Pharaoh Ramses II, who ruled Egypt for more than 60 years, was not without reason mentioned in ancient Egyptian texts with the title "Conqueror". He won many victories, the most important of which was over the Hittite kingdom, for a long time the former main enemy of Egypt.
Its most famous episode was the Battle of Kadesh, which involved several thousand chariots from both sides.
The battle went on with varying success. At first, success was on the side of the Hittites, who took the Egyptians by surprise. But the reserves arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle. The Hittites were pressed against the Orontes River and suffered heavy losses during the hasty crossing. Thanks to this, Ramses managed to conclude a favorable peace with them.
In the wars of the Egyptians and the Hittites, chariots were one of the main striking forces. Sometimes knives were attached to their wheels, literally mowing down the ranks of the enemy. But when taking flight or losing control of the horses, this terrible weapon sometimes involuntarily turned against its own. The Hittite chariots were more powerful, and the warriors on them often fought with spears, and the more maneuverable Egyptian chariots were equipped with archers.
Cyrus the Great (530 BC)
When Cyrus II became the leader of the Persian tribes, the Persians were divided and were in vassal dependence on Media. By the end of Cyrus' reign, the Achaemenid Persian empire stretched from Greece and Egypt to India.
Cyrus treated the conquered humanely, left the conquered areas with substantial self-government, respected their religions, and, thanks to this, avoided serious uprisings in the conquered territories, and some opponents preferred submission to war on such mild terms.
In the battle with the legendary Lydian king Croesus, Cyrus used an original military trick. In front of his army, he put up camels taken from the convoy, on which sat archers firing at the enemy. The horses of the enemy were frightened by unfamiliar animals and brought confusion to the ranks of the enemy troops.
The personality of Cyrus is covered with numerous legends, in which it is difficult to distinguish truth from fiction. So, according to legend, he knew by sight and by name all the soldiers of his large army. After 29 years of the reign, Cyrus died during the next conquest campaign.
Miltiades (550 BC - 489 BC)
The Athenian commander Miltiades became famous, first of all, for his victory in the legendary battle with the Persians at Marathon. The positions of the Greeks were such that their army blocked the path to Athens. The Persian commanders decided not to engage in land combat, but to board ships, bypass the Greeks by sea and land near Athens.
Miltiades seized the moment when most of the Persian cavalry was already on the ships and attacked the Persian infantry.
When the Persians came to their senses and launched a counteroffensive, the Greek troops deliberately retreated in the center, and then surrounded the enemies. Despite the superiority of the Persians in numbers, the Greeks were victorious. After the battle, the Greek army made a 42-kilometer march to Athens and did not allow the remaining Persians to land near the city.
Despite the merits of Miltiades, after another, unsuccessful military expedition against the island of Paros, where the commander himself was wounded, he was accused of "deceiving the people" and sentenced to a huge fine. Miltiades was unable to pay the fine, and was listed as an insolvent debtor, who was forbidden to deal with state activities and soon died of his wounds.
Themistocles (524 BC - 459 BC)
Themistocles, the greatest Athenian naval commander, played key role in the victories of the Greeks over the Persians and the preservation of Greece's independence. When the Persian king Xerxes went to war against Greece, the city-states united in the face of a common enemy, and adopted the plan of Themistocles for protection. The decisive naval battle took place off the island of Salamis. In its vicinity there are many narrow straits and, according to Themistocles, if it were possible to lure the Persian fleet into them, the enemy’s large numerical advantage would be leveled. Frightened by the size of the Persian fleet, other Greek commanders were inclined to flee, but Themistocles, having sent his messenger to the Persian camp, provoked them to immediately start a battle. The Greeks had no choice but to take the fight. Themistocles' calculation was brilliantly justified: in the narrow straits, large and clumsy Persian ships were helpless in front of the more maneuverable Greek ones. The Persian fleet was defeated.
The merits of Themistocles were soon forgotten. Political opponents expelled him from Athens, and then sentenced him in absentia to death penalty accused of high treason.
Themistocles was forced to flee to his former enemies, to Persia. King Artaxerxes, the son of Xerxes defeated by Themistocles, not only spared his longtime enemy, but also gave him control over several cities. According to legend, Artaxerxes wanted Themistocles to participate in the war against the Greeks, and the commander, unable to refuse, but not wanting to harm the ungrateful homeland, took poison.
