Russian generals of the First World War
Prepared by a student from group R-1411
Yakovleva Victoria
General Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev was, without a doubt, one of the most outstanding commanders of the First World War. Even before it began, he managed to become famous as a talented military professor, an excellent General Staff officer who participated in the development of plans for a future war, and also as a hero of the Russian-Japanese War.
In August 1914, with the beginning of the First World War, M.V. Alekseev was appointed chief of staff of the Southwestern Front, which was supposed to act against Austria-Hungary. N.I. became the commander-in-chief of the front. Ivanov is a largely passive person, but as a result a very effective tandem was formed, which successfully existed until the spring of 1915.
By this time, the situation on the eastern front had changed dramatically. After a major victory in East Prussia, the Germans decided to launch a hasty attack on Warsaw. And here again Alekseev’s strategic talent manifested itself. Thanks to intelligence information, General Alekseev was able to quickly unravel the enemy’s plans and organize the transfer of troops in the right direction to the Middle Vistula.
Note that at this time Russian troops besieged the largest enemy fortress of Przemysl. After the first unsuccessful attempts to take it by storm back in the fall of 1914, the command of the Southwestern Front decided to move on to a methodical siege, starving the enemy to death. The strategy aimed at preserving troops yielded results. After an unsuccessful attempt to break through, the fortress garrison decided to surrender. On March 22, 1915, the fortress fell. Our trophies included 9 generals, 2,300 officers and 122,800 lower ranks.
The fall of Przemysl was the last major event on the Southwestern Front when Alekseev was chief of staff. Soon he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Northwestern Front.
He inherited a very difficult legacy: a high number of troops, a lack of ammunition, low morale after a series of heavy defeats.
Alekseev began putting the troops in order, as well as creating reserves.
Having become the chief of staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Alekseev, in fact, concentrated in his hands all the real control of the Russian armies. The emperor, as a rule, took only a general part in the development of operations, influencing only personnel policy. The chief of staff usually limited himself to general reports, not always devoting the crown bearer to all the details.
The plan for 1916 was developed by Headquarters taking into account the actions of the Allies. It was decided to conduct the main offensive by the troops of the Western Front, while the other fronts were supposed to provide maximum assistance to it. Southwestern Front A.A. Brusilov was ordered to strike at Lutsk. Thus, the original idea of the Brusilov breakthrough was put forward by Alekseev. The offensive began on June 4, and its success exceeded all expectations.
The strategic offensive brought major success only to the Southwestern Front of A.A. Brusilova , but it was in the summer of 1916 that a turning point in the war began in favor of the Entente countries. Many years later, Winston Churchill equated General Alekseev's strategic talents with Marshal Foch and General Ludendorff.
Constant overexertion affected Mikhail Vasilyevich’s health; heart problems forced him to temporarily surrender his post to General I. Gurko and go to Crimea for treatment. In mid-February 1917, he returned to Mogilev, to Headquarters. While still leaving Petrograd, Alekseev saw the first menacing signs of the revolutionary situation. Striving, as a military man, to remain outside of politics, he at the same time understood the inevitability of major changes in the country, hoping that this would benefit the state and the army.
Accepting the overthrow of the monarchy as a fact, Alekseev became Supreme Commander in March. The general hoped that the new rulers of Russia would not affect military discipline. One of his first orders ordered that all left-wing agitators trying to infiltrate the front be caught and tried. However, the policy of the provisional government, which decided to democratize the army (contributing to its collapse), sharply diverged from Alekseev’s aspirations. He also experienced pressure from the Petrograd Soviet, for which he was a reactionary.
Alekseev found a way out in the unity of officers who remained faithful to the ideas of patriotism and service to the Fatherland, beginning to actively engage in the creation of a broad socio-political network that could act as a stabilizing force in the future. In May, he actually created the Union of Army and Navy Officers, but resignation soon followed.
At the end of October in Petrograd, he began to create an underground military organization, the members of which became, as he wrote, “the most solid, durable, reliable and efficient leaders.” After the October Revolution, Alekseev fled to the Don, where, together with L. Kornilov, he began creating the Volunteer Army. Despite certain tensions between its leaders, they managed to divide powers: Lavr Grigorievich was directly involved in military issues, and Alekseev took upon himself political and financial problems.
