Vasily Iosifovich Gurko

In this article, we will talk about one of the best generals Russian Empire, who began the First World War as the head of a division, and ended it as the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front.

Vasily Iosifovich Gurko(Romeiko-Gurko) was born in 1864 in Tsarskoye Selo. His father, Field Marshal Iosif Vasilyevich Gurko, a hereditary nobleman of the Mogilev province, is known for his victories in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.

Studied V.I. Gurko at the Richelieu Gymnasium. After graduating from the Corps of Pages, in 1885 he began serving in the Life Guards of the Grodno Hussars. Then he studied at the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff, was an officer for assignments, a chief officer under the commander of the Warsaw Military District.

Boer War

Second Boer War 1899-1902 - the war of the Boer republics: the Republic of South Africa (Republic of Transvaal) and the Orange Free State (Orange Republic) against Great Britain. It ended with the victory of Great Britain, but world public opinion was mostly on the side of the small republics. In Russia, the song "Transvaal, my country, you are all on fire ..." was very popular. In this war, the British for the first time used the scorched earth tactics on the land of the Boers (complete destruction of any industrial, agricultural, civilian facilities during the retreat so that they would not go to the enemy) and concentration camps in which about 30,000 Boer women and children and an unspecified number of black Africans died.

Boer War

In 1899 V.I. Gurko was sent to the Boer army in the Transvaal as an observer of the course of hostilities. He completed the mission successfully and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree, and for distinction in service in 1900 he was promoted to colonel.

Russo-Japanese War

Since the beginning Russo-Japanese War IN AND. Gurko is in the Manchurian army, performing various tasks: he covered the retreat of the detachment to Liaoyang; during the Liaoyang battle, he secured the gap between the 1st and 3rd Siberian corps from a breakthrough and guarded the left flank of the army; took part in organizing the attack on Putilovskaya Sopka, and then was appointed head of the Putilovskaya defense sector; formed the headquarters of the corps under the detachment of General Rennenkampf, who was stationed at Tsinkhechen; organized the defense of the extreme left flank and communication with the rear, etc. For the battle near Liaoyang on August 17-21, 1904, V.I. Gurko was awarded the Order of St. Anna 2nd degree with swords, and for the battle on Shahe River September 22 - October 4, 1904 and the capture of Putilovskaya Sopka - with a golden weapon with the inscription "For Courage".

Battle of Laoyang. Painting by an unknown Japanese artist

At the end of the Russo-Japanese War, in 1906-1911, V.I. Gurko was chairman of the Military Historical Commission on the description of the Russian-Japanese war. And in March 1911 he was appointed head of the 1st Cavalry Division.

World War I

The first battle in which units of Gurko participated was at Markgrabov on August 1, 1914. The battle lasted half an hour - and the Russian units captured Markgrabov. Divisional Commander Gurko showed personal courage in him.

Having captured the city, V. I. Gurko organized reconnaissance and destroyed the detected enemy communications. Enemy correspondence was captured, which turned out to be useful for the command of the 1st Russian Army.

IN AND. Gurko

When the German army went on the offensive, during the first battle near the Masurian Lakes in August 1914, from two German cavalry divisions (48 squadrons) marching to the rear of the 1st Russian army, 24 squadrons were held back by Gurko's cavalry division within a day. All this time, units of V.I. Gurko repulsed the attacks of the superior forces of the German cavalry, which was supported by infantry and artillery.

In September, the cavalry of V. I. Gurko covered the retreat from East Prussia formations of the 1st army. In October 1914, for active actions during the fighting in East Prussia, the general was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree.

In East Prussia, Gurko showed all his abilities as a military leader, capable of independent active operations.

In early November, V.I. Gurko was appointed corps commander during the Lodz operation.

Lodz operation- It's a big fight Eastern Front The First World War, one of the most difficult and difficult in 1914. On the Russian side, the 1st Army (commander - P.K. Rennenkampf, the 2nd Army (commander - S.M. Scheideman) and the 5th army (commander - P. A. Plehve) This battle had an uncertain outcome. The German plan to encircle the 2nd and 5th Russian armies failed, but the planned Russian offensive deep into Germany was also thwarted.

After the operation was completed, the commander of the 1st Army, Rennekampf, and the commander of the 2nd Army, Scheidemann, were removed from their posts.

The 6th Army Corps of V.I. Gurko was the main unit of the 1st Army in the Battle of Lovichi ( The final stage Battle of Lodz). The first battles of V. I. Gurko's unit were successful, the enemy's counterattacks were repelled. By mid-December, Gurko's corps occupied a 15-kilometer section of the front at the confluence of the Bzura and Ravka rivers, and here his troops first encountered German chemical weapons.

The year 1915 began with the hardest fighting in the area of ​​​​the estate of Wola Shidlovskaya. This military operation was poorly prepared, enemy counterattacks succeeded each other, the troops suffered heavy losses, but the battles ended in nothing. Gurko warned about this in advance, but was forced to obey the command. Although his protests still had consequences - they led to an accelerated curtailment of the operation.

Since June 1915, Gurko's 6th Army Corps became part of the 11th Army of the Southwestern Front in the area of ​​the river. Dniester. Under the command of V.I. Gurko there were at least 5 infantry divisions.

General V.I. Gurko

In the offensive operation near Zhuravino on May 27-June 2, 1915, the troops of the 11th Russian Army inflicted a major defeat on the South German army. In these successful actions, the central place belongs to V.I. Gurko: his troops defeated two enemy corps, captured 13 thousand soldiers, captured 6 artillery pieces, more than 40 machine guns. The enemy was driven back to the right bank of the Dniester, Russian troops approached the large railway junction of western Ukraine, the city of Stryi (12 km remained before it). The enemy was forced to curtail the offensive in the Galich direction and regroup forces. But the victorious offensive of the Russian army was curtailed as a result of the Gorlitsky breakthrough. The period of defense began.