Epaminondas (418 BC - 362 BC)
Great Theban commander Epaminondas most life fought against the Spartans, who dominated at that time in continental Greece. In the battle of Leuctra, he defeated the Spartan army for the first time, which until now was considered invincible in a land battle. The victories of Epaminondas contributed to the rise of Thebes, but aroused the fears of other Greek city-states that united against them.
In his last battle at Mantinea, also against the Spartans, when the victory was already practically in the hands of the Thebans, Epaminondas was mortally wounded, and the army, confused without a commander, retreated.
Epaminondas is considered one of the greatest innovators in the art of war. It was he who first began to unevenly distribute forces along the front, concentrating the main forces in the direction of the decisive blow. This principle, called "oblique order tactics" by contemporaries, is still one of the fundamental principles in military science. Epaminondas was one of the first to actively use cavalry. The commander paid great attention to raising the morale of the warriors: he encouraged Theban youths to challenge young Spartans to sports so that they would understand that these opponents can be defeated, not only in the palestra, but also on the battlefield.
Phocion (398 BC - 318 BC)
Phocion was one of the most cautious and prudent Greek commanders and politicians, and in difficult times for Greece, these qualities were most in demand. He won a number of victories over the Macedonians, but later, realizing that a fragmented Greece was unable to withstand a strong Macedonian army and believing that only Philip II could stop the Greek strife, he took a moderate position, which seemed to the famous orator Demosthenes and his supporters treacherous.
Thanks to the respect that Phokion enjoyed among the Macedonians, including Alexander the Great, he managed to achieve easy peace conditions for the Athenians.
Phokion never aspired to power, but the Athenians elected him strategist 45 times, and sometimes against his will. The last election ended tragically for him. After the Macedonians took the city of Piraeus, the eighty-year-old Focion was accused of treason and executed.
Philip of Macedon (382 BC - 336 BC)
Philip II, the Macedonian king, is best known as the father of Alexander the Great, but it was he who laid the foundation for his son's future victories. Philip created a well-trained army with iron discipline, and with it he managed to conquer all of Greece. The decisive battle was the Battle of Chaeronea, as a result of which the combined Greek troops were defeated, and Philip united Greece under his command.
The main military innovation of Philip is the famous Macedonian phalanx, which his great son later so skillfully used.
The phalanx was a close formation of warriors armed with long spears, and the spears of the subsequent rows were longer than those of the first. The bristling phalanx could successfully withstand cavalry attacks. Often he also used various siege machines. However, being a cunning politician, he preferred bribery to battle whenever possible and said that "a donkey loaded with gold is able to take any fortress." Many contemporaries considered this method of warfare avoiding open battles unworthy.
During his wars, Philip of Macedon lost an eye and received several severe wounds, one of which left him lame. But he died as a result of an assassination attempt by one of the courtiers, outraged by the unjust court decision king. At the same time, many historians believe that the killer's hand was directed by his political enemies.
Alexander the Great (356 BC - 323 BC)
Alexander the Great is probably the most legendary commander in history. Having ascended the throne at the age of twenty, in less than thirteen years he managed to conquer most of the lands known at that time and create a huge empire.
From childhood, Alexander the Great prepared himself for the hardships of military service, leading a harsh life that was not at all characteristic of the royal offspring. His main feature was the desire for fame. Because of this, he was even upset by the victories of his father, fearing that he would conquer everything himself, and nothing would be left for him.
According to legend, when his teacher, the great Aristotle, told the young man that there could be other inhabited worlds, Alexander bitterly exclaimed: “But I still don’t own one!”
Having completed the conquest of Greece begun by his father, Alexander went on an eastern campaign. In it, he defeated the seemingly invincible for a long time Persian Empire, conquered Egypt, reached India and was about to capture it, but the exhausted army refused to continue the campaign, and Alexander was forced to return. In Babylon, he fell seriously ill (most likely with malaria) and died. After the death of Alexander, the empire fell apart, and between his generals, the Diadochi, a long-term war began for the possession of parts of it.
The most famous battle of Alexander is the battle with the Persians at Gaugamela. The army of the Persian king Darius was an order of magnitude larger, but Alexander managed to break its front line with graceful maneuvers and delivered a decisive blow. Darius fled. This battle marked the end of the Achaemenid Empire.
