Tsar

1798 · réf. 132180 — St Petersburg: A l'Academie Imperiale des Sciences 1798. First and only edition. Single location on WorldCat at BL KVK adds a copy in the Austrian National Library lacking 2 plates; and copies in the Zentralbibliothek der Bundeswehr Düsseldorf and Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt Halle. Decidedly uncommon infantry manual for the Imperial Russian Army from the brief reign of Tsar Paul I r.1796-1801. Paul had travelled extensively in Europe and had developed a taste for French and Italian architecture and Prussian military practice taking immense pleasure in rigidly drilling his private brigade of troops in the Versailles-inspired grounds of his estate at Gatchina. When he ascended the throne he attempted to remodel the army along Prussian lines introducing entirely impractical uniforms a regime of elaborate ceremonials and parades and as shown here the implementation of rigourous regulations and drill. The present manual was directly translated into French from its Prussian equivalent the words of command also being given in phonetically rendered Russian. Paul was assassinated by a group of disaffected army officers after just 4 years on the throne. Octavo 196 x 110 mm. 13 folding plates at the rear; somewhat erratically numbered no plate 1 2 plans numbered 4 but apparently complete. Recent mottled sheep-backed marbled boards by G. Gauché Paris red morocco label gilt rules to the spine. Spine lightly sunned light soiling to the title page pale toning to the text-block throughout overall very good. hardcover