Cossack men, invariably fighting on horseback, wear…

Cossack men, invariably fighting on horseback, wear distinctive military uniforms, with long coats, bullet pouches, and tall Caucasian hats by 1900, by which time Cossack communities enjoy a privileged tax-free status in the Russian Empire, although they have a twenty-year military service commitment (it will be reduced to eighteen years from 1909).

They are on active duty for five years, but can fulfill their remaining obligation with the reserves.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Cossacks number four and a half million.

They are organized as independent regional hosts, each comprising a number of regiments

The need for the government to call up Cossack men to serve either with the Army or as a mounted police force causes many social and economic problems, which is compounded by the growing impoverishment the host communities.