Pyrrhus (318 BC - 272 BC)
Pyrrhus, the king of the small state of Epirus in the Balkans, a distant relative of Alexander the Great, is considered one of the greatest commanders in history, and Hannibal even put him in first place, above himself.
Even in his youth, Pyrrhus received battle hardening, participating in the wars of the Diadochi for the division of the inheritance of Alexander the Great. Initially, he supported one of the Diadochi, but soon began to play his own game and, despite the relatively small forces of his army, almost became the king of Macedonia. But the main battles that glorified him, Pyrrhus fought against Rome. Pyrrhus fought with both Carthage and Sparta.
Having defeated the Romans during the two-day battle of Ausculum and realizing that the losses were too great, Pyrrhus exclaimed: “Another such victory, and I will be left without an army!”
This is where the expression “Pyrrhic victory” came from, meaning success that came at too high a price.
The great commander was killed by a woman. During the assault on the city of Argos by Pyrrhus, street fighting broke out. The women did their best to help their defenders. A piece of tile thrown from the roof of one of them hit Pyrrhus in an unprotected place. He fell unconscious and was finished off or crushed by the crowd on the ground.
Fabius Maximus (203 BC)
Quintus Fabius Maximus was not at all a warlike man. In his youth, for his gentle nature, he even received the nickname Ovikula (sheep). Nevertheless, he went down in history as a great commander, the winner of Hannibal. After crushing defeats from the Carthaginians, when the fate of Rome hung in the balance, it was Fabius Maximus who was elected dictator by the Romans in order to save the fatherland.
For his actions at the head of the Roman army, Fabius Maximus received the nickname Cunctator (delayer). Avoiding, as far as possible, direct clashes with the army of Hannibal, Fabius Maximus exhausted the enemy army and cut off its supply lines.
Many reproached Fabius Maxim for slowness and even treason, but he continued to stick to his line. As a result, Hannibal was forced to retreat. After that, Fabius Maximus retired from command, and other commanders were already engaged in the war with Carthage on enemy territory.
In 1812, Kutuzov used the tactics of Fabius Maxim in the war with Napoleon. George Washington did the same during the American Revolutionary War.
Hannibal (247 BC - 183 BC)
Hannibal, a Carthaginian general, is considered by many to be the greatest general of all time and is sometimes referred to as the "father of strategy". When Hannibal was nine years old, he swore eternal hatred of Rome (hence the expression "Annibal's oath"), and followed this in practice all his life.
At the age of 26, Hannibal led the Carthaginian troops in Spain, for which the Carthaginians had a fierce struggle with Rome. After a series of military successes, he and his army made the most difficult transition through the Pyrenees and, unexpectedly for the Romans, invaded Italy. In his army there were fighting African elephants, and this is one of the few cases when these animals were tamed and used in military affairs.
Rapidly moving inland, Hannibal inflicted three severe defeats on the Romans: on the Trebbia River, near Lake Trasimene and at Cannae. The latter, in which the Roman troops were surrounded and destroyed, has become a classic of military art.
Rome was on the verge of complete defeat, but Hannibal, who did not receive reinforcements in time, was forced to retreat, and then completely leave Italy with his exhausted army. The commander bitterly said that it was not Rome that defeated him, but the envious Carthaginian Senate. Already in Africa, Hannibal was defeated by Scipio. After the defeat in the war with Rome, Hannibal was involved in politics for some time, but was soon forced to go into exile. In the East, he helped the enemies of Rome with military advice, and when the Romans demanded his extradition, Hannibal, in order not to fall into their hands, took poison.
Scipio Africanus (235 BC - 181 BC)
Publius Cornelius Scipio was only 24 years old when, during the war with Carthage, he led the Roman troops in Spain. Things were going so badly for the Romans there that there were no other people who wanted to take this position. Using the disunity of the Carthaginian troops, he dealt them sensitive blows in parts, and, in the end, Spain came under the control of Rome. During one of the battles, Scipio used a curious tactic. Before the battle, he led out the army for several days in a row, built in the same order, but did not start the battle. When the opponents got used to this, Scipio on the day of the battle changed the disposition of the troops, brought them out earlier than usual and launched a swift attack. The enemy was defeated, and this battle became a turning point in the war, which could now be transferred to enemy territory.
Already in Africa, on the territory of Carthage, Scipio used a military trick in one of the battles.
Learning that the allies of the Carthaginians, the Numidians, live in reed huts, he sent part of the army to set fire to these huts, and when the Carthaginians, attracted by the spectacle of the fire, lost their vigilance, another part of the army attacked them and inflicted a heavy defeat.
