SHOCK UNITS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR
The article is devoted to the goals, objectives, principles of recruitment, symbolism, and the strike units of the Russian army in May - December 1917, the Crisis in the army in the spring of 1917 forced the country's political leadership and the Russian military command to seek fast and efficient ways to improve the combat capability of the army in anticipation of an upcoming offensive at the front. As one of such methods has been considered the formation of the shock units. The first shock battalion was formed on the South-Western front, and further movement of the revolutionary military “Udarnitsa” was supported on other fronts. Death squads of volunteers front was created when the supernumerary divisions of the army. By the time the October revolution there were 313 units of death, the personnel of which numbered more than 600 thousand people. Shock troops were used not only against external but also against the internal enemy. Along with the creation of the volunteer battalions (mouth) attempted the formation of shock troops of the volunteers in the rear. Volunteering in the rear resulted in the formation of two regiments, and more than 50 battalions and a small shock units. The authors identify the fundamental differences between the volunteer battalions (companies) and shock troops of the volunteers in the rear. Despite some vivid battle scenes formed strike units of the Russian army are unable to fundamentally change the situation on the frontline and significantly improve the combat capability of the Russian army.