The book describes and analyses the emergence of the early modern
Russian army, before the military reforms introduced by Tsar Peter the
Great brought it in line with developments in Western Europe. It will be
shown that Tsar Peter's reforms, although decisive, rested on a legacy
of previous reforms. Yet, the origin of the early modern Russian army
can be found in the East, not the West. The close association during the
Middle Ages with the Mongol Golden Horde had transformed the Muscovite
military system into a Eurasian one. In the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries, links with the Northern Caucasus and Siberia brought further
Oriental influences into the Russian military system. While the Mongol
legacy of the early Muscovite army has been described elsewhere, the
real and continuous impact of Oriental influences in the early modern
Russian army has not yet been detailed. Besides, the detailed
information on the Russian army in 1673/1674 which can be found in the
military handbook then produced by a Swedish intelligence officer has
never been fully used in English-language works. This information shows
that by the second half of the seventeenth century, Russia already had
an army that although not up to date according to Western standards,
still was able to hold its own against both Western and Eastern
adversaries. The book ends with 1689, when Tsar Peter's reign began and
Russia's border in the east with China was negotiated.
