> the russian soldier is one of the bravest men in europe. his tenacity almost equals that of the english and of certain austrian battalions. as john bull boasts of himself, he does not know when he is beaten. russian squares of infantry have resisted, and fought hand to hand, a long while after the cavalry had  broken them; and it has always been found easier to shoot them down than to drive them back. sir george cathcart, who saw them in 1813 and 14, as allies, and in 1854 in the crimea, as enemies, gives them the honorable testimonial that they are incapable of panic. beside this, the russian soldier is well made, healthy, a good marcher, a man of few wants, who can eat and drink almost anything, and more obedient to his officers than any other soldier in the world. and yet the russian army is not much to boast of. never, since russia was russia, have the russians won a single battle against either germans, french, poles, or english, without being vastly superior in numbers. at even odds, they have always been beaten by any army, except turks or prussians; and at citate and silistria, the turks, though inferior in numbers, defeated them ... the russian, imitator as he is in everything, will do anything if ordered or compelled, but will do nothing if he has to act upon his own responsibility; in fact, this term can hardly be applied to a being who never knew what responsibility was, and who will go to be shot at with the same passive obedience as if he were ordered to pump water, or to whip a comrade. to expect from the russian soldier, when acting on out-post duty or in skirmishing order, the rapid glance of the frenchman, or the plain common sense of the german, would be an insult to him. what he requires is command-clear, distinct command  and if he does not get it, he will perhaps not go backwards, but he will certainly not go forwards, nor use his own senses. -- friedrich engels, 1855
Poland