M.V. Alekseev took part in the First and Second Kuban campaigns of the Volunteer Army. Given the political chaos that arose, the general tried to expand the number of allies and obtain maximum assistance from them for the Volunteer Army, postponing the resolution of major controversial issues for the future.
In the fall of 1918, after drinking a glass of cold water in one gulp, he became seriously ill and died suddenly.
During the years of great unrest, General Denikin wrote about Alekseev, “when people changed their moral character, views, and orientations with incomprehensible ease, he walked with the firm gait of an old man along a straight flinty road. His name was the banner that attracted people of the most varied political views with the charm of reason, honesty and patriotism."
M.V. Alekseev was buried in the Military Cathedral of the Kuban Cossack Army in Yekaterinodar. During the retreat of the white troops at the beginning of 1920, his ashes were transported to Serbia and reburied in Belgrade.
Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich (1857-1918)
Since 1914, during World War I, he headed the headquarters of the Southwestern Front. In the spring of 1915, he led the retreat of Russian troops through Lithuania and Poland, called the Great Retreat in the history of the war.
He was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. From August 1915 – chief of staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich (1853-1926)
As commander of the 8th Army, he took part in the Battle of Galicia. In the so-called Rohatyn battles, he defeated the 2nd Army of Austria-Hungary, capturing 20 thousand prisoners and 70 guns. On August 20, Galich was conquered. Then the 8th Army takes part in the battles of Rava-Russkaya and near Gorodok.
In the summer of 1916, he was the initiator of the so-called Lutsk breakthrough, which was later named after him. The essence of the strategy was the simultaneous offensive of all armies along the entire front line. In 1916, Brusilov headed the Southwestern Front, which allowed him to act relatively freely.
Denikin Anton Ivanovich (1872-1947)
During the First World War, he commanded the 4th Infantry Brigade, nicknamed the “iron” brigade by the troops. In 1914, he launched a counterattack against Austrian troops in Galicia and captured the Hungarian city of Meso-Laborcs.
In 1915, his brigade was expanded to a division and became part of the Kaledin 8th Army. Denikin took a direct part in the Brusilov breakthrough. His “Iron Division” captured Lutsk and captured 20,000 people from the enemy army.
Since 1916 - Lieutenant General of the General Staff. In 1917 he commanded the western and southwestern fronts.
For valor in the Battle of Gorodok, Anton Ivanovich was awarded the Arms of St. George. For an unexpected counterattack against the Austrians in Galicia he received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. After the capture of Lutsk, he received the rank of lieutenant general.
Kaledin Alexey Maksimovich (1861-1918)
Active participant in the Brusilov breakthrough. As part of the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front, Kaledin's cavalry has always been an active fighting force. Victory reports from the front during the battles in Galicia in 1914 regularly included the name of the commander of the 12th Cavalry Division, Kaledin. After Brusilov headed the Southwestern Front in the spring of 1916, he recommended Kaledin instead of himself as commander of the 8th Army, which later found itself at the epicenter of the Lutsk breakthrough, and always found itself in the most difficult sectors of the front
French commanders
Foch Ferdinand (1851-1929)
Met in Nancy as commander of the 20th Corps. He was soon appointed commander of the 9th French Army, which withstood the 2nd German armies in the Battle of the Marne River and, despite numerical losses, held Nancy for the second time.
In 15-16 years. Commanded Army Group North. He took part in the attack on Artois and the Battle of the Somme, which ended in victory for the Germans. After which General Foch was relieved of his post.
Joffre Joseph Jacques (1852-1931)
Commander-in-Chief of the Northern and Northeastern Armies of France. The fighting took place in the territories of France and Belgium. Germany sought to capture Paris. Five German armies were rushing towards the gap created between Amiens and Verdun. General Joffre left three army corps for the defense of the capital. At the end of 1914, the French offensive operations were scattered.
General Joffre led the French armies for 2 years - from the end of 1914 to the end of 1916. After the Verdun massacre, in which France lost 315 thousand, he was removed from the post of Commander-in-Chief.
Generals of Germany
Ludendorff Erich (1865-1937)
Since 1914, he led the actions of German troops on the Eastern Front, and since 1916 he led all German troops.
Hindenburg Paul (1847-1934)
In the fall of 1914, General of Infantry Paul Hindenburg was appointed commander of the 8th German Army stationed in East Prussia. And in October of the same year - commander-in-chief of Germany on the Eastern Front.
