MacDougal, Philip Battles of the Russian Navy 1793-1815

Western historians have largely neglected the activities of the Russian Navy during the naval war against France (17931815); this book aims to remedy that oversight. During these years, Russia possessed the world's third-largest navyafter Britain and Francewith squadrons operating primarily in the Baltic, North, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as the Adriatic. As Russia participated in the war against revolutionary France as a British ally, the book focuses on evaluating the Russian Navy's effectiveness during this period, paying particular attention to its cooperation with the British Royal Navy in various campaigns. The fact that some leading Russian naval officers had trained as cadets at the Portsmouth Naval Academy in England, and that certain Russian ships were commanded by officers from the British Navy, contributed significantly to the smooth conduct of these cooperative efforts. Yet this was not always the case; friction and misunderstandings occasionally marred this early example of international maritime cooperation. Relations hit rock bottom, however, during the reign of Paul I (r. 17961801), when the two navies were effectively at war and Nelson seriously considered bombarding Russias two key naval basesTallinn and Kronstadtmuch as he had Copenhagen. Although the Russian Navy of that era is primarily viewed as the creation of Catherine the Great (r. 176296), the book also gives due attention to its founding by Peter the Great (r. 16821725) and its original purpose. Throughout, the work draws on contemporary, firsthand accounts and documentsmany previously inaccessible in Britainthat shed light on the tactics and strategies employed by Russian commanders. These strategies and tacticsoften downplayed by Western naval historianswere frequently ahead of the prevailing naval doctrine of the time and led to several significant victories. Also acknowledged are the importance of shore-based infrastructure in supporting the Russian high-seas fleet, as well as the service conditions on board and the structure of the command hierarchy.