Episode Details

Czar Alexander III (1845-1894) is reported to have stated that "Russia only has two allies: the army and the navy." Military power has always been important to Russia in establishing itself as a great power, especially as the largest country in the world spanning two continents. Beginning with the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars (1789-1815), Russia has been involved in many major military conflicts that have engulfed Europe to the present day - especially the on-going war in Ukraine since February 2022. What is the exact nature of the Russian army, and what can be said about its long-term historical role as the guardian of Russian sovereignty? These are the subjects addressed comprehensively in Roger R. Reese's Russia's Army: A History from the Napoleonic Wars to the War in Ukraine (University of Oklahoma Press, 2023). Unlike most works that address only a specific period of Russian military history, Reese's book examines the Czarist, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods.

Roger R. Reese is Professor of History at Texas A&M University and has authored numerous articles and books on the Russian military, including Why Stalin's Soldiers Fought: The Red Army's Military Effectiveness in World War II.

Stephen Satkiewicz is an independent scholar whose research areas are related to Civilizational Analysis, Social Complexity, Big History, Historical Sociology, military history, War studies, International Relations, Geopolitics, as well as Russian and East European history.

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