From the pistol to the pen [The military memoir as a source on the social history of pre-Reform Russia

Abstract

John Keep, From the pistol to the pen : the military memoir as a source on the social history of pre-Reform Russia. Memoirs by Russian officers who served during the early Imperial era (c. 1700-1855), despite the inherent defects of the genre, represent an important source for the study of material conditions and intellectual attitudes in the tsarist army. As members of a closed caste enjoying high social status and privileges, these men were overwhelmingly loyal to the 'state service'. Patronage influenced their choice of career and promotion prospects. The volatility of the labour market for officers made for insecurity and discontent. Although living standards improved, many were poor, and by 1800 there emerged a 'military intelligentsia' with reformist aspirations whose views were, however, heavily coloured by nationalism and respect for tradition. Their concern for moral rather than political issues helps to explain the failure of the Decembrists.