It is common to observe nostalgia for the lost imperial possessions among the general population and military personnel in particular. Nostalgia is sometimes associated with the desire to return to imperial rule and territories. This study focuses on the attitudes among the military and asks what explains the variation in their support for the restoration of the empire after its fall. I argue that material and ideological grievances, rather than perceptions of foreign or domestic threats, prompt the military's aspiration toward imperial revanchism. Members of the military who experience material difficulties in the post-imperial period will tend to associate them with the loss of the empire. Hence, greater material problems among them will be linked to a greater desire to return the lost territories. Greater support for the instruments of rebuilding the empire will also be associated with higher support for the restoration of the empire. Appreciation of historical figures who built the empire in the past will have an enduring influence on the expansionist views among the military personnel. Using a survey of military personnel in Russia conducted after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, I show that material difficulties, support for regional peacekeeping, regrets about the withdrawal of Soviet troops from CEE, and positive views of Stalin are positively correlated with the desire to reclaim lost territories.