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Russia, 1762-1825 Military Power, the State, and the People
Janet M. Hartley
ISBN: 0-275-97871-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-97871-6
332 pages
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 2/28/2008
List Price: $120.00 (UK Sterling Price: £82.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • In her by now customary manner Janet Hartley has produced another book that is rich in detail, sensible in analysis, and attentive to the careful reconstruction of historical events. Lucidly written and extensively documented, Russia, 1762-1825 explores the development of Russian military power with reference to state-building and the cost to society....Hartley ends her book with an enlightening and original discussion of the military colonies established by Alexander I and abolished by his successor, Nicholas I....Defeat in the Crimean War showed that Russia's military might could not be sustained without significant economic and social change. Yet until the 1850s Russia remained stable and militarily powerful despite the revolutionary upheavals affecting other parts of Europe. Thanks to the hard work of Janet Hartley, scholars have an intelligent account of why this was so.
    —The Russian Review     10/1/2008
  • "[W]e have every reason to welcome Janet M. Hartley's new book, which covers considerable ground."
    —American Historical Review     12/1/2008
  • "Hartley (London School of Economics) puts this significant period of Russian history into perspective by focusing on the connections between the economic growth of Russia and the Russian military... A worthy addition to any academic library...Recommended. All levels/libraries."
    —CHOICE     2/1/2009
Description: A study of the Russian Empire at the peak of its military power and success (1762-1825), this important book examines how a country with none of the obvious trappings of modernization was able to significantly expand its territory. Russia's military and naval victories culminated in the triumphal entrance of Russian forces into Paris in 1814 in celebration of the defeat of Napoleon. Hartley's treatment is wide-ranging and discusses many aspects of the nature of the Russian state and society-not merely issues such as recruitment, but also institutional, legal, and fiscal structures of the state, the unique nature of Russian industrialization and social organization at the urban and village level, as well as the impact on cultural life. She covers the reign of two of Russia's most prominent rulers: Catherine II (1762-1796) and Alexander I (1801-25).

How could a country lacking modernized structures-political, institutional, social, fiscal, economic, industrial, and cultural-sustain this level of military effort and support the largest standing army in Europe? What impact did the strain of this commitment of men and money, including the invasion of 1812, have on the state and society-particularly on those who were either conscripted or the dependents they left behind? Despite the success of the Russian state, by 1825 the strains would become almost unsustainable.
Table of Contents:
  • Acknowledgements
    Introduction: Russia at War 1762-1825
    1. The Military Estate: Size and Composition
    2. The Lower Ranks: Conscription and Community
    3. The Officer Corps: Service and Challenge to the State
    4. The Cost: Expenditure and Income
    5. The Cost: Agriculture, Industry and Trade
    6. The Impact: Conflict with Civilians in Peace and War
    7. The State: Administration, Law and Magic
    8. The Expansion of the State: Conflict, Assimilation. Identity
    9. Rulers and Armies: Warfare, Image, Culture and Identity
    10. The Military Colonies
    Conclusion: Militarization and Modernization?
    Glossary
    Abbreviations
    Bibliography
    Index
About the Author: Janet M. Hartley is Professor of International History and Pro Director at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the author and editor of many books and articles on Russian history and Anglo-Russian relations in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centiuries. Her books include: Alexander I (1994), A Social History of the Russian Empire, 1650-1825 (1999), and Charles Whitworth: Diplomat in the Age of Peter the Great (2002). She has also written extensively on the impact of the Napoleonic Wars on Russia.
LCC Class: DK52
PDF Catalogs:
Academic Library Fall 2008.pdf
Greenwood History Spring 2008.pdf
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