In 1916, he became famous among the German troops for disrupting the offensive of Russian troops near the Naroch River. He counterattacked the Russians and thereby stopped their advance.
English commanders
French John Denton Pinkston (1852-1925)
He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in France. Not being subordinate to the French command, he made decisions authoritarianly, without coordinating his actions with the French command. The discord in the actions of the armies only harmed the conduct of military operations, which only benefited the enemy. On August 20, 1914, in the Maubeuge-Le Cateau zone, the expeditionary forces were supposed to march together with the French on Soigny. On August 24, Field Marshal French began the withdrawal of his troops.
During the clash on the Marne, French showed indecisiveness and slowness, standing inactive just 30 km from the two German armies. In April 1915 he was defeated in the battles of Ypres.
Haig Douglas (1861-1928)
Succeeded John French as Commander-in-Chief of British forces in France. These units included the first 3 armies. Later the 4th was brought in, led by General Rawlinson, and General Gough's 5th from the reserve. Field Marshal Haig led the military operation on the Somme.
Article 14 of the Basic State Laws of the Russian Empire proclaimed the emperor “the sovereign leader of the Russian army and navy.” The sovereign determined the structure of the army and navy, issued decrees and commands regarding “... everything generally related to the structure of the armed forces and defense of the Russian State” 1. On the eve of the First World War, on July 16, 1914, the “Regulations on Field Command of Troops in Wartime” was approved, which allowed the Emperor, if he “does not deign to lead the troops personally,” to delegate control of the armed forces to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The Commander-in-Chief received the broadest powers, his orders in the theater of military operations were equated to the highest commands. He was appointed by the emperor, obeyed only him and reported to him 2.
For the first time in Russian history, the position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was filled on July 20, 1914. In total, during the years of the Great War until the signing of the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army was replaced by eight people, among whom, along with full generals, there was an ensign and even, in an unprecedented case, a “shtafirka”, a civilian.
On March 9, 1918, the last Supreme Commander-in-Chief was relieved of his post, and on March 27, the Russian army itself ceased to exist.
Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (junior) (6.11.1856 - 5.01.1929)
Term of command. 20.07.1914 - 23.08.1915
Rank, rank.
Battle path. With his participation in 1914, the unsuccessful East Prussian and triumphant Galician operations were carried out, the enemy offensive was repelled during the Warsaw-Ivangorod and Lodz operations, and the Przemysl fortress was taken. He was extremely popular among the troops. Even major setbacks at the front in 1915 - the loss of Galicia, Poland and a large part of the Baltic states - did not affect his reputation.
He was removed from office at his own request (another version is due to political intrigue). After the decision of Nicholas II to personally lead the army, he was appointed governor in the Caucasus and commander-in-chief of the Caucasian Front.
Before abdicating the throne on March 2, 1917, Nicholas II again appointed Nikolai Nikolaevich as commander-in-chief. However, a week later, the Provisional Government forced the Grand Duke to resign - hatred of the Romanov dynasty was already seething over the edge.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd degree, St. George 2nd degree; St. George's weapon, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription "For the liberation of Chervona Rus."
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
A man of great scope, straightforward, decisive, who had completed a higher military education, who had the experience of the Turkish war behind him... who was impressive with his appearance, who held a number of military positions from a junior officer to the commander-in-chief of the capital district inclusive - this is how the appearance of the Grand Duke of Russia was depicted 3.
_Infantry General A.Yu. Danilov
(06.05.1868 - 17.07.1918)
Term of command. 23.08.1915 - 2.03.1917
Chin. Colonel of the Guard.
Combat path. With the outbreak of the war, Nicholas II wanted to personally lead the army, but was forced to yield to the government, which categorically did not accept this decision. The “Great Retreat” of the summer of 1915 strengthened the tsar’s conviction to fulfill his royal duty - “when the enemy went deeper into the empire, to assume supreme command of the active troops and... to defend the Russian Land from enemy attacks” 4 .
He made successful personnel changes and appointed the experienced and popular General M.V. as chief of staff. Alekseev, established supplies, raised the morale of the troops. All this led to the stabilization of the front and largely prepared the Brusilov breakthrough of 1916, which became a turning point in the war.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree.
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
It’s calmer with the Emperor. His Majesty gives instructions that are so consistent with combat strategic tasks that you develop these directives with full conviction of their expediency. He knows the front perfectly and has a rare memory 5 .