But the merits of General V.I. Gurko were appreciated: for the battles on the Dniester, he was awarded in November 1915 the Order of St. George 3rd degree.

In the autumn of 1915, the Russian front stabilized - a positional war began.

In December 1915, Gurko was appointed commander of the 5th Army of the Northern Front, in the winter of 1915/16. he was engaged in the improvement of defensive positions and combat training of troops. On March 5-17, 1916, his army participated in one of the unsuccessful offensive operations to break through the enemy’s echeloned defenses - the Naroch operation of the Northern and Western fronts. The main task of the Russian troops was to alleviate the situation of the French at Verdun. The 5th Army delivered auxiliary strikes. The offensive took place in difficult weather conditions. Gurko wrote about this: “... these battles clearly demonstrated the fact that an offensive undertaken in the conditions of trench warfare during periods of frost or winter thaw puts the attacking troops in an extremely disadvantageous position compared to the defending enemy in our climate. In addition, from personal observations of the actions of the troops and their commanders, I concluded that the training of our units and headquarters is completely insufficient for conducting offensive operations in conditions of positional warfare.

IN AND. Gurko

By the end of May, the 5th Army of General V.I. Gurko included 4 corps. Getting ready for the summer campaign. The army commander paid special attention to artillery and aviation training upcoming offensive.

On August 14, 1916, V. I. Gurko was appointed commander of the Special Army of the Western Front, but the 1916 offensive was already running out of steam. Gurko understood this, but approached the matter creatively: he paid special attention to capturing the key points of the enemy’s position, which was well fortified, as well as artillery preparation. On September 19-22, the Special and 8th Army fought the inconclusive 5th Kovel battle. There were not enough heavy shells. Gurko stated that in their absence, on September 22, he would be forced to suspend the operation, although he was well aware that “the most effective way to break the Germans was the stubborn and uninterrupted conduct of the operation, believing that any break would force you to start all over again and make the losses incurred in vain.”

It was dangerous to stop active operations - the approaching German reserves were concentrated mainly in the zone of the Special Army. An important task was to reduce their ability to take action. This goal was achieved: the Germans failed to remove a single division from the front of the Special Army, they even had to reinforce this sector with fresh units.

The military historian of the Russian Diaspora, A. A. Kersnovsky, considered General Gurko the best of the army commanders in the 1916 campaign. He wrote: “Of the commanders of the armies, General Gurko should be put in the first place. Unfortunately, he came to Volhynia too late. A strong-willed, energetic and intelligent chief, he demanded a lot from the troops and commanders, but he gave them a lot in return. His orders and instructions - brief, clear, imbued with an offensive spirit, put the troops in the best position in the current extremely difficult and unfavorable situation for the offensive. If Gurko led the Lutsk breakthrough, it is difficult to say where the victorious regiments of the 8th Army would have stopped, and they would have stopped at all.

During M.V. Alekseev's sick leave, from November 11, 1916 to February 17, 1917, Gurko acted as Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

IN AND. Gurko, together with General A. S. Lukomsky, developed a plan for the 1917 campaign, which provided for the transfer of a strategic decision to the Romanian front and the Balkans. But with the plan of Gurko-Lukomsky, except for A.A. Brusilov, no one agreed. "Our main enemy is not Bulgaria, but Germany," the rest of the commanders-in-chief believed.

The February coup of 1917 found V. I. Gurko at the front, in the Special Army. The purge of the army from military leaders objectionable to the new government began, and on March 31, 1917, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the armies of the Western Front, whose headquarters was in Minsk. But the army was already decomposing in a revolutionary frenzy. The policy of the new authorities led to the death of the army.

On May 15, 1917, the Declaration of the Rights of Military Personnel was promulgated. Gurko filed a report to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Minister-Chairman of the Provisional Government that he "relieves himself of all responsibility for the successful conduct of business." Even during the preparation of this document, he wrote: "The proposed rules are completely incompatible with the life of the troops and military discipline, and therefore their application will inevitably lead to the complete decomposition of the army ...".

On May 22, Gurko was removed from his post and placed at the disposal of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief with a ban on holding positions higher than the head of the division, i.e. the position from which he started the war. It was an insult to a combat general.

Exile

IN AND. Gurko in exile

On July 21, 1917, he was arrested for correspondence with the former Emperor Nicholas II and placed in the Trubetskoy Bastion Peter and Paul Fortress but soon released. And on September 14, 1917, V. I. Gurko was dismissed from service and, with the assistance of the British authorities, he arrived in England through Arkhangelsk. Then he moved to Italy. Here V.I. Gurko actively participated in the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS), which united military organizations and unions of the White emigration in all countries, collaborated in the Clock magazine.

Cover of the magazine "Hour" for 1831

This magazine was rightly called the chronicle of the Russian army in exile, the encyclopedia of military thought abroad.

Book V.I. Gurko

Vasily Iosifovich Gurko died on February 11, 1937; buried in the Roman non-Catholic cemetery of Testaccio.

Awards V.I. Gurko

• Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd class (1894);
• Order of St. Anne 3rd class (1896);
• Order of St. Vladimir 4th class (1901);
• Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd class with swords (1905);
• Golden Weapon (1905);
• Order of St. Vladimir 3rd class with swords (1905);
• Order of St. Anne 2nd class with swords (1905);
• Order of St. Stanislaus 1st class (1908).
• Order of St. George 4th class. (25.10.1914).
• Order of St. Vladimir 2nd class with swords (06/04/1915);
• Order of St. George 3rd class (03.11.1915).

It remains only to once again be amazed at the fact how easily the new Soviet government said goodbye to those who brought glory to Russia and who did not spare their lives for it. Getting acquainted with the biographies of the military leaders of the Russian Empire, you partly understand the reasons for the difficult results of the Great Patriotic War - the entire old guard was either destroyed or sent abroad.

