The Decline of the Tsarist Navy: Naval Officers of World War I

This review deals with the monograph of K. B. Nazarenko, a historian, dedicated to the naval officers of Russia in the era of World War I. The work under review is based on the use of historical and statistical methods of analysis, primarily, prosopography. Its application allows the author of the book to give a detailed description of various groups of the naval officer corps. Nazarenko's study fits into the context of modern historiography, parallels are drawn with some works by other historians. It is noted that there are two groups of naval commanders left whose history requires a similar detailed study (medical ranks and officials). The review emphasises that the value of Nazarenko's monograph goes beyond military history, it is of great interest for those studying the social history of the late Russian Empire and revolutionary Russia in 1917. The article is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project 19-09-00081 'Old' Russian Naval Officer Corps after 1917: Complete Prosopographic Survey).