_Infantry General M.V. Alekseev
(03.11.1857-08.10.1918)
Term of command. 1.04.1917 - 21.05.1917
Rank, rank. Infantry General, Adjutant General.
Combat path. Trying to stop the disintegration of the army, he demanded that all orders for the army go through the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. After the appearance of the order N1 and the soldiers' committees, he compromised, hoping to take control of the committees by introducing officers into them. The “Temporary Regulations on the Organization of the Ranks of the Active Army and Navy,” sent out on March 30, 1917, authorized military committees, but limited the scope of their competence.
He participated in the creation of the "Union of Army and Navy Officers", and at the First Congress on May 7 he spoke out against the demand for peace without annexations and indemnities. On May 21, he demanded the restoration of the activities of military courts and the introduction of the death penalty at the front, after which he was removed from his post and appointed military adviser to the Provisional Government.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. Anna 4th degree "For bravery", St. Stanislaus 3rd degree with swords and bow, St. Anna 3rd degree with swords and bow, St. Vladimir 4th degree with swords and bow, St. Stanislav 1st degree with swords; Golden weapon with the inscription "For bravery."
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
Tremendous efficiency, excellent familiarity with the army and its needs, great caution, and thoughtfulness ensure [Alekseev] the systematic conduct of operations without risky moves that do not correspond to the current disordered state of the army 6 .
_Cavalry General A.M. Dragomirov
(01.08.1853-17.03.1926)
Term of command. 22.05.1917 - 19.07.1917
Rank, rank. General of the cavalry, adjutant general.
Combat path. One of the best commanders of the First World War, who developed and carried out a fateful breakthrough. After the abdication of Nicholas II, he was considered as an alternative to Alekseev for the post of Commander-in-Chief, and after his resignation he headed the army.
On May 22, 1917, by order at the front, he began the formation of “special shock revolutionary battalions recruited in the center of Russia,” designed to “carry along the hesitant” during the offensive 7 . Brusilov was preparing an offensive under the red flag, but on the basis of a plan developed by the Tsarist Headquarters. The offensive of the Russian army in the summer of 1917 failed. As the retreat began on July 12, military revolutionary courts were established and the death penalty was restored at the front.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd degree, St. Stanislaus 3rd degree with swords and bow, St. Anna 3rd degree with swords and bow, St. Stanislav 2nd degree with swords, White Eagle with swords; St. George's weapon, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription "For the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Volyn, Bukovina and Galicia on May 22-25, 1916."
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
The head of a broad flight of thought and a clear understanding of the matter... The only general who combines both brilliant strategic talents and a broad understanding of Russia's political tasks and is able to quickly assess the current situation 8.
_Chairman of the State Duma M.V. Rodzianko
(18.08.1870-31.03.1918)
Term of command. 19.07.1917 - 27.08.1917
Chin. General of Infantry.
Battle path. He gained fame after escaping from Austrian captivity in July 1916. After the February Revolution, in five months he went from corps commander to Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On July 19, 1917, he agreed to accept supreme command on the condition of non-interference with his orders. The front was stabilized by tough measures.
At the State Conference on August 12-15 in Moscow, he outlined his program for establishing order in the rear. At the end of August, from Headquarters he negotiated with Kerensky about establishing firm power in the country, but the words of the Commander-in-Chief were regarded as an ultimatum. He was declared a rebel, removed from his post, and after the suppression of the protest on August 25-31, he was arrested.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd degree, St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords, St. Stanislav 2nd degree with swords, St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords, St. Stanislav 1st degree with swords, St. Anna 1st degree with swords.
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
“Kornilov is brave, courageous, stern, decisive, independent and will not stop at any independent actions required by the situation, and at any responsibility” 9.
_Lieutenant General A.I. Denikin
Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky (22.04.1881-11.06.1970)
Term of command. 30.08.1917 - 3.11.1917
Chin. I didn't. Civilian "shtafirka". Declared himself Supreme Commander.
Combat path. On May 3, 1917, he was appointed Minister of War, in this capacity, in preparation for the summer offensive, he toured front-line units with patriotic speeches, for which he received the nickname “chief persuader.”
Having dealt with Kornilov, in view of the refusal of other candidates, he declared himself supreme commander-in-chief. In September, he formed the “Business Cabinet” and declared Russia a republic, held a Democratic Conference and formed the Pre-Parliament. At this time, the army actually found itself in the hands of committees and was rapidly disintegrating.
