Cossacks and the Russian Empire, 1598–1723: Manipulation, Rebellion and Expansion into Siberia. Routledge Studies in the History of Russia and Eastern Europe, 8 by Christoph Witzenrath (review)

Abstract

reviews 743 Hungaryis normallycontrasted badly with its early sixteenth-century neighbours. It had no university and,after the1470s, no printing press.Most ofitsmagnates wereboorsand eventhoseholdinghighjudicial office were frequently illiterate. Hungary's greatest Renaissanceachievement, thelibrary gathered byMatthiasCorvinus, gathered dustafter hisdeathin 1490.It is all themorecurious, therefore, thatall threeofGlomski's humanists shouldhave spentsucha considerable partoftheir careersnotin CracowbutinHungary and enjoyed therethe not inconsiderable patronageof such figuresas AlexiusThurzó,György Szatmáriand Gábor Perényi, as wellas ofhumbler towncouncils.In thisrespect, JacquelineGlomski'smostthorough account illumines not onlycareers,patronageand neo-Latinpanegyric inJagiellon Polandbutalso theunexpected byways takenby somehumanist wanderers in CentralEuropeduring thefirst decadesofthesixteenth century. UCL SSEES Martyn Rady Witzenrath, Christoph. Cossacks andthe Russian Empire, 1598-1725: Manipulation, Rebellion andExpansion intoSiberia. RoutledgeStudiesin the Historyof Russiaand EasternEurope,8. Routledge, Londonand New York,2007. xvii+ 259pp. Illustrations. Notes.Bibliography. Index.£85.00. The Cossackshave attracted increasing attention fromscholarsin recent years,and now Christoph Witzenrath has produceda new analysisofhow government ofthevastSiberianfrontier-land functioned. Tryingto avoid a state-centred approach,he focuseson theperiphery ratherthanthecentre, andon theCossacksrather thanthegovernors (voevody) appointed byMoscow. Sincemostofthetsar'ssubjects inSiberiawereCossacks,and itwasthey who administered theregionand exploited iteconomically, thereare othergood reasonsforhisapproach. The Cossacks'decision-making collective isintheforefront ofWitzenrath's interests. Once knownas the krug, Witzenrath prefersa German term, Personenverband, whichcouldbe rendered as an association ofmen swornfor purposes ofcollective action.He seesitschief function as negotiating terms of service with localrepresentatives ofcentral government, butitcouldalsoblock unwelcome intrusions intotheiraffairs byoutsiders in general,and settle, or tryto settle, disputes betweenthem.There was little fixity, however, about thisinstitution itself oraboutthemeansofactionitemployed inpursuit ofits objectives. As described byWitzenrath, itwas bothflexible and adaptableto changing circumstances. There is a chapteron 'the economicsof Siberianservice',in whichhe describes themutualdependenceoftheCossacksand thestate, theCossacks relying on the stateto supplythemwitharmsand ammunition, the state depending ontheCossacksforthefurs, whichformed a vitalpartofitsincome in thatperiod;and otherson the integration of the tradingfrontier, and on the rolesof bothkormlenie (thelicituse of office to extractfeesforthe administrator), and ofbribery and misappropriation (whichwereillicit). He 744 SEER, 88, 4, OCTOBER 2OIO also includesa usefuloverviewof local and centralpower in the Baikal region. Unfortunately, Witzenrath's generally commendabletreatment is marred byexcessive theorizing, sometimes on thebasisoftoo little evidence, and by slipsin theuse oflanguageand logic.He graspsat anyanalytical toolwhich mightaid his quest,including'symbolical interpretative exchangegestures, [.. .] dressand a symbolical arrangement inspace' (p.90),butclumsy English too oftenobscureshis meaning,and althoughhe is rightto impugnSoviet historiansfor over-estimating social cleavages, he is inclined to apply ill-defined concepts from recent Western discourse uncritically. Routledgehas stinted theeditorial services whichwouldhavemade thisa muchbetterbook,and is demandingan exorbitant priceforit,confident, presumably ofblanket orders from university libraries. Thisis a pitybecause, despite itsshortcomings, Witzenrath has made a significant contribution both to the literature on late seventeenth-century Cossackdomand to theories pertaining thereto. London PhilipLongworth Luntinen,Pertti.Sota Venäjällä, Venäjäsodassa.SuomalaisenKirjallisuuden Seuran Toimituksia, 1159.FinnishLiterature Society,Helsinki,2008. 1,037PP-Illustrations. Maps. Bibliography. Index.€48.00. War is not a subjectforthe faint-hearted or the squeamishand Pertti Luntinen'smassivevolume on cWarin Russia, Russia at War' demands fortitude - true Finnishsisu- on the part of its readers.The book's ambitious aim is to coverwar and itsinfluence on thelandsoftheRussian Empire,theSovietUnion and theRussianFederation from prehistoric time to thepresent. Roughlya fifth ofthebook is devotedto theperiodbefore PetertheGreat,a little overa quarterto theimperial periodbetween1696 and 1917, wellovera quarterfromtheCivilWar to theend ofWorldWar Two andjustundera fifth to theyearsfrom thebeginning oftheCold War to thepresent day. Luntinen, a retired historian from theUniversity ofTampere,istheauthor ofa number ofimportant studies relating toRussianmilitary history, particularly between1808and 1918.He has drawnon hisownexpertise inthisgreat workbut has been, understandably and appreciatively, dependentupon theresearchof othersto coversuch a broad subject.Each chapterhas its ownbibliography (thereare no footnote references to individual books)and it is evidentfromthesebibliographies and fromthetextitself how widely, fruitfully and critically Luntinenhas drawnon theworkof otherscholars. Listingof the important literature approachesthe comprehensive. Books in Russian and Englishpredominate but German and Frenchworksare represented and materialin Finnishadds a specialdimension to Luntinen's narrative. This is naturalin a bookintended forFinnish readers, presumably ...