Abstract
<jats:p>The article deals with the integration processes of steppe regions of Astrakhan province in the context of the military policy of the Russian Empire and the RFSSR. The study covers the period of the first quarter of the 20th century, which was marked by sharp political, social and economic shifts. The methodological basis of the study is the theory of frontier modernization, which allows for assessing the formation of the military administration of the steppe regions of Astrakhan province as an integral part of the national military policy, as well as tracing the administrative, social and cultural transformations in the region. The aim of the article is to determine the content, main directions and results of the state policy on the integration of nomadic peoples of the Astrakhan province into the system of military administration in the first quarter of the XX century, as well as its impact on the modernization processes on the Lower Volga frontier. The author concluded that the development of the steppe regions of the Lower Volga area was a significant focus of domestic policy — first under the Russian Empire and later in the early years of the RFSSR. The region’s specific geographic and economic characteristics slowed its integration: modernization in the Astrakhan Governorate lagged behind other Russian regions. During the Russian Civil War, the state intensified its administrative and military presence due to the need for human resources, which accelerated the development of the steppes.</jats:p>