Page "Battle of Austerlitz" Paragraph 8

The Russian army in 1805 had many characteristics of Ancien Régime organization.

There was no permanent formation above the regimental level, senior officers were largely recruited from aristocratic circles ( and commissions were generally sold to the highest bidder, regardless of competence ), and the Russian soldier, in line with 18th-century practice, was regularly beaten and punished " to instill discipline ".

Furthermore, many lower-level officers were poorly trained and had difficulty getting their men to perform the sometimes complex maneuvers required in a battle.

However, the Russians did have a fine artillery arm, manned by soldiers who regularly fought hard to prevent their pieces from falling into enemy hands.