The phrase about personnel that decide everything does not lose its relevance.
The vicious practice of assigning military ranks to males of noble bloods, starting right from birth, which was more characteristic of the East, hampered the development of Russia. On March 9, 1714, Tsar Peter Alekseevich issued a decree prohibiting the production of nobles who did not serve in the army as officers.
In fact, Peter destroyed the remnants of parochialism. This was the name of the procedure for the distribution of official ranks (places), taking into account the nobility of origin and official position of the ancestors. According to the decree of the tsar, a nobleman, if he did not carry out the service of the sovereign, was considered a stunted, in a way inferior, impaired in his rights. Malicious deviators who did not attend the annual reviews were deprived of their estates. The same is true if a nobleman terminated his service ahead of schedule for any reason.
The measures taken by the sovereign increased the personal responsibility of the initially serving class, returned to it the meaningfulness of existence. After all, the nobles were obliged to defend the Fatherland, shed blood for it, give the army the best years. They retired, as a rule, due to injury or at an advanced age. For their immaculate service, they received the right to the estate. This decision was, in modern terms, very popular in the eyes of the common people, consolidated the nation, had a positive effect on the health of the army - the favorite brainchild of Tsar Peter.
It's an honor to be a good soldier
At the same time, the important problem of fostering the fighting spirit of the commander's corps was solved. All future officers had to start serving as soldiers, which gave invaluable experience, endowed such chiefs with the moral right to command subordinates. Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov passed this way, who began his service as a simple musketeer.
Peter foresaw the possibility of renewing the national elite with an influx of fresh blood. Achievement of the noble rank by service was open to representatives of all estates, who were jealous of her.
Moreover, in 1720, Peter issued a decree on hereditary nobility, which ordered the issuance of appropriate patents to chief officers from the lower classes. Their children and all offspring were endowed with the same rights, which further stimulated them to serve.
Parquet maneuvers
Unfortunately, after the death of Peter I, the system for the formation of domestic career officers that he had laid down began to collapse. At first, Anna Ioannovna limited her service to 25 years. Then Peter III issued the famous Manifesto on the Liberty of the Nobility. Catherine II, who replaced him, further expanded the rights of the estate.
This gradually led to a weakening of Russia's military power. Parquet careerists, spineless performers, someone's sons began to be appointed generals. Many senior "peacetime" officers appeared who performed their duties well during the lull, but could not lead the troops to victory, without which the war is meaningless. The result was disastrous - the inglorious Crimean campaign, numerous mistakes and unnecessary sacrifices of 1877-1878, defeat by Japan and the catastrophe of the initial period of the First World War, which led to revolutions.
How relevant it is today, after so many years. The appearance of generals of "peacetime", their unpreparedness for war was shown half a century after the Great Patriotic War, the first Chechen campaign - not without reason that among those who refused to lead the military group prepared for entering Chechnya there were many parquet generals who made a career in prestigious foreign groups of troops.
Peter can be assessed in different ways, but the attitude of the reformer tsar to military service commands respect. His lessons are still relevant today. The spirit of careerism is too developed in some servicemen, which has grown in the field of some kind of bread-and-butter job to the detriment of the idea of serving the Motherland, which requires widespread commitment.