Family V.I. Gurko

In Italy, V.I. Gurko married a Frenchwoman Sofia Trario. His only daughter Catherine was a nun (Maria was a monk). She died in 2012 and was buried in the Russian cemetery of Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois in Paris.

In the annals of the military glory of the Russian state are inscribed names of over 200 generals Armenian origin . All of them distinguished themselves by fighting spirit and determination, their courage and courage were marked by many awards and the highest noble ranks. Below are the names and titles of ten generals of the Russian Empire of Armenian origin:

1. David Delyanov (David Arutyunovich Dalakyan (1763 -1837)) - Major General of the Russian imperial army . Born in Moscow. As part of the Sumy Hussars, he fought in Prussia against the troops of Napoleon. He distinguished himself in the battles near Friedland (1806-1807), the Battle of Borodino, foreign campaigns of Russian troops in Prussia and France (1813-1814). Winner of many orders and awards. Son - Ivan Davydovich Delyanov, Minister of Education of the Russian Empire.

2. Valerian Madatov (Rostom Grigorievich Madatyan (1782 - 1829)) - Prince, Lieutenant General. Born in the Karabakh village of Avetaranots (Chanakhchi) near Shushi. Participated in the Russian-Turkish war (1806 -1812), Patriotic War(1812) and foreign campaigns of the Russian army (1813-1814), after which he became a major general. Later he took part in the Russian-Persian (1826-1828) and Russian-Turkish wars (1828-1829). He was awarded the St. George Cross IV degree and the rank of lieutenant colonel for the battle near Batin, in which he defeated a four thousandth cavalry detachment of Turks with 2 squadrons advancing from Shumla. Khachatur Abovyan wrote about him in his work "Wounds of Armenia": "The world may turn upside down, but the memory of him is indelible in our people and in our country."

3. Mikhail Lazarev (1788-1851) - admiral, adjutant general. Born into a noble family of the Lazarevs in Vladimir. In 1832 he became the commander of the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet and the ports of the Black Sea. Two more years later (1834) the governor of Sevastopol and Nikolaev. Thanks to Lazarev, the first iron steamer and steam ships were created in Russia. He was a mentor to three Russian naval commanders: P. Nakhimov, V. Kornilov and V. Istomin. Discoverer of Antarctica.

4. Vasily Bebutov (Vasil Ovsepovich Beibutyan (1791 - 1858)) - prince, general of infantry. Born in Tiflis. came from princely family Bebutovs. Participated in the Russian-Turkish war (1806-1812), the Patriotic War (1812) and the Crimean War (1853-1856). In 1830 he was appointed head of the newly conquered Armenian region, which he ruled for 8 years. In 1847-1858 he became head of the Civil Administration and Chairman of the Council of the Main Administration of the Transcaucasian Territory. Bebutov was the first in the Caucasus to be awarded the highest order of the Russian Empire - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (1854).

5. Lazar Serebryakov (Kazar Markosovich Artsatagortsyan (1792 - 1862)) - admiral of the Russian fleet, nobleman. Born in Karasubazar (Belogorsk, Crimea). Participated in the battle near the fortress of Varna and in the capture of the Varna Heights, the cities of Messermia, Midia and Inada, the fortress of Anapa. As part of the embassy mission of General Nikolai Muravyov, Serebryakov visited Turkey and Egypt, contributing to the final expulsion of the Turks from the Caucasian coast. In 1851 he became the head of the entire Black Sea coastline and a member of the Caucasian Department of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. During the period Crimean War(1853-1856) commanded ships on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and military expeditions to the southeastern Turkish garrisons. In March 1855, at the height of the bloody defense of Sevastopol, he received news of the death of his eldest son Markos.

6. Moses Argutinsky-Dolgorukov (Movses Argutyan (1797 - 1855)) - prince, lieutenant general, nephew of the Patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church Joseph Argutinsky-Dolgorukov. Born in Tiflis. For military distinctions in the Persian war he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He took an active part in organizing the resettlement of Persian Armenians (1828). In 1829-1830 he was the head of the Armenian region. For 23 years of living in the Caucasus, he conducted continuous expeditions to pacify the recalcitrant mountain peoples of the Caucasus. In 1842, he led the Samur detachment, receiving the nickname "Samur Lion". In 1847 he was appointed military governor of Derbent, as well as commander of troops in the Caspian region. Awarded the Order of St. George IV degree.

7. Arzas Artemyevich Ter-Gukasov (Arshak Ter-Ghukasyan (1819 - 1881)) - lieutenant general. The son of the Shamkhor archpriest, rector of the Tiflis Lower Avlabar Church (“Shamkhoreans Karmir Avetaran”). Born in Tiflis. Participated in many Caucasian expeditions. Thanks to the leadership talent of Ter-Gukasov, his division defeated the Turks in the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878) and liberated the cities of Bayazet and Alashkert. Organizer and honorary trustee of the Grozny mountain primary school. Awarded 7 orders.

8. Ivan Lazarev (Hovhannes Lazaryan (1820 - 1879)) - lieutenant general, nobleman. Born in Shusha. He came from the Karabakh beks. He took part in expeditions to pacify the mountain peoples of the Caucasus, he received all ranks and orders for exceptional military merits. In 1850 he was appointed administrator of the Mekhtuli Khanate, in 1854 - Dargin district, in 1859 - commander of the troops and head of the temporary administration in Central Dagestan. Becoming a lieutenant general in 1860, Lazarev took part in the siege and capture of Gunib. Ivan Lazarev was Mikhail Loris-Melikov's successor as commander of the Caucasian Corps. Awarded 9 orders.

9. Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov (Mikael Tarielovich Loris-Melikyan (1825 - 1888))- Minister of the Interior of the Russian Empire. From the family of hereditary bailiffs and princes of the Lori region. Born in Tiflis. He served in the Caucasus for 32 years, took part in 180 battles with the highlanders and the Turks. In 1865, Mikhail Loris-Melikov became the adjutant general of Emperor Alexander II and the chief ataman of the Terek Cossack army. Governor-General of Astrakhan, Saratov, Samara and Kharkov provinces. Minister of the Interior with expanded powers, pursued a liberal policy, called the "Dictatorship of the Heart", planned the creation representative body with legislative powers. Author of the first constitution of Russia, honorary member Russian Academy Sciences. Awarded with many awards.

10. Boris Shelkovnikov (Beibut Martirosovich Metaksyan (1837 - 1878) - Major General. Descendant of an old family. Born in Nukha (Sheki, Azerbaijan). Military governor of the Erzerum region, participant in the Crimean War (1853-1856). During the Russian Turkish war(1877-1878), with the forces of Shelkovnikov's troops entrusted to him, he thwarted the plans of the Turks to capture Sochi, and then, going on the counteroffensive, conquered Abkhazia (1877). Note that Boris Shelkovnikov is the brother of the famous Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Shelkovnikov.

The topic of the number of generals from among the Ossetians in the army of the Russian Empire was repeatedly touched upon in the republican media. But nowhere was the exact number of those who had a chance to put on the general's epaulets sounded. Yes, there is confusion about the names themselves. Therefore, there is a need to bring some clarity to this issue. It should be borne in mind that there are two types of generals - those who were retired "with the rank of major general" (or "promoted to major general with dismissal from service") and those who served in the ranks of generals. About the "servants" and will be discussed.

For the first time, the rank of general appeared in the Russian army in 1655, but the system of rank production was established only by the Table of Ranks, published in 1722. It remained virtually unchanged until the end of 1917. During all this time, about 15 thousand people served in the ranks of generals. How many of them were Ossetians?

The first general was Ignatius (Aslanbek) Mikhailovich Tuganov, born in 1804. He began military service in 1823 in the Kabardian Infantry Regiment, in 1827 he was promoted to officer. From 1827 he served in the Life Guards of the Caucasian Mountain half-squadron of the Imperial Convoy. In 1841 he was promoted to colonel and later commanded the Gorsky regiment and the 7th brigade of the Caucasian line Cossack army. On December 6, 1851, he was promoted to major general and from that time until his death in 1868 he was with the Caucasian Corps.

Mussa Alkhasovich KUNDUHOV was the next to conquer the general's height. Taken by the amanat to St. Petersburg, he was assigned to the Pavlovsk Military School, from which in 1836 he was released as an officer to the Caucasian Corps. From that time began his long-term, full of various events military service. Kundukhov rose to the very important position of the head of the Military Ossetian District of the Terek Region. In 1860 he received the rank of major general. And then his fate took a sharp turn. In 1865, he led the resettlement of the highlanders to Turkey. And before and now there are many assumptions why he did this. But the most likely version is that it was a special operation of the Russian authorities to take some of the highlanders out of Russia, and General Kundukhov, as a reliable person, was instructed to carry it out. In the future, he commanded the Turkish troops, but in battles with the Russians he lost all the battles, not much striving for victory. Mussa Kundukhov died in 1889 in the city of Erzerum.

General Magomed Inalovich DUDAROV was born in 1823, he began his service in 1841 in the Mountain Cossack regiment. Then he was in the Life Guards in the Ulansky regiment. In 1850, he was enrolled in the Life Guards of the Caucasian Mountain Half-Squadron of the Imperial Convoy, but served under the chief head of the Military Educational Institutions. He was promoted to colonel. In 1861 he was appointed commander of the Terek irregular cavalry regiment. He was known and respected both at the Royal Court and in the mountain villages of the Caucasus. By appointing Dudarov to such a responsible position, the authorities hoped that with his authority he would calm the unrest in the Terek region. In this case, the authorities were not mistaken. Basically, the Terek regiment participated in the hostilities in Chechnya and Dagestan. For the distinction shown in dealing with the highlanders during the winter expedition in the Argun district in 1861, Colonel Dudarov was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree with swords. In 1865, with the end of the Caucasian War, the Terek regiment was disbanded, and the Terek permanent militia was formed on its basis, and Colonel Dudarov was appointed to be at the disposal of the head of the Terek region. On September 18, 1871, he was promoted to major general, and from 1885 to 1889 he was in the reserve. The general died in 1893 in Vladikavkaz.

Major General Mikhail Georgievich BAEV, born in 1837. He graduated from the Konstantinovsky Military School and the Academy of the General Staff (the first of the Ossetians). Most of the time he served in the customs units. From 1872 he commanded the Taurogen border guard brigade, then he was the head of the Yurburg customs district. Since 1881, he was in the Caucasus to oversee the affairs of the customs department. In 1883 he was promoted to major general. From 1888 to January 1895 he was the head of the Bessarabian customs district. He died in Vladikavkaz in 1895.

General Temirbulat DUDAROV was born in 1844, graduated from the 2nd cadet corps. Served in artillery units. From 1879 he commanded the 2nd battery of the 39th artillery brigade, from 1895 - the 3rd division of the 4th artillery brigade. In 1900, he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of the 2nd Turkestan artillery brigade, at the head of which he was until 1904, when he was dismissed.

Inal Tegoevich KUSOV, born in 1847 became the first Ossetian to receive the rank of lieutenant general and lead a division. He began his service in His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy. He served as an officer in the 80th Kabardian Infantry Regiment, then was transferred to the cavalry - the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. He especially distinguished himself in the Russian-Turkish war - for military distinction he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th class. and Golden Weapons. From 1889 he commanded the Dagestan cavalry regiment, from 1896 - the 1st Labinsk regiment of the Kuban Cossack army. On December 3, 1900, he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of the 1st brigade of the 1st Caucasian Cossack division. Since 1906, lieutenant general, head of the 1st Caucasian Cossack division. In July 1908 he was dismissed. He died in 1918.

