Cossacks - Imperial Army
The Cossack troops were a special part of the Russian army, staffed by representatives of the Cossacks - an estate that historically developed among the population of a number of border regions of the Russian Empire, which enjoyed special rights and benefits on the condition of compulsory and general military service and had its own special organizational structure. Cossack troops were recruited on the basis of universal military service. Upon entering the service, the Cossacks had to have their own uniforms, equipment and horses, receiving only firearms from the treasury. Each Cossack army fielded a certain number of cavalry, foot and artillery military units in wartime and peacetime.
The armed forces of the Cossack troops were divided into service personnel and military militia, convened in emergency cases. The service staff was divided into three categories: preparatory (for training), drill, from which combat units were recruited, and spare (to make up for losses). According to the regulation on military service in 1874, the Cossacks were in military service from 18 to 38 years; in 1909, the service life was reduced to 18 years, of which 1 year in the preparatory category, 12 years in the drill and 5 years in the reserve. The combat rank was divided into 3 stages: the 1st was on active duty, the 2nd and 3rd - on a privilege to go home, but in constant readiness to enter the service. Military units of the 2nd and 3rd stages were called up for service in wartime; the numbers of active duty regiments were retained while they were on relief.
Cossack troops put up for military service cavalry military units (regiments, squadrons, hundreds), foot (battalions) and artillery (battalions and batteries). They carried out active military service outside the territories of their Cossack troops. Don, part of the Astrakhan, Orenburg and Ural Cossacks served in European Russia, Kuban and Terek - in the Caucasus and the Transcaspian region, part of the Astrakhan, Orenburg and Ural Cossacks - in Central Asia, Siberian and Semirechensk Cossacks - in the Omsk and Turkestan military districts, Transbaikal - in Transbaikalia, Amur - in the Amur Territory. Cossack military units were part of army military formations or reduced to Cossack brigades and divisions.
Before World War I, the Cossack units had 54 cavalry regiments, 6 plastun battalions, 11 separate hundreds, 4 separate divisions, 23 batteries. By 1917, there were 164 cavalry regiments, 30 plastun battalions, 179 individual hundreds, 54 batteries and other units.
In addition to the Cossack military units, irregular regiments and teams were formed in Russia from the Transcaucasian and mountain peoples, Crimean Tatars, Greeks and Siberian peoples, mainly for periods of hostilities. To protect the borders in the North Caucasus, there were police units.
With the introduction in 1874 of universal military service, a project was developed for the organization of native troops and the rules of military service, taking into account the national characteristics of tribes and nationalities. From the peoples of the Caucasus region, foot and horse units were to be completed, and from Christians - foot units, and from Muslims - horse. Serving their military service should take place mainly in the Caucasian military district. The project on conscription in the Caucasus and Dagestan was postponed until 1885.
The conditions and procedure for passing the military service of the Cossacks differed from those established for the rest of the population of the country. According to the charter on universal military service of 1874, the Cossacks were in the service for only 20 years: from 18 to 38. For the first three years, the Cossacks were listed in the “preparatory category” and had to purchase uniforms, equipment, learn military science for military service in the army . The next twelve are in the "commander category". But active service was carried out only for four years in units of the first stage. The next four years served in parts of the second stage. And then - in parts of the third stage and lived in the villages. Staying in parts of the second stage, the Cossacks gathered annually in camps. Being in parts of the third stage, they passed one camp collection. After the “combat discharge”, the Cossacks were transferred to the “reserve discharge” for five years. After him - in the militia. In 1909, by reducing the "preparatory category" by two years, the term of military service of the Cossacks was reduced to 18 years.
The recruitment of army Cossack units was carried out so that each regiment (plastun battalion) received Cossacks from the same villages and farms. In this regard, hundreds of Cossacks had close friendly or family ties, which, together with established traditions, distinguished them by their high stamina and mutual assistance in battle. Guards and artillery units were equipped with selected Cossacks of the entire army.
The training of officers for the Cossack troops was carried out mainly in the Cossack schools - Novocherkassk and Orenburg, as well as in the Cossack hundred of the Nikolaev Cavalry School. If the Cossacks entered other military schools, then upon graduation they could be promoted to the first rank of a cornet and sent to serve in the Cossack units. In addition, non-Cossacks could be officers in the Cossack units. After serving 3–4 years in a priority Cossack regiment, Cossack officers could leave for benefits at their place of residence, as a rule, for no more than 3 years, and then return to their regiment again.
By the beginning of the 20th century, 11 Cossack troops (Don, Kuban, Terek, Astrakhan, Ural, Orenburg, Siberian, Semirechensk, Transbaikal, Amur and Ussuriysk), as well as the Cossack population of the Irkutsk and Yenisei provinces, were subordinate to the military ministry. In 1900, according to the Central Statistical Committee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, more than 3,144 thousand people of both sexes, belonging to the Cossack estate, lived in the Cossack regions, which was 2, 4% of the then population of Russia. By nationality, 78% of the Cossacks were Russians, 17% were Ukrainians, and the remaining 5% were Kalmyks, Ossetians, Tatars, Buryats, Mongols and Yakuts classified as Cossacks. Traditionally, since 1827, the heir to the throne was listed as the ataman of all Cossack troops. In fact, the general management of the Cossack troops was carried out by the Cossack department of the General Staff (since 1910), and the Main Directorate of the General Staff was in charge of mobilization and combat training.
The Cossacks were mainly cavalry (in wartime they accounted for more than two-thirds of the entire cavalry of the Russian army) and, to a lesser extent, horse artillery and infantry. In peacetime, the Cossack troops were kept at one-third of their total strength. The Cossack units of the first stage consisted of 55 regiments (including 3 guards), His Imperial Majesty's own convoy (4 guard hundreds), 2 separate divisions, 10 separate hundreds, 2 teams, 6 plastun battalions and 20 artillery batteries (including 1 guards ).
On August 16, 1914, a new "Regulation on the units formed from the natives of the Caucasus during the military operations" was approved. According to this Regulation, the Caucasian "native units" enjoyed the rights of the army and seniority from the day they were formed. Regiment commanders, officers and military officials were appointed on a general basis. The recruitment of units by the lower ranks was carried out by hunters (volunteers) from the indigenous inhabitants of the Caucasus, who were supposed to have their own horse and horse equipment, uniforms and edged weapons. The Caucasian units, through their commanders, were subordinate to the chiefs of those military formations in which they were a part. With regard to military training, they were guided by the Cossack combat regulations.
Cossack and national military units and formations were disbanded in 1918.
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