In the decisive battle of Zama, Scipio met Hannibal on the battlefield and won. The war is over.
Scipio was distinguished by a humane attitude towards the vanquished, and his generosity became a favorite topic for artists of the future.
Marius (158 BC - 86 BC)
Gaius Marius came from an ignoble Roman family, he achieved exaltation thanks to military talents. He acted very successfully in the war against the Numidian king Jugurtha, but he earned real glory in battles with the Germanic tribes. During this period, they intensified so much that for Rome, weakened by numerous wars in different parts of the empire, their invasion became a real threat. There were significantly more Germans than Maria's legionnaires, but the Romans had order, better weapons and experience on the side. Thanks to the skillful actions of Marius, the strong tribes of the Teutons and Cimbri were practically destroyed. The commander was proclaimed "the savior of the fatherland" and "the third founder of Rome."
The fame and influence of Marius were so great that the Roman politicians, fearing his excessive exaltation, gradually put the commander out of business.
At the same time, the career of Sulla, a former subordinate of Marius, who became his enemy, was going uphill. Both sides did not disdain any means, from slander to political assassinations. Their enmity eventually led to a civil war. Expelled from Rome by Sulla, Marius wandered around the provinces for a long time and almost died, but managed to gather an army and take the city, in which he remained to the end, pursuing Sulla's supporters. After the death of Marius, his supporters did not last long in Rome. Returning Sulla devastated the grave of his enemy, and threw his remains into the river.
Sulla (138 BC - 78 BC)
The Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla was nicknamed Felix (happy). Indeed, luck accompanied this man all his life, both in military and political affairs.
Sulla began his military service during the Numidian War in North Africa under the command of Gaius Marius, his future implacable enemy. He conducted business with such vigor and was so successful in battles and diplomacy that popular rumor attributed to him most of the credit for the victory in the Numidian War. This aroused Mary's jealousy.
After successful military campaigns in Asia, Sulla was appointed commander in the war against the Pontic king Mithridates. However, after his departure, Marius ensured that Sulla was recalled, and he was appointed commander.
Sulla, having enlisted the support of the army, returned, captured Rome and expelled Marius, initiating a civil war. While Sulla was at war with Mithridates, Marius recaptured Rome. Sulla returned there after the death of his enemy and was elected an indefinite dictator. Having brutally dealt with the supporters of Marius, Sulla some time later resigned his dictatorial powers and remained a private person until the end of his life.
Crassus (115 BC - 51 BC)
Mark Licinius Crassus was one of the richest Romans. However, he amassed most of his fortune during the dictatorship of Sulla, appropriating the confiscated property of his opponents. He achieved his high position under Sulla due to the fact that he distinguished himself in the civil war, fighting on his side.
Already after the death of Sulla, Crassus was appointed commander in the war against the rebellious slaves of Spartacus.
Acting, unlike his predecessors, very energetically, Crassus forced Spartacus to take the decisive battle and defeated him.
He dealt with the vanquished with extreme cruelty: several thousand captive slaves were crucified along the Appian Way, and their bodies remained hanging there for many years.
Together with Julius Caesar and Pompey, Crassus became a member of the first triumvirate. These commanders actually divided the Roman provinces among themselves. Crassus got Syria. He planned to expand his possessions and waged a war of conquest against the Parthian kingdom, but unsuccessfully. Crassus lost the battle of Carrah, was treacherously captured during the negotiations and brutally executed, molten gold was poured down his throat.
Spartacus (110 BC - 71 BC)
Spartacus, a Roman gladiator from Thrace, was the leader of the largest slave uprising. Despite his lack of command experience and education, he became one of the greatest generals in history.
When Spartacus and his comrades fled from the gladiatorial school, his detachment consisted of several dozen poorly armed people who had taken refuge on Vesuvius. The Romans blocked all roads, but the rebels performed a legendary maneuver: they descended a steep slope on ropes woven from vines and hit the enemies from the rear.
The Romans at first treated the fugitive slaves with contempt, believing that their legions would easily defeat the rebels, and severely paid for their arrogance.
The relatively small forces sent against Spartacus were defeated one by one, and his army, meanwhile, strengthened: slaves from all over Italy flocked to it.
