Soldiers' Children, 1719-1856: A Study of Social Engineering in Imperial Russia

TitleSoldiers' Children, 1719-1856: A Study of Social Engineering in Imperial Russia
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1982
AuthorsKimerling, Elise
JournalForschungen zur osteuropäischen Geschichte
Volume30
Pagination61-136
Abstract

Soldiers' children and cantonists belong - like all subaltern service classes of the tsarist state - to the social strata forgotten by historiography. Drawing primarily on the various legislative works, Kimerling reconstructs the history of this group, which since Peter I constituted a large part of the subaltern personnel in the military and administration. From the beginning of the 19th century, the growing need for lower-level specialists prompted the government to create, in ever new legislative acts, a social network regulated by the state, from which the next generation could be drawn for military and civilian service. Characteristically, this was not done by opening up access to the military rank, but through ever new attempts to create class subcategories. It was social engineering that did not innovate, but rather sought to channel social changes into corporative forms and remained concerned with sealing off the military as a rank from the rest of society.

Entry by GWC Assistants / Work by GWC Assistants : 
BH

Type of Literature: