Volume one of a two-volume set, The Military History of Tsarist Russia is the first overview in English of the rise of the armed forces in Russia, from the Muscovite army of the 15th century through the reforms, expansions, and westernization of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, and the victory over Napoleon in 1812-1815. Essays also highlight the ideological conflict between Westernization and Russiafication, and the revolution that brought down the Romanovs in 1917. The eleven chapters by acknowledged experts provide a fine introduction to Russian military and naval history.

The Military History of the Soviet Union and The Military History of Tsarist Russia treat Russian military history from the rise of the Muscovite state to the present, even peeking briefly into the future. The two volumes will cover Russia's land forces extensively, but will also cover the development of the Russian Navy, and the creation and development of the Russian Air Force, parts of the Russian military machine which are frequently neglected in general writings. The historical analysis will address the development and function of the Russian military whether in peace or in war, as well as the impact of war and changes in the military upon Russian society and politics.

The Military History of Tsarist Russia examines Russian military history from the rise of the Muscovite state to the present, even peeking briefly into the future. The volume covers Russia's land forces extensively, but also covers the development of the Russian Navy, and the creation and development of the Russian Air Force - parts of the Russian military machine that are frequently neglected in general writings. The historical analysis addresses the development and function of the Russian military whether in peace or in war, as well as the impact of war and changes in the military upon Russian society and politics. Questions of military organization, doctrine, and technique are paramount, as well as the critical question of the interface between the armed forces and society.

Volume two of the set provides an introduction to the history of the Soviet armed forces from 1917 to 1991.The sixteen chapters show how the Bolsheviks survived the end of the First World War, the struggles against the White Armies and the Poles, the Leninist, Trotskyite, and Stalinist reconstructions, the Red Air Force, the Five-Year Plans, and more. Robin Higham and Frederick W. Kagan highlight the many facets of the Cold War, including the rise of the Soviet Navy after the Great Patriotic War, the disaster in Afghanistan, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In the 1830s Russia was facing a crisis. The army was poorly organized, the administration was underdeveloped, inefficient, and corrupt, and the state was too poor to bear the strain. This crisis was the principal driving force behind Russia's reforms of the 1830s, and Nicholas' policies can only be understood within the context of that crisis. Within this context, Frederick Kagan's The Military Reforms of Nicholas I , examines Nicholas' fundamental reorganization of the Russian military administration from 1832-1836, bringing about the birth of the modern Russian army.