Alexander P. Shevyrev, Stanislav S. Yudin Military and Naval Reforms under Alexander III

Abstract

The article examines the condition and development of the Russian army and navy during the reign of Emperor Alexander III (1881–1894) as an important stage in the evolution of the armed forces of the Russian Empire in the late nineteenth century. The military and navy policy of this period was based, on the one hand, on the continuation and further development of the reforms of the previous reign, and on the other, on the revision of certain measures and their adaptation to changing external and internal political conditions. Through an analysis of the system of military administration, technical rearmament, material support, and personnel policy, the authors identify a contradiction between the modernization trends within the army and navy and the overall conservative course of the supreme power. Despite certain achievements — such as progress in naval construction, an increase in the size and combat readiness of the army — by 1894 negative tendencies had already become apparent, which would later intensify under Nicholas II. By the mid-1890s, strategic issues of national defense had begun to conflict with the general political line of the late Romanovs, aimed at preserving social stability. These contradictions were evident in the areas of material supply (armaments, fortress construction, the development of the railway network, shipbuilding), and most vividly in addressing the “officer question”, which concerned the social composition, prestige, career development and professional training of the officer corps. The authors conclude that it was during the reign of Alexander III that the foundations were laid for the crisis phenomena that would determine the condition of the Russian army and navy and lead to the military and political defeats of the early twentieth century.

Keywords:

Alexander III; Russian Empire; army; navy; military reforms; modernization; officer corps

For сitation:

Alexander P. Shevyrev, Stanislav S. Yudin. Military and Naval Reforms under Alexander III // The Historical Reporter. 2026. Vol. 58. P. DOI:

Alexander P. Shevyrev

C.Sc. (History), Associate Professor, Faculty of History, Lomonosov Moscow State University. Moscow, Russian Federation.

e-mail: london7579@yandex.ru

Scopus Author ID: 6601910435

SPIN-код: 8707-7996

ORCID: 0000-0001-5454-2719

Stanislav S. Yudin

C.Sc. (History), Publishing house “The Great Russian Encyclopedia”, research department. Moscow, Russian Federation.

e-mail: stasstas08@mail.ru

Scopus Author ID: 57193486292

SPIN-code: 6424-4530

ORCID: 0009-0002-3140-9637

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