The army

• The Tsars used the army to mainly quell rebellion/strikes
• Alex II:

  • The Crimean War revealed a number of deficiencies in the military.
  • The Emancipation Act led to important military reforms
• Alex III:

  • Russification led to the army having an enhanced role as a peace-keeping force
• Nich II:

  • From 1905 to 1917, the army was used to dismantle strikes, protests and riots
  • Sometimes the army’s use of excessive force, for example on Bloody Sunday (1905), caused significant outrage
• Lenin:

  • Military used to consolidate power
  • Red Army was instrumental to allowing the Bolsheviks to win the Civil War
  • Used to help impose War Communism
• Stalin:

  • Also used the army to help implement economic policy (collectivisation)
  • Played a role in the Great Terror
  • 1945-1953: military leaders treated with suspicion
• Khrushchev:

  • Army more focused on resolving international conflicts
• Both Alex III and Stalin used the army to implement policies (particularly economic ones) through creating fear
• Synthesis:

  • Mostly used with the intention of reducing opposition and maintaining peace
  • Used more frequently by the Tsars than by the Communists
  • Both Alex III and Stalin used the army to implement policies (particularly economic ones) through creating fear