F.F. von Berg and Russian military intelligence in the second quarter of the 19th century

In both domestic and foreign historiography, the evolution of intelligence institutions of the Russian Empire after the end of the Napoleonic Wars and before the beginning of the military reforms of Alexander II remains extremely poorly studied. This article analyzes the development of Russian military intelligence in the above-mentioned period in the context of the activities of F.F. von Berg (1793 - 1874), a prominent statesman of the 1st - early 2nd half of the 19th century. Based on the study of a wide range of archival documents, it was concluded that Berg's ideas for improving the mechanisms for collecting intelligence were progressive in nature, but were not implemented in a timely and full manner on the eve of the Crimean War for a number of reasons, although they could have provided Russia with a strategic advantage over the enemy in the upcoming conflict.