The weaknesses of the Russo-Japanese or Soviet fleets should not be projected backward onto the eighteenth century. Naval service had not yet become a prestigious destination for politically connected nobles, so many officers were committed professionals seeking advancement. The imperial navy also attracted Scots, Germans, and other foreign-born personnel who often spent their whole careers in Russian service rather than arriving as temporary advisers from another fleet. That distinction shows how the navy could absorb outside talent into a durable professional institution.
Notable Point · 3:00:11-3:03:16
Why the eighteenth-century Russian Navy was professional
The imperial navy attracted career-minded officers, including long-serving Scots and Germans, before naval service became a fashionable route for Russian nobles.