<P> Finally the Crimean war at the end of his reign demonstrated to the world what no one had previously realized: Russia was militarily weak, technologically backward, and administratively incompetent . Despite his grand ambitions toward the south and Ottoman Empire, Russia had not built its railroad network in that direction, and communications were bad . The bureaucracy was riddled with graft, corruption and inefficiency and was unprepared for war . The Navy was weak and technologically backward; the Army, although very large, was good only for parades, suffered from colonels who pocketed their men's pay, poor morale, and was even more out of touch with the latest technology as developed by Britain and France . As Fuller notes, "Russia had been beaten on the Crimean peninsula, and the military feared that it would inevitably be beaten again unless steps were taken to surmount its military weakness ." </P> <P> As Western Europe modernized after 1840 the issue became one of Russian direction . Some favored imitating Europe while others renounced the West and called for a return of the traditions of the past . The latter path was championed by Slavophiles, who heaped scorn on the "decadent" West . The Slavophiles were opponents of bureaucracy, preferred the collectivism of the medieval Russian mir, or village community, to the individualism of the West . </P> <P> Since the war against Napoleon, Russia had become deeply involved in the affairs of Europe, as part of the "Holy Alliance ." The Holy Alliance was formed to serve as the "policeman of Europe ." However, to be the policeman of Europe and maintain the Holy alliance needed large armies . Prussia, Austria, Britain and France, (the other members of the "Holy Alliance") lacked the large armies required to do so . They needed Russia to supply the required armies . Their need for large armies fit the philosophy of Tsar Nicholas I. When the Revolutions of 1848 swept Europe, Russia was quiet . The Tsar sent his army into Hungary in 1849 at the request of the Austrian Empire and broke the revolt, while preventing its spread to Russian Poland . Indeed, the Tsar cracked down on any signs of unrest . </P> <P> Russia expected that in exchange for supplying the troops to be the policeman of Europe, it should have a free hand in dealing with the decaying Ottoman Empire--the "sick man of Europe ." The upshot was that Russia invaded the Crimea peninsula and other regions, leading to the Crimean War of 1853--56 when Britain and France came to the rescue of the Ottomans . As Fuller notes, "Russia had been beaten on the Crimean peninsula, and the military feared that it would inevitably be beaten again unless steps were taken to surmount its military weakness ." </P>

When did russia gain independence from the mongols