Awards. Soldiers' St. George Crosses of the 1st, 2nd and 4th degrees (awarded to the Minister of War for “great feats in the struggle for the freedom of the Russian land” by soldiers and officers).
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
Kerensky should be considered one of the greatest orators of his kind in history. There was nothing charming about his performances. His voice became rough from constant screaming. He gestured little... but he spoke and spoke with endearing conviction 10 .
_British Consul General R.B. Lockhart
(01.12.1876-20.11.1917)
Term of command. 3.11.1917 - 9.11.1917
Chin. Lieutenant General.
Combat path. One of A.A.’s closest assistants. Brusilova. On September 10, 1917, Kerensky's chief of staff, after the latter's escape, became acting Commander-in-Chief. He ordered the troops to stand in position, and on November 7-8 refused to negotiate peace with the enemy on behalf of the Council of People's Commissars, since "only the central government, supported by the army and the country, can have sufficient weight and significance for the opponents." “For disobedience to government orders and for behavior that brings unprecedented misfortune to the working masses of all countries and especially the armies” he was dismissed from his post. Waiting for the arrival of the new commander-in-chief, on November 18 he ordered the release of Kornilov from custody, remained at Headquarters and on November 20 fell victim to soldier lynching.
Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd degree, St. Stanislav 2nd degree with swords, St. Vladimir 4th degree with swords and bow, St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords; St. George's weapon.
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
Dukhonin was a broad-minded, frank and honest person, far from political squabbles and machinations. Unlike some older officers, he did not complain and grumble about the “new system” and did not at all idealize the old army... There was nothing in him from the old military bureaucrat and martinet 13.
_A.F. Kerensky
Nikolai Vasilievich Krylenko (05/02/1885-07/29/1938)
Term of command. 9.11.1917 - 5.03.1918
Chin. Ensign
Combat path. After the October coup, he joined the first Council of People's Commissars as a member of the Committee on Military and Naval Affairs. After N.N.’s refusal Dukhonin was appointed to negotiate peace on November 9 by V.I. Lenin Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On November 12, he gave the order to all units at the front to begin negotiations on a truce; on November 13, he began negotiations with Germany, which ended on December 2 with an armistice.
He reported to the Council of People's Commissars about the army's loss of combat capability and advocated peace on any terms. After the signing of the Brest Peace Treaty, he resigned, and on March 13, 1918, the position of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was abolished.
Awards. didn't have
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
Ensign Krylenko, by his revolutionary nickname - “Comrade Abram”, squat, short-legged, stooped, with unshaven red stubble on his cheeks, in a protective jacket, with his combat equipment carelessly put on and hanging awkwardly... 14.
_Major General G.I. Goncharenko (Yuri Galich)
1. Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire. Third meeting. Volume XXV. 1905. Dept. I. Ch. I. C. 457.
2. Regulations on field control of troops in wartime. St. Petersburg 1914. From 1-3.
3. Danilov Yu.N. Russia in the World War of 1914-1915. Berlin. 1924. P. 144.
4. The highest rescript to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. August 23, 1915. Quoted. by: Polivanov A.A. Nine months at the head of the War Ministry (June 13, 1915 - March 13, 1916) // Questions of history. 1994. N3. P. 121.
5. Quote. by: Multatuli P.V. God bless my decision... Emperor Nicholas II at the head of the active army and the conspiracy of the generals. M. 2002. P. 115.
6. Telegram from Dragomirov to Minister of War Guchkov, March 21, 1917 // Zayonchkovsky A.M. Strategic outline of the war of 1914-1918. P. 128.
7. Order on the front N 561 of May 22, 1917 // Golovin N.N. Military efforts of Russia in the World War M. 2001. P. 359.
8. Letter from M.V. Rodzianko G.E. Guchkov March 18, 1917 // Zayonchkovsky A.M. Decree. op. P. 125.
9. Denikin A.I. Essays on Russian Troubles. The collapse of power and the army. Paris, 1921. P. 193.
10. Lockhart R.B. History from the inside. Memoirs of a British agent. M., Berlin, 2017. P. 195.
11. Conversation between the government and headquarters via direct wire on November 9, 1917 // Worker and Soldier. N 20.1917. November 9.
