ABSTRACT

Russia's emergence as a Great Power in the eighteenth century is usually attributed to Peter I's radical programme of 'Westernising' reforms. But the Russian military did not simply copy European armies. Adapting the tactics of its neighbours on both sides, Russia created a powerful strategy of its own, integrating steppe defence with European concerns. In Russia's Wars of Emergence, Carol Belkin Stevens examines the social and political factors underpinning Muscovite military history, the eventual success of the Russian Empire and the sacrifices made for power.

chapter |9 pages

Introduction

part I|98 pages

1450–1598

part II|108 pages

1598–1697

chapter 4|36 pages

The political prelude to military reform

chapter 5|40 pages

The Thirteen Years' War, 1654–67

chapter 6|30 pages

The steppe frontier after Razin, 1672–97

part III|88 pages

1698–1730

chapter |9 pages

Conclusion

Russia without Peter 1