Military History of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Professor of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences questions; State of the Russian Armed Forces in the first half of the 19th century 2. The Russian army and Navy in the period of two military reforms. Russia entered the 19th century with a strong, numerous, and well-trained army. She has accumulated considerable combat experience and traditions. The Russian National Military School has prepared a galaxy of talented military leaders, under whose leadership the soldiers of the Russian Army and Navy have continued the work of their grandfathers and fathers with dignity. 1 In various periods of its history, as the material, technical, socio-economic and political conditions of society developed, the Russian armed forces changed their organizational structure, composition, methods of recruitment, weapons, and methods of armed struggle. The nineteenth century, which began with a series of anti-Napoleonic wars, was no exception. The Russian Empire, which at that time had the strongest army, was also in the coalition against France. On January 1, 1801, it numbered 446 thousand people in its ranks. The main branch of the army was still the infantry. It began to be divided into linear, which operated in columns and struck the enemy with a bayonet, and light - jaeger. Chasseurs were armed with rifled rifles, daggers and knives. They fought in a loose formation, conducted targeted fire, were used to cover and bypass the enemy and cover their flanks. Initially, a jaeger team was created in each infantry regiment, and then-battalions and regiments. There were also changes in the cavalry. Its number and share in the army increased. The ratio of infantry and cavalry was approximately as follows: one cavalry regiment for two infantry. The bulk of the cavalry was still dragoons. Heavy cavalry (cuirassiers) appears, designed to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy in battle. There were selected tall, phy ... Читать далее