12. Ibid.
13. Kerensky A.F. Russia is at a historical turning point. Memoirs. M.: Republic, 1993. P. 297.
14. Yuri Galich. Death of Dukhonin. On the sixth anniversary of his death. (From an eyewitness diary) // Today. Riga. N267. 1923. November 30
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(28 July 1914 - 11 November 1918). The First World War is one of the most ambitious and tragic events in the history of mankind, which still attracts attention, but the events that took place in those times are not covered anywhere. I compared the completely opposite fates of the two generals: the fate of the brave general and the tragic fate of Alexander Samsonov.
(1853-1926) came from the noble family of the Brusilovs. Born in Tiflis in the family of Russian general Alexei Nikolaevich Brusilov (1787-1859). Mother, Maria-Louise Antonovna, had Polish roots and came from the family of the collegiate assessor A. Nestoemsky.
In 1867 he entered the Corps of Pages. He graduated from it in 1872 and was released into the 16th Tver Dragoon Regiment. In 1873-1878 - regiment adjutant. Participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 in the Caucasus. He distinguished himself during the capture of the Turkish fortresses of Ardagan and Kars, for which he received the Order of St. Stanislav, 3rd and 2nd degrees, and the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree. In 1878-1881 he was the head of the regimental training team.
Since 1883, he served in the Officer Cavalry School: adjutant, assistant chief (since 1890), head of the riding and dressage department; head of the dragoon department (since 1893). From November 10, 1898 - assistant head, from February 10, 1902 - head of the school. Brusilov became known not only in Russia, but also abroad as an outstanding expert in cavalry riding and sports. Major General (1900). K. Mannerheim, who served at the school under his command before the Russo-Japanese War, recalled: “He was an attentive, strict, demanding leader of his subordinates and gave very good knowledge. His military games and exercises on the ground were exemplary and extremely interesting in their development and execution.” He was seriously involved in the occult, constantly emphasizing “his purely Russian, Orthodox convictions and beliefs.”
During the First World War, A. A. Brusilov was the commander of the 8th Army in the Battle of Galicia. On August 15-16, 1914, during the Rohatyn battles, he defeated the 2nd Austro-Hungarian Army, capturing 20 thousand people. and 70 guns. On August 20, Galich was captured. The 8th Army takes an active part in the battles of Rava-Russkaya and the Battle of Gorodok. In September, he commanded a group of troops from the 8th and 3rd armies. From September 28 to October 11, his army withstood a counterattack by the 2nd and 3rd Austro-Hungarian armies in battles on the San River and near the city of Stryi. During the successfully completed battles, 15 thousand enemy soldiers were captured, and at the end of October his army entered the foothills of the Carpathians.
At the beginning of November 1914, having pushed back the troops of the 3rd Austro-Hungarian Army from positions on the Beskid ridge of the Carpathians, he occupied the strategic Lupkovsky Pass. In February 1915, in the battle of Boligrod-Liski, he thwarted the enemy’s attempts to release his troops besieged in the Przemysl fortress, taking 30 thousand people prisoner. In March, he captured the main Beskydy ridge of the Carpathian Mountains and by March 30 completed the operation to cross the Carpathians.
In the summer and autumn of 1915, at the personal request of A. A. Brusilov, repeated attempts were made to expand the scale of deportations of the local German population in geographical and numerical terms, west of Sarn, Rovno, Ostrog, Izyaslav.
In June 1916, he carried out a successful offensive of the Southwestern Front, the so-called Brusilov breakthrough, using a previously unknown form of breaking through a positional front, which consisted of a simultaneous offensive of all armies. The main blow, in accordance with the plan developed by Brusilov, was delivered by the 8th Army under the command of General A. M. Kaledin in the direction of the city of Lutsk. Having broken through the front on the 16-kilometer Nosovichi-Koryto section, the Russian army occupied Lutsk on May 25 (June 7), and by June 2 (15) it defeated the 4th Austro-Hungarian Army of Archduke Joseph Ferdinand and advanced 65 km.
The summer offensive of the Russian army was part of the Entente's overall strategic plan for 1916. As part of this plan, Anglo-French troops were preparing an operation on the Somme. In accordance with the decision of the conference of the Entente powers in Chantilly (March 1916), the start of the offensive on the Russian front was scheduled for June 15, and on the French front - on July 1, 1916.
