From Serf to Russian Soldier

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Focusing on the common soldier in the Russian army during the early 19th century, this social history explores the soldiers as a distinct social class and the army as a key social institution. Through extensive research in previously unused Soviet archives, it delves into various aspects of military life, including conscription, social mobility, and officer-soldier relations. The author examines the tension between military efficiency and traditional autocratic authority, highlighting the challenges of modernization while maintaining existing social structures rooted in serfdom.