General Sergei Semenovich KHABALOV, born in 1858, rose to high positions. He graduated from the 2nd St. Petersburg Military Gymnasium, the Mikhailovsky Artillery School and the Academy of the General Staff. He began serving as an officer in the 1st Terek Cossack Battery, then served on the line of the General Staff. He taught at various military schools. Since 1903 he became the head of the Alekseevsky military school, in 1904 he was promoted to major general and a year later he headed the Pavlovsk military school. In 1910 he became a lieutenant general, and in 1914 he received the post of military governor of the Ural region and the chief ataman of the Ural Cossack army. In June 1916 he was entrusted with the responsible post of chief commander of the Petrograd Military District, and from January 1917 he was commander of the troops of the same district. Until now, General Khabalov is accused of not being able to control the situation in Petrograd, that he is responsible for the abdication of the Sovereign Emperor. After retiring, General Khabalov in the years civil war was in the ranks of the white forces in the South of Russia. In March 1920 he was evacuated from Novorossiysk to Greece. He died in exile in 1924.

Among the most famous Ossetian generals was Sozryko Dzankhotovich (Joseph Zakharovich) KHORANOV, born in 1842. Nobody questions his personal courage, but he was not a commander. Nevertheless, he, without commanding even a hundred, became the head of a division. He began his service in His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy. During the Russian-Turkish war, he was under General Skobelev, who continued to patronize him. Member of the Russo-Japanese War. Awarded with the St. George weapon. On January 31, 1905 he was promoted to major general. From May 1907 he was with the troops of the Caucasian Military District. Member of the First World War. Since April 1916, commander of the 1st brigade of the 1st Terek Cossack division. On August 8, he was promoted to lieutenant general, and on August 23, 1917, he became the head of the 2nd Caucasian native cavalry division. During the Civil War, he was part of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia. He remained in the USSR, died in Ossetia in 1935.

Under General Skobelev, General Dmitry Konstantinovich ABATSIEV, born in 1857, also began to serve.

Unlike Khoranov, he went through all the stages of the military hierarchy, becoming a real commander and the most combative of all Ossetian generals. He was General Skobelev's personal orderly. For military distinctions in the Russian-Turkish war, he was awarded the St. George crosses of the 4th, 3rd and 2nd class. After the war, he passed the officer's examination at the Vilna infantry cadet school. Already an officer with General Skobelev, he participated in the Akhal-Teke expedition, was awarded the Golden Weapon. From 1883 he served in the Imperial Convoy. From April 1902 to May 1903 he commanded the 3rd hundred of the Convoy, then was the assistant commander of the Convoy. Colonel since 1903. From 1904 to 1906 he commanded the Ussuri Cossack regiment, with which he participated in the Russo-Japanese War. For military distinction, on March 28, 1906 he was promoted to major general. In 1907 he was appointed commander of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Caucasian Cossack division. Since 1912, Abatsiev was a lieutenant general, head of the 2nd Caucasian Cossack division. Member of the First World War on the Caucasian front. For the capture of the city of Bitlis, he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th class. From June 1916 he was the commander of the 6th Caucasian Army Corps. In September 1917, he was enrolled in the reserve ranks of the headquarters of the Caucasian Military District. In February 1918, he was appointed commander of the Caucasian Native Cavalry Corps, on September 30, 1918, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Front, he was promoted to general from the cavalry for military distinctions. Member of the White Movement. In the Volunteer Army since the end of 1918. On June 13, 1919, he was approved with the rank of general from the cavalry and appointed honorary representative of the mountain peoples under the commander of the troops of the North Caucasus. Since 1920 in exile in Yugoslavia. Chairman of the court of honor for generals. He died in 1936 in Belgrade.

General Alexander Mikhailovich BORUKAEV was born in 1850, graduated from the Konstantinovsky military school. Served in the artillery. Member of the Russian-Turkish and Russian-Japanese wars. Since 1895, the battery commander of the 35th artillery brigade. Since 1903, colonel, commander of the 1st division of the 40th artillery brigade. Since 1905, the commander of the 10th artillery brigade. In 1907 he was promoted to major general, and in July 1908 he was dismissed. He died in Vladikavkaz in March 1919.

Lieutenant-General Afako Patsievich FIDAROV, born in 1859, after the Konstantinovsky military school, served in units of the Terek Cossack army. From 1902 he was a military instructor in Persia. Participated in the Russian-Japanese war as part of the Terek-Kuban regiment. For military distinction he was awarded the "Golden Weapon". Since 1907 he commanded the 1st Khopersky regiment of the Kuban KV. On July 23, 1910, he was promoted to major general with the appointment of a brigade commander of the 2nd Caucasian Cossack division. During the First World War, he commanded the 1st Turkestan Cossack division. Since 1916, lieutenant general. During the Civil War, as part of the white forces of the South of Russia. Remained in the USSR. Shot in December 1929 in Vladikavkaz.

The son of an officer in the village of Novoosetinskaya of the Terek Cossack army, Zaurbek Dzambulatovich TURGIEV, was born in 1859, graduated from the Stavropol gymnasium and the 2nd Konstantinovsky military school. He was released as an officer in the 1st Gorsko-Mozdok Regiment, then served in the 1st Sunzha-Vladikavkaz Regiment. Participated in the Russo-Japanese War. In February 1904, he was promoted to military sergeant major and became an assistant regiment commander. Since 1907, he was commander of the 2nd Black Sea Regiment of the Kuban KV, was promoted to colonel. In 1908 he headed the 1st Yeysk Regiment of the Kuban KV. In 1911 he was appointed commander of the 1st brigade of the 1st Caucasian Cossack divisions. October 21, 1913 Zaurbek Turgiev was promoted to major general. According to the mobilization plan, in case of war, he was supposed to lead the Terek Cossack division, but in March 1914 he fell seriously ill, was hospitalized and died in June 1915. He was posthumously promoted to lieutenant general.

