Vladivostok fortress gendarmerie command in 1904-1907: from the war with Japan to the first Russian revolution

Based on previously unpublished documents from the State Archive of the Russian Federation and the Russian State Historical Archive of the Far East, the author analyzes the changes in the activities and organization of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie in 1904-1907. The Russo-Japanese War led to an increase in the number of servants of the fortress gendarmerie due to the status of Vladivostok as a frontline city. This required corresponding changes in the service of the gendarmerie, including the priority task of fighting enemy espionage. Subsequent changes to the Vladivostok serf gendarme command were caused by events during the First Russian Revolution of 1905-1907, which led to gendarmes engaging in political investigations and fighting against the revolutionary movement. Despite staff shortages, the Vladivostok serf gendarme team managed to make some progress in this struggle. In all cases, the changes in the activities of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie were a reaction to new crises. The paper explores to what extent these changes corresponded to the general imperial transformations of the political police, and to what extent they were specific to the Far Eastern region. Through the example of the Vladivostok Fortress Gendarmerie Command, the autor demonstrates how the secret police in the Russian Empire responded to the challenges of war and revolution.