College of War

The College of War (sometimes War Collegium, or similar, but not to be confused with other institutions of the same name) was a Russian executive body (or collegium), created in the government reform of 1717. It was the only one of the six original and three later colleges to survive the decentralising reforms of Catherine II of Russia. Under Paul I, it became the model for a newly centralised government.

The College of War contained several functional departments which operated independently, but under the overall supervision of the college and its President; after 1798 there were to be seven sections. In 1802 it became the Ministry of Land Forces, although this resulted in no fundamental change to the nature of the institution.