The last general of the Russian Empire from among the Ossetians was Elmurza Aslanbekovich MISTULOV, a native of Art. Chernoyarsk Terek Cossack army. He was born in 1869, graduated from the Stavropol Cossack cadet school. He served in the 1st Sunzha-Vladikavkaz regiment. Member of the Russo-Japanese War as part of the Terek-Kuban Regiment. For military distinction he was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th century, "Golden Weapon" and promoted to captain. Since 1913 he commanded the 2nd Sunzha-Vladikavkaz regiment, led by the First World War. From March 1916 he was commander of the 1st Caucasian Regiment of the Kuban KV. From December 1916 he became commander of the 2nd brigade of the 1st Kuban Cossack division. In January 1917, Elmurza Mistulov was promoted to major general. Since September, he has been a brigade commander of the 3rd Kuban Cossack Division. He was an active participant in the uprising of the Terek Cossacks against Soviet power. From July 1918 he commanded the troops of the Terek army. On July 12, he was seriously wounded in a battle near st. Cool. Having healed, on October 17 he again assumed the post of commander. Being unable to stop the retreat of the Cossack troops, on November 9, 1918, he shot himself in the village of Prokhladnaya.

Thus, it turns out that thirteen Ossetians served in the ranks of generals. Of these, the youngest general was Kundukhov, who received general's shoulder straps at 42, and later all Khoranov - at 63. Two died not by their own death - Mistulov (shot himself) and Fidarov (shot). General Khoranov, who died at the age of 93, lived the longest. And the last, in 1935, General Abatsiev died.

Although there are not so many serving Ossetian generals, but, firstly, for small Ossetia this is an impressive figure, and, secondly, what kind of generals they were! Passed through the crucible of severe trials and proved themselves in them from the most worthy side! It is also necessary to take into account the fact that even more - three times - there were retired generals. And all together they made their invaluable contribution to the military glory of the Russian army, entered the galaxy of the generals of the Russian Empire and formed the glorious traditions of the Ossetian military intelligentsia.

Mikhail BAEV

Alexander BORUKAEV Temirbolat DUDAROV

Afako FIDAROV Sergey KHABALOV

Sozryko KHORANOV Moussa KUNDUHOV

Inal KUSOV Elmurza MISTULOV

Aslambek TUGANOV

http://ossetia.kvaisa.ru/news/show/22/397

On Friday, I finally finished fiddling with the preparation for the calculations of the "general" file, which took almost a year and a half. For 36.2 thousand people. I had to place conditional icons and numbers in 9 columns: the number of representatives of the clan, to which the person belongs, since when this clan has been in the service of the Republic of Ingushetia, its origin (Ostsee, Polish, etc.), the rank of the person himself, he is military or civil, father's rank, max. rank of brothers, max. the rank of sons and their presence (either only daughters, or childless), the total number of children. This study should form the 2nd part of the book on the Russian service stratum (the 1st part of which is an already written general outline of its history from the Middle Ages with a maximum reduction of all available digital data). It will take some time to check for typos and calculate, but in the fall I hope to present it in the form of a dozen tables.

Military and civil ranks of 1-4 (before 1796 - also 5th) classes were taken into account, and only received in active service, and not in retirement (there are 2-3 times more of these). Initially, I was interested in a simple thing - the degree of self-reproduction of the “general” (what percentage of the “generals” have a dad is also a “general” and vice versa), but “appetite comes with eating” and led to what it led to. Things went slowly, because every time I tried to find, wherever possible, a pedigree painting: although all the main sources of this kind were originally laid down in my so-called. “common database” (where there are now about 2 million records), but in a scattered form there are many murals on all kinds of regional and amateur sites and publications, and fuss with the Baltic editions of Gothic, where different branches of the same kind can be found in different volumes, and it was necessary to bring them into a generational one, at the same time remaking the stupid German system “along the lines” into the “Dolgorukovskaya” system (by generations) that was necessary for my purposes - something in general.

But there is nothing to do, because it was necessary to separate the namesakes, and there were only dozens of noble families with common surnames (for example, about a hundred Ilyins, 98 Makarovs, 83 Matveevs, 82 Pavlovs, 76 Davydovs, 72 Danilovs, etc.), although, of course, more than 90 % of "generals" belonged to 1-3 oldest and most prominent of the same-family families. Moreover, the murals are usually not complete, and even for well-known titled families, there is usually some left. number of persons, undoubtedly to them according to the official. state belonging to sources, but not reflected in the list (because there was no general state accounting, and the lists were compiled by genealogists on archival cases about the nobility, initiated by individuals who might not have mentioned side branches in their petitions).

Until the end of the calculations, I will refrain from judging, because I know very well how deceptive impressions from “examples” are (even with all the experience of working with mass material, I can say to myself that exceptions are usually remembered at least three times better and create a corresponding deviation in the assessment). On the one hand, dozens of representatives of a number of well-known families are impressive (with closer observation, sinking, however, in the sea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe Ivanov-Petrovs), on the other hand, numerous examples of this kind: the son of a craftsman is a doctor (kol.ass), and his six children and grandchildren - valid civil and secret advisers, all five sons of the St. Petersburg tailor - in the ranks of generals, etc. (but the share of such in the total mass is also not at all the same as at first impression).

So far, it can only be absolutely definitely said that the Republic of Ingushetia is an absolutely typical example of a “bureaucratic” society: even throughout the entire period, almost half of all “generals” are the only representatives of their kind (in “aristocratic” societies, the situation is mirror-like - there are 2-3% of them, while up to 30-40% give births, which make up 2% of all births, and 10% of births give 60-80% of all higher ranks), and in the 1st and even more so the 2nd half of the 19th century, naturally, even more .

