"Russia's Army: The Poor, the Minorities" Topic

We don't have aggregated data for the entire Russian army. But we can get some idea of who fights in Ukraine from this list of wounded Russian soldiers lying in Rostov hospital. More than half are clearly Dagestani. Magomed (Muhammad) – the most common name in the list of wounded…

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Common practice even in the US during Vietnam. The elites (Biden, Trump, Clinton) usually do not go if they do it is to to gravy units in the rear or state side (GWB). Mostly the poor and unfortunate fight on the front lines on the ground.

Mainly a human interest story, but a similar observation comes up. And there is a rather knowing comment about from a Ukrainian saying that the only people scared of Chechens are Muscovite restaurant customers!

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One wonders whether Putin's Imperial ambition will lead to the undoing of whats left of the remnants of Soviet Union/Tsarist Russia.

With a draft/conscript force, you may get many of those from the lower class. As noted during Vietnam here.

Agree with Legion. Draft got those who did not get into College first. As to the rich. Tell me period in history when they ended in combat, when NOT by personal choice, except when no other option was available. (I.E. when their country was being overrun. )

"Tell me period in history when they ended in combat, when NOT by personal choice, except when no other option was available." Well, personal choice is hard to gauge, but look at the casualty list of any c19 war and you'll see something resembling Debrett's for whatever country was involved. The ancien regime nobility earned their exemption from taxes by sacrificing younger sons.

Reminds me of this:

"World to end tomorrow: Women and minorities hardest hit." 🙂

@Jeff but the rich went to those wars by choice. They were not drafted or press ganged into service. They went normally for personal glory, they were the penniless #th child of a noble, at the request of the royal leader, or some sense of duty to king and country. Same with the rich in our Civil War, they served by choice. They could buy their way out of the first drafts. I don't disparage their patriotism, it is just that they made the choice.

Revolutions and invasions of one's homeland can and are the normal exceptions. Occasionally one may slip In through a draft, but that is by choice as well. The opportunity to avoid it is there for them, either a sense of duty or drugs and or alcohol allow them to be drafted.

Yes, in many cases invasions of one's homeland makes a lot of volunteers.

C19 or earlier…A 'Second Son', unlikely to get Inheritance … so career in Military often favoured.
Poor… needed to eat and be well clothed in a uniform.

Common practice even in the US during Vietnam.

Yes, but this seems to be worse by an order of magnitude.