ABSTRACT
Dmitrii Miliutin's reforms belong to the series of changes which resulted from the defeat in the Crimean War and were intended to make Russia a modern country. This chapter discusses when did the officers of the Russian General Staff first make their appearance as members of a special, distinguishable group within the Russian officers' corps? The two main elements of the reforms were the emphases on centralization and on education and professional training. Miliutin was not satisfied with mere improvement and expansion of the system of military schools, but he placed them under the jurisdiction of the War Ministry. The central military organs had acquired great importance and, therefore, they were the first to be reformed after Miliutin assumed the Ministry. The increased responsibility and authority of central organs complemented the modernization of the army: its structure became more complex. The Russian General Staff resulted from the emergence of the mass army and Napoleonic wars.