Of course, the number of representatives of the clans among the "generals" to a large extent depends on the age of the clan (which made it possible to multiply strongly by the 18th-19th centuries), but this is only one factor; in general, the “influence” of the clan should be judged by the proportion of persons who have reached the highest ranks in the total number of its adult men (and not the most numerous may lead by this indicator). I counted 55 clans that gave 20 or more “generals” (about a dozen - even 40 or more: 118 Prince Golitsyn, 81 Tolstoy, 63 Prince Dolgorukov, 52 Bibikov, 44 Prince Gagarin, 42 Prince Volkonsky, Arsenievs and bar.Korfov, 40 Engelhardts), of these 55 - 9 genera of Rurikovich and Gediminovich, 31 belong to Russian families known no later than the 16th century, 13 Ostsee, 1 "late" Russian (Demidovs) and 1 "late" foreign (Scalons). However, such combined - "a drop in the ocean" (about 4%).

In general (with the exception of the 1st half - the middle of the 18th century), the proportion of births known in the service before early XVIII in. relatively small: in any case, out of about 2 thousand of the most prominent such families, only 128 gave 10 or more “generals” in the Republic of Ingushetia, and more than a third only one or none at all (despite the fact that the remaining 1.5 thousand old births did not give a single one). Moreover, hundreds of old families did not give in the XVIII-XIX centuries. not even a single person in the "headquarters officer" ranks (8th grade and above), not rising in active service above the titular adviser or captain, and many simply by the end of the 19th century. did not serve, but peasantry on their small allotments

Article 14 of the Fundamental 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 orders regarding "... everything in general related to the organization of the armed forces and defense Russian State"1. On the eve of the First World War, on July 16, 1914, the "Regulations on the field command of troops in war time", which allowed the emperor, if he "did 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 operations were equated with the highest commands. in front of him 2 .

For the first time in national history the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was replaced on July 20, 1914. In just years great war until signing Brest Peace Eight people were replaced at the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, among whom, along with full generals, 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)

Command term. 20.07.1914 - 23.08.1915

Chin, rank.

Battle path. With his participation in 1914, the unsuccessful East Prussian and triumphal Galician operations were carried out, the enemy offensive was repelled during the Warsaw-Ivangorod and Lodz operations, the Przemysl fortress was taken. Enjoyed great popularity among the troops. Even major failures at the front in 1915 - the loss of Galicia, Poland and a significant 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 intrigues). 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 for the Romanov dynasty was already seething over the edge.

Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd class, St. George 2nd degree; St. George's weapon, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription "For the liberation of Chervona Rus".

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

A man of large scale, direct, decisive, who received a completed higher military education, who had behind him the experience of the Turkish war ... impressing with his appearance, having passed a number of combat positions from a junior officer to the commander-in-chief of the capital district inclusive - in this form the appearance of the Grand Duke of Russia was drawn 3.

_General of Infantry A.Yu. Danilov

(06.05.1868 - 17.07.1918)

Command term. 23.08.1915 - 2.03.1917

Chin. Colonel of the Guard.

Battle path. With the outbreak of war, Nicholas II wanted to personally lead the army, but was forced to yield to the government, which categorically did not make this decision. The "Great Retreat" of the summer of 1915 strengthened the tsar in his conviction to fulfill his royal duty - "when the enemy deepened into the empire, to take over the supreme command of the active troops and ... to defend the Russian Land from the enemy's attempts" 4 .

He made successful personnel changes, appointed the experienced and popular General M.V. Alekseev, established supplies, raised the morale of the troops. All this led to the stabilization of the front and in many respects prepared the Brusilovsky breakthrough of 1916, which became a turning point in the war.

Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree.

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

With the Sovereign calmer. His Majesty gives instructions so consistent with strategic combat tasks that you develop these directives with full conviction in their expediency. He knows the front very well and has a rare memory 5 .

_General of Infantry M.V. Alekseev

(03.11.1857-08.10.1918)

Command term. 1.04.1917 - 21.05.1917

Chin, rank. Infantry General, Adjutant General.

Battle path. Trying to stop the expansion of the army, he demanded that all orders for the army pass through the Supreme Commander. After the appearance of order N1 and the soldiers' committees, he compromised, hoping to take the committees under control by introducing officers into them. The Provisional Regulations on the Organization of the Ranks of the Active Army and Navy, sent out on March 30, 1917, sanctioned the military committees, but limited their scope of competence.

Participated in the creation of the "Union of Army and Navy Officers", at the 1st Congress on May 7 opposed 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 class "For Bravery", St. Stanislav 3rd class with swords and bow, St. Anna 3rd class with swords and bow, St. Vladimir 4th class with swords and a bow, St. Stanislav 1st class with swords; Golden weapon with the inscription "For bravery".

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

Enormous capacity for work, excellent acquaintance with the army and its needs, great caution, thoughtfulness ensure [Alekseev's] systematic conduct of operations without risky moves that do not correspond to the current disordered state of the army 6 .

_General from the cavalry A.M. Dragomirov

(01.08.1853-17.03.1926)

Command term. 22.05.1917 - 19.07.1917

Chin, rank. Cavalry General, Adjutant General.

Battle 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 led the army.

On May 22, 1917, by order along the front, he began the formation of "special shock revolutionary battalions recruited in the center of Russia," called upon to "drag along the hesitant" during the offensive. 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. In the context of the retreat that began on July 12, military revolutionary courts were established and the the death penalty at the front.

Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd class, St. Stanislav 3rd class with swords and bow, St. Anna 3rd class with swords and bow, St. Stanislav 2nd degree with swords, White Eagle with swords; St. George's weapon, adorned with diamonds, with the inscription "For the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian armies in Volhynia, in Bukovina and Galicia on May 22-25, 1916."

A HIT TO A 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 situation that has arisen.

_Chairman of the State Duma M.V. Rodzianko

(18.08.1870-31.03.1918)

Command term. 19.07.1917 - 27.08.1917

Chin. Infantry General.

Battle path. Gained fame after escaping from Austrian captivity in July 1916. After February Revolution in five months he went from corps commander to commander-in-chief. On July 19, 1917, he agreed to take over the supreme command, subject to non-interference in his orders. He stabilized the front with tough measures.

At the State Conference on August 12-15 in Moscow, he outlined his program to restore order in the rear. At the end of August, from Headquarters, he negotiated with Kerensky on 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 speech on August 25-31, he was arrested.

Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd class, St. Vladimir 3rd class with swords, St. Stanislav 2nd class with swords, St. Vladimir 3rd class with swords, St. Stanislav 1st class with swords, St. Anna 1st class with swords.

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

"Kornilov is bold, courageous, stern, resolute, independent and will not stop at any independent action required by the situation, and at any responsibility" 9 .

_Lieutenant General A.I. Denikin

Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky (22.04.1881-11.06.1970)

Command term. 30.08.1917 - 3.11.1917

Chin. Didn't have. Civilian "shtafirka". Declared himself Supreme Commander.

Battle path. On May 3, 1917, he was appointed Minister of War, in this capacity, in preparation for the summer offensive, he traveled around the 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 the committees and was rapidly decomposing.

Awards. Soldiers' St. George's Crosses of the 1st, 2nd and 4th degrees (granted to the Minister of War for "great feats in the struggle for the freedom of the Russian land" by soldiers and officers).

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

Kerensky should be considered one of the greatest orators of his kind in history. There was nothing charming about his speeches. His voice was hardened by the constant screaming. He gesticulated little ... but he mastered the speech and spoke with conquering conviction 10 .

_Consul General of Great Britain R.B. lockhart

(01.12.1876-20.11.1917)

Command term. 3.11.1917 - 9.11.1917

Chin. Lieutenant general.

Battle path. One of the closest assistants to A.A. Brusilov. On September 10, 1917, Kerensky's chief of staff, after the latter's flight, became Acting Commander-in-Chief. He ordered the troops to stand in position, on November 7-8 he refused to negotiate peace with the enemy on behalf of the Council of People's Commissars, since "only central authority, supported by the army and the country, can have sufficient weight and significance for opponents. "For disobeying the instructions of the government and for behavior that brings unheard of disasters to the working masses of all countries and especially the armies," he was dismissed from his post. Waiting for the arrival of a new commander-in-chief, on November 18 he ordered to release Kornilov from custody, remained at Headquarters and on November 20 fell victim to a soldier's lynching.

Awards. Order of St. George 4th degree, St. George 3rd class, St. Stanislav 2nd class with swords, St. Vladimir 4th class with swords and a bow, St. Vladimir 3rd class with swords; George weapon.

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

Dukhonin was a broad-minded, frank and honest person, far from political squabbles and machinations. Unlike some older officers, he did not mourn and grumble about the "new system" and by no means idealized 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)

Command term. 9.11.1917 - 5.03.1918

Chin. Ensign

Battle path. After the October coup, he became a member of the first Council of People's Commissars as a member of the Committee on Military and Naval Affairs. After the refusal of N.N. Dukhonin to negotiate for peace November 9 appointed V.I. Lenin Supreme Commander. On November 12, he ordered all units at the front to begin negotiations on an armistice; 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 loss of combat capability by the army and advocated for peace on any terms. After the signing of the Brest Peace, he resigned, and on March 13, 1918, the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was abolished.

Awards. Didn't have

A HIT TO A PORTRAIT

Ensign Krylenko, nicknamed "Comrade Abram", squat, short-legged, round-shouldered, with unshaven red stubble on his cheeks, in a protective jacket, with casually put on and clumsily hanging combat equipment ... 14.

_Major General G.I. Goncharenko (Yuri Galich)

1. Complete Collection Laws of the Russian Empire. Meeting the third. Volume XXV. 1905. Det. I. Ch. I. C. 457.
2. Regulations on the field command of troops in wartime. SPb. 1914. From 1-3.
3. Danilov Yu.N. Russia in the World War 1914-1915. Berlin. 1924. S. 144.
4. The highest rescript to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. August 23, 1915. Op. Quoted from: Polivanov A.A. Nine months at the head of the War Ministry (June 13, 1915 - March 13, 1916) // Issues of History. 1994. N3. S. 121.
5. Quoted. Quoted from: Multatuli P.V. God bless my decision ... Emperor Nicholas II at the head of the army and the conspiracy of the generals. M. 2002. S. 115.
6. Dragomirov's telegram to the Minister of War Guchkov on March 21, 1917 // Zayonchkovsky A.M. Strategic outline of the war 1914-1918. S. 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. S. 359.
8. Letter to M.V. Rodzianko G.E. Guchkov March 18, 1917// Zayonchkovsky A.M. Decree. op. S. 125.
9. Denikin A.I. Essays on Russian Troubles. The collapse of power and the army. Paris, 1921. S. 193.
10. Lockhart R. B. History from the inside. Memoirs of a British agent. M., Berlin, 2017. S. 195.
11. Conversation of the government with the headquarters on a direct wire on November 9, 1917 // Worker and Soldier. No. 20.1917. November 9.
12. Ibid.
13. Kerensky A.F. Russia at a historical turn. Memoirs. M.: Respublika, 1993. S. 297.
14. Yuri Galich. Death of Dukhonin. On the sixth anniversary of his death. (From the diary of an eyewitness) // Today. Riga. N267. November 30, 1923