The main blow was supposed to be delivered by the forces of the Western Front (Commander General A.E. Evert) from the Molodechno region to Vilno. Most of the reserves and heavy artillery were transferred to Evert. Another part was allocated to the Northern Front (Commander General A.N. Kuropatkin) for an auxiliary attack from Dvinsk - also on Vilno. The Southwestern Front (Commander General A.A. Brusilov) was ordered to attack Lutsk-Kovel, on the flank of the German group, to meet the main attack of the Western Front.
The result of the Brusilov breakthrough and the operation on the Somme was the final transfer of strategic initiative from the Central Powers to the Entente. The Allies managed to achieve such interaction that for two months (July-August) Germany had to send its limited strategic reserves to both the Western and Eastern Fronts.
Since 1920, A. A. Brusilov has been the commander of the Red Army. Since 1921, Aleksey Alekseevich was the chairman of the commission for organizing pre-conscription cavalry training; since 1923, he was attached to the Revolutionary Military Council for particularly important assignments. In 1923-1924 - cavalry inspector.
A. A. Brusilov died on March 17, 1926 in Moscow from pneumonia at the age of 72 years. He was buried with full military honors at the walls of the Smolensk Cathedral of the Novodevichy Convent. The grave is located next to the grave of A. M. Zayonchkovsky
Considering the fate of the brave General A.A. Brusilov, I wanted to compare it with another hero of the First World War, A.V. Samsonov, a man of the tragic fate of that time.
The tragic fate of General Samsonov, commander of the 2nd Army, is one of the most dramatic pages of the First World War. Carrying out his military duty with his army, doomed to severe defeat, he chose to commit suicide.
His associate Colonel A. Krymov wrote about Alexander Vasilyevich: “He was a noble man, of which there are few. A purely Russian, fatherland-loving officer... Alexander Vasilyevich with a fatal shot took upon himself the courage to answer for everyone. The Fatherland and the top leadership remained unsullied..."
Alexander Vasilievich Samsonov came from a middle-income family. He received his military education at the Kiev Military Gymnasium and at the Nikolaev Cavalry School, from which he was graduated in 1877. As an 18-year-old cornet, he was sent to the 12th Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment and with it participated in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877 - 1878.
Having received combat training, through honest and zealous service he achieved the right to enter the Academy of the General Staff and in 1884 he successfully graduated from it. Upon graduation, he served in various military headquarters. From 1896 to 1904 he was the head of the cadet cavalry school in Elizavetgrad (Kirovograd) in southern Ukraine. Colonel Samsonov’s service record is against the question: “Does he, his parents, or, when married, his wife have real estate, ancestral or acquired?” - it read: “Does not have.” At the age of 45, Alexander Vasilyevich married the daughter of a landowner from the village of Akimovka, Ekaterina Alexandrovna Pisareva.
As a cavalry commander, Major General Samsonov took part in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905, first leading the Ussuri Cavalry Brigade, then the 1st Siberian Cossack Division. Near Wafangou and Liaoyang, near the Shahe River and near Mukden, he led his horsemen into hot battles, and experienced both the joy of victory and the bitterness of heavy defeats. For military merits, Alexander Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree and other orders, a golden saber with the inscription: “For bravery,” and received the rank of lieutenant general.
In the summer of 1914, straight from the Caucasus, where Samsonov and his family were on vacation, he headed to Warsaw to take command of the 2nd Army. On July 19 (August 1, New Style) the First World War began.
In Warsaw, Samsonov met with the commander of the Northwestern Front, Ya. Zhilinsky, who briefed him on the plan for upcoming actions. The 2nd Army was entrusted with the task, in cooperation with the 1st Army of General P. Rannenkampf, to carry out the offensive East Prussian operation. There was practically no time for its preparation: its urgency was dictated by the request for help from France, which had suffered a powerful blow from the German army. According to the plan of the operation, developed at Headquarters under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the 1st and 2nd Armies were to defeat the German 8th Army, concentrated in East Prussia.
Samsonov was ordered to move from the Narew River (in Poland) bypassing the Masurian lakes to the north, Rannenkampf - from the Neman to the west. The army of Rannenkampf was the first to come into contact with the enemy; on August 4, it defeated the advanced German corps at Stallupenen; on the 7th, in the oncoming battle at Gumbinnen-Goldap, it forced the main forces of the 8th German Army to retreat. On the same day, Samsonov’s army, after an accelerated march, having covered more than 80 kilometers along sandy roads in three days, crossed the border of East Prussia. Samsonov reported to the front commander Zhilinsky: “It is necessary to organize the rear, which has not yet received organization.
