Black Powder: The Russian Bear - Crimean War Russian Starter Army

At the beginning of the Crimean War the Russian military was the largest in Europe, containing just under one million men, 930,000 of which belonged to the land forces, though size is not everything… The bulk of the Imperial Russian Army that faced the allied nations of Great Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottomans comprised the stoic infantrymen clad in their green and white uniforms, often covered by a drab greatcoat, but conscripted mostly from poor peasants and serfs. The individual soldier was on the whole poorly trained, equipped and led. Despite these shortcomings nobody could doubt their bravery – the soldiers were used to privation and sacrifice throughout warfare with the great Ottoman Empire for many years. Singing their hymns to Mother Russia, the simple peasant stock that filled Russian regiments had a fervent belief in their Tsar and an equal belief in the bayonet due to their poor musketry skills and old weapons. Box Contains: 72 Hard Plastic Crimean War Russian Line Infantry, 9 Metal Russian Line Infantry Command Figures, 12 Metal Crimean War Russian Lancers, 1 Metal Crimean War Cossack Artillery 6-Pdr Cannon with Crew, 1 Metal Russian Colonel (Mounted), Full-colour Flag Leaflet, Plastic Bases.