The Russian Army in the Caucasus: A War of Private Actors

The surrounding natural environment, the nature of service, and the way that war was conducted in the Caucasus—everything helped inculcate a spirit of independence and personal courage in the soldier along with those fighting traits that set him apart. . . . He had to know in advance what to do if the enemy suddenly appeared nearby with sword drawn, or how to take cover from a shot if he saw a rifle sticking out into a forest clearing. . . . He knew how to fend for himself if he was left a day or two without provisions. In general, whether with a full belly or an empty one, dodging a bullet or taking one, resting by the fireside on straw on a cold winter night or tossing and turning on the bare snow, his fate depended solely on him, and in his case necessity was the mother of invention. And he would never stop adapting to his circumstances throughout the entire year. 1