From military geography and statistics to military demography

Relevance. The history of military affairs is inextricably linked to population issues. For thousands of years, humanity has been drawn into an endless number of wars and conflicts, which have led to the depopulation of states and territories, triggering irreversible demographic processes. For Russia, which has experienced two world wars, a civil war, and a number of local wars, the demographic factor takes on a special significance. The social reality of the present compels the scientific community to turn to the experience of the past, in which historical demography is given a special place, and its interdisciplinary potential opens up new horizons for cognitive and research activities. Purpose: to present a historical reconstruction of the institutionalization of military demography in Russia. Objective: to characterize the methodological tools, forms, and subject field of military geography and military statistics; to determine their socio-historical significance in the development of military demography. Methodology. The imperatives of historicism and objectivism are the basis of the scientific research, which allowed to characterize the formation of military demography in Russia in the historical chronotope. The study covers the period from the beginning of the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. The chronological framework of the theoretical analysis and interpretations is determined by the period of the beginning of the institutionalization of military demography. Results. The continuity and interrelation of military geography and military statistics in the formation of military demography are revealed. The role of the demographic factor in military affairs is established. The leading role of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff in the institutionalization of military demography is shown. Conclusions. By the beginning of the 20th century, Russia had created the preconditions for the institutionalization of military demography as a separate field of military science. The methodology and tools of military geography and military statistics paved the way for this historical development.