บท 28: Military Reform (July-September, 1870
The military reform]
Under Minister Dmitry Alekseyevich Milyutin in the government of Tsar Alexander III there would be the culmination of years of preparation for military reform, after the introduction of new weapons, the preparation of infrastructure, the training of observers through various wars (war American Civil War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War), etc.
The Russian General Staff (which in its modern form was created shortly before the assassination of Tsar Alexander II) was reformed, giving an extension to its structures and associated military academies, in addition to other reforms.
With sectors dedicated to logistics and military topography, mobilization, communications, structure and service of troops, in addition to military leadership. In essence many of the threads of military control now centered on the General Staff. The heads of the military district began to be coordinated by the ministry under the authorization of the Tsar (who continued to be the leader of the armed forces due to the autocracy).
The army medical institutions were subordinated to the main military leadership for the army medical organization.
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Compulsory and universal military service was introduced, meaning that individuals of any social class (peasants to nobles) could finish and rise in the army.
In service a man who is 21 years of age or has already reached the age of 21 is called up for 6 years of service in the land army and 9 in the reserve (or 7 years of service in the navy and 3 in reserve). With certain exceptions for medical conditions, educational reasons, etc.
However, it is obvious that the nobles and the peasants had different situations due to knowledge, economy, etc.
For this reason, advantages were added to military service, such as the fact that illiterate peasants received education (similar to primary education) to learn to read and write. And post-service or reservation the chances of receiving scholarships or state services for higher education.
In the quality of life of the recruits there was also access to state food products, a physical activity program and free medical services during the service.
Even physical punishment of members of the army was prohibited.
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At the infrastructure level, closely related to the extension of education to illiterate troops, there was a considerable expansion of the capabilities of the Russian Empire (not only because of weapons), numerous new barracks and barracks were built that served to sustain the population of in-service recruits and reservist units.
The number of military academies also increased exponentially (sometimes in the same building as the barracks), where apart from being taught to read and write, military history, military engineering, tactics and strategy, administration and mathematics, etc. were taught.
Many of the academy professors were observers of the recent European wars (and the American civil war), or the Khiva campaign, with first-hand experience.
In these academies every six months examinations were carried out to verify the results of education. And every year war games were held between the various military academies to check the results of training in military matters.
Depending on the results during and at the end of the years of service, a person could continue to rise in the military hierarchy, be removed from military service (and / or go to the reserve) or move to the civil service and logistics associated with the army in the Ministry of War.
The Okhrana and the judiciary (military court) within the military also began to monitor the various institutions within the War Ministry and associated institutions for corruption, incompetence, and potentially spies (treason, which entailed capital punishment).
The resignation of the majority of generals of 75 years or more was requested, and if they were 60 their work was reviewed (if they were still fit for service or not). New commanders were rising by merit rather than age, many energetic commanders to be sure (most were demonstrated in the Central Asian campaigns).
Russian education and military service placed special emphasis on military logistics, organization and strategy, in addition to the work of commanders (personal initiative) in the successes of these campaigns.
An example that was quickly studied in the first five years of the reform was Commander Mikhail Skobelev's campaign against the Turkmen.
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Broadly speaking, Alexander III's military reform was the unity of the military structures and their organization, the application of the lessons learned in close campaigns, the renewal of commanders and generals in service, and the creation of the necessary infrastructure to sustain the Russian army.
Among its obvious effects is that in the medium and long term, the number of generals and high-ranking commanders of Russian-Slavic ethnic origin (or some mixed ethnicity with Slavic) increased dramatically, due to being the largest group.
Altough non-Slavic could also rise in the high-ranks during the reform.
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[Marine]
The navy was obviously not left behind, the same recruiting service was applied (with the characteristics already mentioned above).
However, it also had its own expansions (aside from standar like navy schools), for example in its shipyard capabilities when the first fully Russian-made battleship (the Peter the Great ship) was launched.
In addition to this with the Musmansk project being a considerable success, the White Sea Fleet was created, dedicated to the protection of the Murmansk Strait (the northern sea route).
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Perhaps the most important thing for the navy during its overhaul was not just its expansion, but the creation of the Navy Development Commission.
A group of officers dedicated to developing the technical capabilities of the Russian Imperial Navy, led by then-Lieutenant Stepan Osipovich Makarov.
The commission soon studied and put into practice the ideas of Makarov developed on the Rusalka ship since 1869. The division of the ship into watertight compartments, in the installation of main pipes with powerful pumps and branches in the compartments, in the use of special plasters for seal the holes.
In addition, Makarov soon had the idea to use a ship as a launch pad for mining ships (mine launchers) and self-propelled mines (torpedoes).
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"Sir, I must admit, I am proud. But why me?" Young Lieutenant Stepan Makarov asked when he was put in charge of the commission by order of Tsar Alexander III.
"Captain Robert Alexandrovich Lund wrote wonders about you and the way you work" They answered Makarov.
Without wasting much time, Makarov began to lead the commission on Lake Baikal, simulating naval battles and developing his experiments in naval development.
Russia was at a disadvantage in that respect for geographical and political reasons.
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[The Russian Imperial Technical Society: Mechanization]
Tsar Alexander III founded the Russian Imperial Technical Society with various objectives: Dissemination of theoretical and practical information on the achievements of technology and production through periodicals, conferences, organization of exhibitions and competitions.
Assistance in the dissemination of technical education.
Proposal for the resolution of technical, technological and scientific problems in the interest of a national manufacturer.
Grant awards for achievements in applied matter.
Establishment of technical libraries, technical museum, experimental workshops.
Mediation between technicians and people who need their experience.
A petition to the Government for the adoption of measures that may have a beneficial effect on the development of the technical industry and the prestige of the Homeland.
And the list could go on.
But during this period the Russian Imperial Technical Society called for a search for a Russian-made tractor, but society couldn't ask for too much.
This caught the attention of Fyodor Abramovich Blinov, born to a family of serfs from one of the Saratov districts, a firefighter who worked on the tugboat "Hercules" and a self-taught mechanic.
Being able to speak in Saint Petersburg, Blinov made the proposal for a tracked tractor. Blinov's original idea had two steam engines, as gasoline still could not be used as a transportation fuel reliably.
Blinov was given the opportunity to realize his idea, it was strange for the mass of intellectuals in St. Petersburg to see a man without studies and of such low origin work or receive the offer to work for the Russian Imperial Technical Society, one of the first actually.
It is surprising what ingenuity can do, in two years Blinov had almost finished the first prototype of a tracked tractor.
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[International]
Diamond miners in South Africa found the Klipdrift Republic or "Republic Diggers", in the territory of the Boer, they even have a president.
Unfortunately for the British soon Sir Henry Barkly, the mediator, would favor the Boer as masters of the territory and its wealth.
The Red River rebellion fails in Canada.
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