Streltsy

The Streltsy were Russia's premier guardsmen from the 16th Century to the 18th Century. Ivan the Terrible first established the force in the 1540s, recruiting peasants and supplying them with the arquebus. The Streltsy was divided into several divisions, each with its own task. The Streltsy of Moscow were given the task to defend the Kremlin and perform military guard duty. Because of their commoner backgrounds, the Streltsy partook in the government and fought for an end to serfdom. Totaling 20,000-25,000 members, the Streltsy soon became the primary marksmen for the Russian army. Peter the Great soon brought an end to the Streltsy. He tried to limit their power which resulted in their rebellious attitudes, launching the Streltsy Uprising. The revolt was a failure resulting in the execution of capture Streltsy. The group was replaced with the Russian Imperial Guard.