THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL NAVY from 1870 to its fall.

Exceptional also because it always strove to develop innovative technical means, to the point of being a pioneer in several fields such as the submarine torpedo boat and mine warfare, among many others. Yet it was also hampered by demanding climatic conditions, questionable doctrines and poor crew management. A history of stark contrasts, in which this navy rebuilt itself within a few years after having been almost entirely crushed in the Russo-Japanese War, while the virus of revolution was already spreading through its ranks. This historical study of the Russian Imperial Navy and its vessels is based on original archival sources. The author's principal research material consists of the reports of French naval attachés in Saint Petersburg, which were particularly detailed and well-documented owing to the Franco-Russian alliance. He has supplemented these with publications from the French war college of the period and with a number of Russian works and contemporary specialist reviews. The book comprises a historical section tracing the evolution of the navy and its structures (a detailed study of technological and industrial advances or shortcomings, arsenals, shipyards, industries, the officers' corps, crew training; and of course the conflicts and events, and the lessons drawn from them, etc.) and a technical section detailing each vessel and series of vessels with concise specifications and histories. The whole across 384 pages, enriched with nearly 600 photographs and documents.