The country is devastated. Horses have been without oats for a long time. There is no bread. Delivery from Ostroleka is not possible.” But the front commander, despite lagging behind and scant information about the enemy’s plans, every day demanded Samsonov to speed up the movement towards the enemy, the 2nd Army occupied intermediate settlements, and Samsonov, sensing a trap, asked the higher command for permission to deploy the army with a ledge to the north -west. After three days of negotiations with the front headquarters, he finally received such permission, but was obliged, on the instructions of Zhilinsky, to send the right-flank 6th Corps to the north.
This led to the separation of the corps from the main forces of the army. In addition, by order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the left flank 1st Corps was stopped at Soldau and also broke away from the 13th, 15th and 23rd Corps operating in the center. The situation was aggravated by weak enemy intelligence and a breakdown in communications in the army, since the Germans, while retreating, disabled the telephone and telegraph network. The transmission of radio messages was regularly monitored by the enemy, who thus knew about the Russian plans of action.
Having left a barrier of two divisions against the 1st Army, the command of the German 8th Army, using the railways, transferred its main forces and received reserves against Samsonov’s army. On August 13, the 2nd Army encountered unexpectedly strong German opposition. On this day, the right-flank 6th Corps was defeated near Bischofsburg and began to retreat. The next day, the left flank 1st Corps retreated south of Soldau almost without a fight; Having learned about this, Samsonov was beside himself with indignation and removed the corps commander Artamonov from his post. The position of the 13th, 15th and 23rd Corps, fighting the Germans in the center and experiencing severe enemy pressure, became threatening.
Worried about their fate, Alexander Vasilyevich arrived on the front line on August 15 - at the headquarters of the 15th Corps of General Martos. He still had hopes for a successful breakthrough of the corps to the north, towards Rannenkampf, and for the fact that the 1st Army had already begun active operations in the rear of the advancing Germans, but they were not destined to come true (then Rannenkampf would long be haunted by rumors about his criminal slowness ). Having arrived at the front line and making sure that the enemy’s advance could no longer be stopped, Samsonov had the opportunity to go back, but did not do so. A sense of duty and the old traditions of the Russian army - Zorndorf, Smolensk, Sevastopol, Port Arthur, and the need to die with bones did not allow him to abandon those who were fighting.
The retreat of the flanking corps of the 2nd Army allowed the Germans to cut off the three Russian corps' path back, and they were soon surrounded. The army headquarters, led by Samsonov, breaking out of the encirclement, moved in the direction of Yanov. Alexander Vasilyevich was in a difficult moral state. According to the testimony of the chief of staff, General Postovsky, Samsonov said more than once on the 15th and 16th that his life as a military leader was over. After a short night halt in the forest on August 17, when the headquarters officers moved on on foot, Alexander Vasilyevich unnoticed went deep into the forest, and his shot was heard there... Despite the search, his body was never found, and besides, it was necessary to escape pursuit.
Time puts everything in its place. Memory of generals A.A. Brusilov and A.V. Samsonov continues to live. And it is not their fault, but the misfortune that, accustomed to living according to the laws of honor, they were not able to understand in time that in the new Russia, which they tried to honestly serve, these laws are not accessible to everyone.
Considering the fates of the two generals, I was surprised at how different and opposite in character the heroes of the undeservedly forgotten, erased from our historical memory and from the history of that war, which turned out to have the most tragic consequences for Russia, could be.
But, no matter what, they will remain heroes in our hearts.
I should remember them like I remember yesterday
Their feat was brave for us, for me.
They fought for clear skies,
So that we never know war.
(N. A. Samotsvetov)
Samotsvetov N., student of Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School No. 10 in Vyazma
Samocvetov N., student school No. 10 Vyazma
annotation
This article is devoted to the life path of the generals of the First World War.
This article is dedicated to life path generals of the First World War.
Key words: First World War, generals, A.A. Brusilov, A.V. Samsonov.
Keywords: First World War, generals, AA Brusilov, AV Samsonov.
Interregional scientific and practical conference: “Centenary of the First World War: results, lessons, prospects”, Vyazma: branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education “MGIU” in Vyazma, 2013 – 143 p.