Awards

• Commended for 2021 Canadian Association of Slavists Taylor & Francis Book Prize 2021 (Canada)

Overview

War and Enlightenment in Russia explores how members ofthe military during the reignof Catherine II reconciled Enlightenmentideas about the equality and moral worth of allhumans with the Russian reality based on serfdom, a worldgoverned by autocracy, absolute respect for authority, andsubordination to seniority. While there is a sizable literature about the impact of theEnlightenment on government, economy, manners, and literaturein Russia, no analytical framework that outlines itsimpact on the military exists. Eugene Miakinkov's researchaddresses this gap and challenges the assumption that themilitary was an unadaptable and vertical institution. Using archivalsources, military manuals, essays, memoirs, and letters,the author demonstrates how the Russian militaires philosophes into reality.

Full Product Details

9781487503543

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Reviews

"""War and Enlightenment challenges the dictum about Russian backwardness. Miakinkov helps explain why and how the Russian army won repeatedly in the late eighteenth century. More broadly, the book enhances our appreciation of the cosmopolitan and variegated nature of the Enlightenment."" -- Lucien Frary, Rider University * <em>The Journal of Military History</em> * ""Serious students of Russian history, the Military Enlightenment, and the influence of Enlightenment thought will find Eugene Miakinkov's new book deserving of their careful reflection. It is a highly instructive contribution to the English-language literature on the army that stymied Frederick the Great and helped defeat Napoleon Bonaparte."" -- James McIntyre, Moraine Valley Community College * <em>Michigan War Studies Review</em> *"

War and Enlightenment in Russia expands the field of Russian cultural and intellectual history investigating a significant amount of unpublished documents from St. Petersburg's National Library, the State Archive of Ancient Documents, and the State Military Archive. Eugene Miakinkov creates a multifaceted portrayal of the Russian military, from the training and promotion of lower-ranking officers to the performance of leadership responsibilities. - Colum Leckey, Department of History, Piedmont Virginia Community College War and Enlightenment in Russia is based on an impressive range of primary sources and will appeal to a wide scholarly readership on European history. It will be of interest not only to Russian history specialists but also to historians of the armed forces, of the nobility, and of the culture of eighteenth-century Europe. - Janet Hartley, Department of International History, London School of Economics and Political Science

"""War and Enlightenment challenges the dictum about Russian backwardness. Miakinkov helps explain why and how the Russian army won repeatedly in the late eighteenth century. More broadly, the book enhances our appreciation of the cosmopolitan and variegated nature of the Enlightenment."" -- Lucien Frary, Rider University * <em>The Journal of Military History</em> * ""Serious students of Russian history, the Military Enlightenment, and the influence of Enlightenment thought will find Eugene Miakinkov's new book deserving of their careful reflection. It is a highly instructive contribution to the English-language literature on the army that stymied Frederick the Great and helped defeat Napoleon Bonaparte."" -- James McIntyre, Moraine Valley Community College * <em>Michigan War Studies Review</em> * “Provides a much-needed revision to our understanding of the eighteenth-century Russian military.” -- Tyler Mazda, Ohio State University * <em>H-Net Reviews: H-War</em> *"

Author Information

Eugene Miakinkov is a lecturer in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies at Swansea University.

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