Description: A social history of the Russian army spanning three centuries which examines its sometimes-precarious, sometimes-elevated, and sometimes-discredited place in Russian society.
Brief description: Roger R. Reeseis Professor of History at Texas A&M University, USA. He is the author of numerous books on Russian and Soviet military history, including The Imperial Russian Army in Peace, War, and Revolution, 1856-1917 (2019), Why Stalin's Soldiers Fought(2011) and Red Commanders: A Social History of the Soviet Officer Corps, 1918-1991 (2005).
Review Quotes:
"Scholarly study of the Russian army's social history and relationship to civilian society can seem inaccessible to nonspecialist audiences. In Reese's long-duration analysis and focus on critical historical continuities readers and policymakers seeking to understand Russia's current ability to wage war on Ukraine will find a thoughtful and effective guide." --Elise Kimerling Wirtschafter, Emeritus Professor of History, California State Polytechnic University, USA
"In this brilliantly compact book Reese provides an eye-opening account of Russia's deep-seated military malaise. From the time of Peter the Great to the present-day invasion of Ukraine, he shows how the army's relationship to Russian society has largely been an abusive one." --Dr Alexander Morrison, Historian of Empire and of Colonial Warfare, University of Oxford, UK