Army and Cossacks

• The Tsar also had the world’s largest army of around 1.5 million conscripted serfs each forced into service for 25 years and made to live in a ‘military colony’.
• This huge army absorbed around 45% of the government’s annual spending.
• The Tsar also had the service of elite regiments of mounted Cossacks with special social privileges. The Cossacks acted both as a personal bodyguard to the Tsar and as police enforcements.
• The Cossacks were known for their skills in horsemanship and strong military tradition.