslim Ossetians served, like Christians, but in the army they were on favorable terms. Due to such privates, the Terek Cossack army was replenished. Such was the abolition of recruitment. Alexander 1 at one time tried to carry out a similar reform, focusing on the interests of the population in the new lands of the empire. Nevertheless, changes occurred only with his namesake-nephew.
Territorial features
For the convenience of manning the army, the territory of the Russian Empire was divided into three zones. The first was called Great Russian: in it, the Russian population accounted for more than 75% of the total number of inhabitants. The second was a foreign zone, where indigenous ethnic minorities lived. The third section is Malorossky. There were not only Russians, but also Ukrainians and Belarusians.
The abolition of recruitment and the transition to an all-conscription military service were marked by a new system of manning regiments. Now each army detachment was composed only of conscripts of a certain territorial unit, for example, a county. An exception to this rule was engineering, cavalry, and also small guardsmen. All these changes included the abolition of recruitment. Who canceled the old system, you now know: Alexander II. He wanted to make the army more efficient. This was due to a painful defeat in the Crimean War, after which the humiliating Paris world was signed .
Reform efficiency
Reforms showed their benefits already in 1877-1878, when a conflict broke out with the Ottoman Empire. The Bulgarians, who lived under the rule of the Turks, demanded independence and began an uprising. They were supported by Russia. Regiments, staffed by the new rules, crossed the Dnieper and successfully fought with the Turks. This helped the Bulgarians achieve independence.
In the province for many generations they waited for the abolition of recruitment. The date of this event was joyful for the peasants. Now the family did not lose the breadwinner, who was to leave for life to serve in the army. On the contrary, now the soldiers were returning at an still active age. They helped the parents with the housework, and later they themselves developed the economy of the hinterland. A new system of military duty lasted until the First World War and the fall of the monarchy.