CONTENTS TO VOL. I CHAPTER I PAGES An historical résumé of the problems which confronted the Russian War Department during the past two centuries 1–39 CHAPTER II Russia’s frontiers in Europe and Asia—Conclusions as to their suitability to the needs of the Empire 40–77 CHAPTER III The expansion in numbers of our army in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the suitability of our peace and war establishments, and the growth of our neighbours’ forces—The growing complication of our defence problems towards the end of the last century 78–95 CHAPTER IV Deductions drawn from the work of the army in the past 200 years, which may serve as some guide for the line our military policy should take in the beginning of the twentieth century 96–110 CHAPTER V The work before the War Department in the concluding years of the last, and the early years of the present, century—Money allotted to it from 1898–1903—Inadequacy of these sums to meet the demands—Measures which it was possible to undertake—Steps taken to improve and consolidate our position in the Far East 111–144 CHAPTER VI The War Minister’s opinion on the Manchurian and Korean questions from the year 1900 to 1903—What he did to avoid a rupture with Japan 145–198 CHAPTER VII Why the Japanese were successful 199–228 CHAPTER VIII Reasons for our reverses: The minor part played by the fleet—The small carrying capacity of the Siberian and Eastern Chinese Railways—Absence of any diplomatic arrangements to permit of the unhampered despatch and distribution of our forces—Delay in mobilization of reinforcements—Disadvantages of “partial mobilization”—Transfer during the war of regulars from military districts in European Russia into the reserve—Delay in the arrival at the front of drafts—Weakening of the disciplinary powers of commanders as to the punishment awarded to private soldiers—Delay in promoting those who distinguished themselves on service—Technical shortcomings 229–309 ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. I GENERAL KUROPATKIN _Frontispiece_ OPPOSITE PAGE H.I.M. THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS II. 156