As I was researching the articles on the American / European conquest of North America, I began to note the operations at the same time of other countries along their frontier. One of the more interesting studies involved the Russian expansion to its’ east and south. The Russian progress was slow and often halted by the presence of major powers in the region.

As a result, the Russians in their drive to achieve control over their frontier fought numerous conflicts. This is the introduction article of a series of articles that will trace the Russian march, highlight regions of focus and specific conflicts. The various articles will cover a period from 1670 to 1900. The post-Napoleonic 1800s were an especially active time for Russian expansion efforts. At this time the following articles are planned which may be reorganized based on the amount of material that is deemed necessary to complete the articles.

Russia’s Initial Strike South: The Need to Control the Crimea;
Russia in the Balkans: Pan-Slavism and the Ottoman Foe;
Russia’s Taming of the East: Operations Against the Khanates of Central Asia (This issue)
Russia’s Oriental Gamble: Notes on the Push to the Pacific. (This issue)

Some Russian explorers had conducted mapping expeditions to the east across Siberia during the mid-1600s. However, the first serious considerations by the Russians to expand their frontier toward the south and east can be traced to the reign of Peter the Great. It is during his reign that Russian strategy shifted from one of a defensive nature to one of conquest coupled with colonial expansion.

It is the policy of introducing Russian colonist into the conquered areas that changes the attitude of the strategic planners. Military expeditions without a colonial support base cannot be expected to do more than disrupt and irritate the target of the campaign. Such limited goals allow the victim to regroup, grow stronger and even retaliate. With the introduction of colonists, the frontier is expanded and the cohesion of the target area is fragmented. This policy prevents the enemy from utilizing its full resources and brings additional Russian resources closer to the location at which they will be needed to support further expansion.

Legend suggests that Peter the Great regarded the eastward and southern expansions as vital to the security and continued growth of the Russian Empire. So much so that he supposedly invoked all of his successors to push forward until they controlled Delhi India and Constantinople Turkey. Peter also expected that the Russians would continue to expand through Siberia to the Pacific Ocean, where the Russians had recently fought forces of Manchu China.

Many of my other articles on lesser known military campaigns have included uniform information about the combatants. In the case of the Russian expansion, the uniforms worn by the troops were the same as those worn by Russian troops in their European campaigns. Of course in many cases heavier clothing was used in the regions with a severe climate. The troops of most of the Russian foes tended to wear the daily clothing of the local region. Uniforms were often reserved for imperial or bodyguard troops of the region’s rulers. I will comment on these whenever possible.

Russia's Manifest Destiny 19th Century Expansion

Introduction
Russian Campaigns During Their Southern and Eastward Expansion: Including Events of their Siberian Advance
Russia’s Oriental Gamble: Notes on the Push to the Pacific
Russia’s Taming of the East: Operations Against the Khanates of Central Asia
Chronology of the Russian Campaigns into Central Asia 1839-1884
Sources
Miniature Castings For the Various Russian Wars