INTRODUCTION OF THE MILITARY-DISTRICT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ON BELARUSIAN LANDS IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 1850s – EARLY 1860s

Abstract

This article examines a wide range of issues related to the specifics of the preparation and implementation of military reform in the Belarusian lands. The work identifies the main directions of activity of military department officials to develop options for improving the military command and control system. During the research, an in-depth analysis of the reasons that led to changes in government policy in the field of military control in the region was carried out. In chronological order, through the prism of normative legal acts, the processes of formation and legislative registration of district management institutions in the region are shown. Factors that had a negative impact on the formation of the district management structure were identified. The organizational measures of the War Ministry aimed at improving the structure of the Vilna Military District are shown. It is noted that the implementation of measures to create a military district system on Belarusian lands in the early 1860s. was carried out in a difficult international and socio-political situation associated with the consequences of the Crimean War and anti-government protests. Extraordinary circum-stances determined the repressive and punitive nature of its structure and powers. At the same time, along with general features, in the process of forming the Vilna Military District, local features emerged that reflected the level of military threats in the region. The results and conclusions of the study can be used in the preparation of textbooks, lectures and special courses on national and military history for students and cadets of higher educational institutions of the Republic of Belarus.