The main aspects of the introduction of conscription in Russia at the beginning of the XVIII century

The article is devoted to the main aspects of the introduction of conscription in Russia at the beginning of the XVIII century during the reign of Peter the Great, the prerequisites for reform, its implementation, legislative framework and results are considered. The main attention is paid to the sources and dating of the introduction of conscription. The analysis of the formation of a regular army recruitment system, its regularity, numerical and class composition is carried out, the concepts of "recruits" and "date soldiers" are disclosed. The Decree of Peter the Great of February 20, 1705, its execution, extension and results are considered in detail. From 1705 to 1709, five large sets were conducted from all cities of the Moscow State with a period of one year. In the period from 1710 to 1711, recruitment was mainly carried out from the population of Moscow and adjacent counties. Changes in the organizational structure of recruitment were associated with the establishment of a new territorial division and government agencies. The local order was still in charge of recruiting.  The main source is the "Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire" (The first Collection), published in 1830 in St. Petersburg. The introduction of conscription should not be regarded as a one-time act, this system began to take shape in 1699, its base was formed by 1705, and finally, after all the changes and transformations, it entered the state system by 1711. With the introduction of conscription, desertion has become a mass phenomenon, while being the main form of social protest (passive). The government's measures aimed at toughening the punishment for fugitives, apparently, did not save them from escapes. The most effective solution to this problem was the introduction of bail for fellow soldiers and relatives of the recruit. Conscription became one of the cheapest methods of recruiting the army, as it did not require serious expenses for the material stimulation of soldiers and ensuring their livelihoods. The costs of recruiting and training recruits were reduced as much as possible by using the resources of government agencies involved in recruitment, in parallel with the main type of activity.

recruiting duty, recruitment levies, military reform, Peter I, regular army, forced conscription, recruits, desertion, army reform, due soldiers