CH: Keep Russia Militarily Strong

I know this is practically an ASB, but what if Napoleon absolutely annihilates the Russian Army at Borodino lets say Bagration has command of the army. If Russia can be subdued annd Napoleon can force the Russians to play ball for France he might force them introduce reforms. Even if Napoleon is defeated it will become insanely difficult to revert to the old ways and it might allow breathing room for Russia to modernize in a faster and more efficient way like Germany did.

Annihilating the Russian army at Borodino does not translate into subduing Russia. And Napoleon is in no position to force Russia to do reforms - not to mention the itty-bitty detail that he has no interest in Russia doing reforms.

As for "reverting to the old ways" - actually, no, it will be insanely easy to do so with Russians resenting foreign interference and foreigners.

Russia modernizing in a faster and more efficient way like Germany did would require Russia being as modern and developed a society as Germany, which is not happening at the point of French bayonets. It doesn't need "breathing room", it needs significant social reform.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
That's the Soviet Union. We're talking about the Russian Empire, which is a bit of a different beast, to say the least. Or rather, Russia pre Soviet Union.
Oh, I thought we were talking about Soviet/post-Soviet Russia. My mistake.

Anyways, avoiding Bloody Nicky would do wonders. Or if Nicholas I pursued his private sympathies towards liberalization.

Anything after 1905 is too late to save the monarchy short of armed White restorationism. What replaces it will either be a White military junta or what we got IOTL--Bolshevism.
 
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Oh, I thought we were talking about Soviet/post-Soviet Russia. My mistake.

Anyways, avoiding Bloody Nicky would do wonders. Or if Nicholas I pursued his private sympathies towards liberalization.

Anything after 1905 is too late to save the monarchy short of armed White restorationism. What replaces it will either be a White military junta or what we got IOTL--Bolshevism.

Is it really enough to have the tsar sympathetic given how massive a task we're talking about?

You can't command the existence of a middle class for instance.

Also:
The Bolsheviks could and did run roughsod over the remains of the Old Order after the revolution. Constantine, an alt-Nicholas, or whoever isn't really in a position to completely reshape Russian society with all the forces that would resist already crushed.
 
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