What is recruit service, or Service, of which we know nothing

Nothing hampered the estate of the serf peasantry, as the constant expectation of another recruitment set. Not looking at the fairness of the draw in the "set", under the threat of exile to the soldier, each young man from 17 to 32 years was disagreeable to the community. The only prerequisite was the physical health of the recruit, determined by a fairly thorough examination, doing honor to the Petrine setters. So, the army was not taken not only "lame, crooked and hunchbacked", but also "dented" and having an obvious defect in appearance.

From the history of recruitment service

So what is recruiting in general? The beginning of this terrible, but necessary for the troubled times set, refer to the XVII century. Although there was still no question of the essence of recruitment. Formation of simple soldiers' and more honorable, dragoon troops at that time was carried out collected from all patrimony "dattochnymi people." Unlike the regulated casting lots later, the pre-Petrine sets were not systemic, and the selection itself was most likely the method of a community branch from among its ranks a man not so necessary to society.

By the way, the principle of "black sheep" did not leave its actuality and much later, when in 1705 a new word "recruiter" sounded. However, there was some justice in the new reforms. The community still in its place varied tsarist decrees as you like, but the former courage of decisions was not observed. For a hundred recruits, no less than 80% of the men were now single-family, and only a small number, due to incomprehensible reasons and bypassing the decree, invariably left behind their backs numerous families. But even this justice came to an end in 1757, when the point of the bachelor position went entirely to the will of the vestigators.

General principles of recruitment

Until 1736, the recruitment service in Russia met only a few, but unshakable principles:

• All the classes fell under it, regardless of class significance;
• From the noble sons under the recruitment was called by name, with the indication of a particular young man, which already excluded the possibility of a substitute in place of himself for another person. But the common people, as at all times, depended entirely on the will of the community, playing recruit tickets with such skill that under the "red hat" invariably hit horseless or troublemakers. Or this question was simply put at the general meeting;
• The service did not have any deadlines - while a man was physically active and could carry a duty, he was considered a soldier;
• No fixed rules as to when to recruit and how many people from what number of households (patrimonies, communities) to select, by default did not exist. Each set created a new condition, respectively, which was used to complete the army.

Since 1736, the first privileges for noble descendants have appeared - already on the family council a decision was made which of the brothers to serve, and who to manage with the vast economy. And the new established terms of service - 25 years, provided an opportunity to return to civilian life even "in the prime of life." Another 26 years the nobles had to suffer "light" conditions of conscription, as a decree of 1762 the burden of the duty completely fell on the shoulders of the townsfolk. Since the same year, gradual inclusion of all privileged classes, as well as individuals, into freedom from service has been noted.

Recruitment service under Nicholas I

The reign of Nicholas I made significant adjustments to the conditions of service, which primarily affected the length of stay in the army - in 1872, for example, the barracks life was already 7 years, which was a tribute to the recruit's service under Peter the Great.

The charter of 1831 almost allowed to pay off the army, paying 1000 rubles for each particularly necessary young man. But it was only a small spoonful of honey, because the same charter set new orders, saying:

• The recruiting set should now be implemented every year;
• For a thousand men to be consigned in a simple year to take five people, a year of increased need - from 7 to 10 people and over that number - in a year of vague.

How to fight corruption in the army

Knowing in advance the interest that local authorities will show to the nuances of the new decrees, Nicholas I reflected on a certain controlling link in the representation of one person. The choice fell on the chief of the gendarmer corps, Count Benckendorff, whose name has now become almost a household name. The Count immediately reacted to the appointment and showed a rare efficiency, providing each recruit's presence with a staff officer.

The supervising authority, that is, the observer in the person of the officer, had the right to report on all the violations seen on the entrusted site directly to the king's adjutant's aide-de-camp. Thanks to such unexpected initiative, to serve in the presence of recruits during recruitment became not only unprofitable, but also dangerous.

Army then, the army now

What is the recruiting duty then, and what does it have to do with the current situation? At what stage did the Russian army pass to the universal military service regime, the "obligations", as they say now, and how much did this affect the training quality of our troops?

1874 can be noted as the end of the era of recruitment. For 169 years, the most powerful army existed in the world, having managed to form the influence that Russia has been maintaining up to now.

The recruit's service under Peter the Great reached its largest in 1725 - then 200 thousand soldiers guarded the approaches to the state.

Three times more than this amount, it was called in the period when Napoleon's troops entered our territory - from 1805 to 1812.

The Crimean War found absolutely unprecedented reserves - about one and a half million people from the beginning of the war and 300 thousand more soldiers - to its end. What is the recruit service of that period, you can not speak - the figures speak for themselves: the appeal was almost universal.

To endure such a long-suffering Russia had to and in the Russian-Turkish war - and again she collected under bayonets more than one and a half million soldiers and officers.

Now the number of Russian troops is equal to the period of the end of the XIX century, that is, it implies a constant readiness in the face of a fairly powerful, millionth composition, and this in peacetime and with a certain loyalty of the recruiting bodies over which the Count of Benckendorff does not hang a sword of Damocles.

The present method of formation of troops - the annual compulsory call - differs significantly from the "will of the case," the recruit's service, and what is one year in a harsh modern army against the "allowed" 25 years of the Petrine draft and seven-year ministry under the "soft" Nicholas service?