Opposition. Special Services, Army and Government prior to collapse of the Russian Empire, 1913-1917

М.: Moscow: Gaidar Institute Press, 2020. – 648 p.

ISBN 978-5-93255-567-5

The February Revolution of 1917 divided Russian history into two huge strata. Even now, Russian society experiences latently the consequences of the Civil War resulted from the split off. In their studies, historians attempt to understand the mechanism of the fall of monarchy, which gave rise to an unprecedented social explosion that changed the course of domestic and world history.

The aim of this study is to provide an answer to the most acute questions, i.e. whether the leadership of the Ministry of Interior was prepared to organize the work of secret police and effectively enjoy its results, was the government capable to formulate the priority responsibilities of the gendarmerie during the First World War and provide them with required material, technical and regulatory framework, whether personnel of special services possessed required skills and training in order to implement tasks assigned to them?

The book focuses on the activities of domestic intelligence in Russia aimed at support of state security in strong cooperation with political and military authorities of the Empire.