Pre-Conscription Training of Young People during the Military Reform of 1924–1925 (Based on Materials from the Kursk Region)

Abstract

The article's content and conclusions are based on archival data found in the collections of the Kursk Region State Archives and the Russian State Military Archives. These data demonstrate the work of Soviet military-Bolshevik bodies with pre-conscription age youth. Archival documents describe their main areas of work, as well as their positive and negative aspects. The author of the article has established that, despite significant shortcomings in pre-conscription military training, due to the extreme scarcity of material and technical support, significant progress was made in sanitary and hygienic education, the eradication of illiteracy, and the formation of Soviet political views. Organizational problems with the conscript contingent were resolved with constant support from civilian structures. A quantitative analysis of training hours clearly shows that the primary focus was on political and patriotic education, while other areas of activity were its components. The stated goal of the work determined the research methodology. Therefore, statistics is a means of decision-making in the political and ideological sphere. Therefore, the statistical method is central to the study, since the problems of working with textual material most often lead to subjectivity. It was complemented by the inductive method, which requires science to proceed from an empirical analysis of source material and, on this basis, to understand causes and laws. The analyzed policies in the area of pre-conscription training and organizational work with conscripts clearly demonstrate that socio-cultural issues and questions of explaining current life in the state and the world from a patriotic perspective were central to state policy. Such experience requires further reflection on its applicability to modern state work with youth.