Unfortunately, among the rebels there was no unity and a common plan for further actions: some wanted to remain in Italy and continue the war, while others wanted to have time to leave before the main Roman forces entered the war. Part of the army broke away from Spartacus and was defeated. An attempt to leave Italy by sea ended in failure due to the betrayal of the pirates hired by Spartacus. The commander for a long time avoided a decisive battle with the legions of Crassus, superior to his army, but, in the end, he was forced to accept a battle in which the slaves were defeated, and he himself died. According to legend, Spartak continued to fight, already being seriously wounded. His body was literally littered with the corpses of the Roman legionaries killed by him in the last battle.
Pompey (106 BC - 48 BC)
Gnaeus Pompey is known primarily as an opponent of Julius Caesar. But he received his nickname Magn (Great) for completely different battles.
During the civil war, he was one of the best commanders of Sulla. Then Pompey successfully fought in Spain, the Middle East, the Caucasus and significantly expanded the Roman possessions.
Another important business of Pompey was the cleansing of the Mediterranean Sea from pirates, who became so insolent that Rome experienced serious difficulties in transporting food by sea.
When Julius Caesar refused to submit to the Senate and thereby started a civil war, Pompey was entrusted with the command of the troops of the republic. The struggle between the two great commanders for a long time went on with varying success. But in the decisive battle at the Greek city of Pharsalus, Pompey was defeated and forced to flee. He tried to raise a new army to continue the fight, but was treacherously killed in Egypt. Pompey's head was brought to Julius Caesar, but he, contrary to expectations, did not reward, but executed the murderers of his great opponent.
Julius Caesar (100 BC - 44 BC)
Guy Julius Caesar truly became famous as a commander when he conquered Gaul (now it is mainly the territory of France). He himself compiled a detailed account of these events, writing "Notes on the Gallic War", which is still considered a model of military memoirs. Julius Caesar's aphoristic style also manifested itself in reports to the Senate. For example, "Come. Saw. Defeated" went down in history.
In conflict with the Senate, Julius Caesar refused to surrender his command and invaded Italy. On the border, he crossed the Rubicon River with his troops, and since then the expression "Cross the Rubicon" (meaning to take a decisive action, cutting off the path to retreat) has become winged.
In the ensuing civil war, he defeated the troops of Gnaeus Pompey at Pharsalus, despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, and after campaigns in Africa and Spain, he returned to Rome as a dictator. A few years later, he was assassinated by conspirators in the Senate. According to legend, the bloodied body of Julius Caesar fell at the foot of the statue of his enemy Pompey.
Arminius (16 BC - 21 AD)
Arminius, the leader of the Germanic Cherusci tribe, is known, first of all, for the fact that his victory over the Romans in the battle in the Teutoburg Forest dispelled the myth of their invincibility, which inspired other peoples to fight the conquerors.
In his youth, Arminius served in the Roman army and studied the future enemy well from the inside. After an uprising of the Germanic tribes broke out in his homeland, Arminius led it. According to some reports, he was at all his ideological inspirer. When the three Roman legions sent to the rebels entered the Teutoburg Forest, where they could not line up in their usual order, the Germans, led by Arminius, attacked them. After three days Roman troops almost completely destroyed the battles, and the head of the unlucky Roman commander Quintilius Varus, the son-in-law of Emperor Octavian Augustus himself, was shown around the German villages.
Knowing that the Romans would certainly try to take revenge, Arminius tried to unite the Germanic tribes to repel them, but did not succeed. He did not die at the hands of the Romans, but as a result of internal strife, he was killed by one of those close to him. However, his cause did not disappear: following the results of the wars with the Romans, the Germanic tribes defended their independence.
Russia has always been rich in outstanding commanders and naval commanders.
1. Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (c. 1220 - 1263). - a commander, at the age of 20 he defeated the Swedish conquerors on the Neva River (1240), and at 22 - the German "dog-knights" during the Battle of the Ice (1242)
2. Dmitry Donskoy (1350 - 1389). - commander, prince. Under his leadership was won greatest victory on the Kulikovo field over the hordes of Khan Mamai, which was an important stage in the liberation of Russia and other peoples of Eastern Europe from the Mongol-Tatar yoke.
3. Peter I - Russian Tsar, an outstanding commander. He is the founder of the Russian regular army and navy. He showed high organizational skills and the talent of a commander during the Azov campaigns (1695 - 1696), in the Northern War (1700 - 1721). during the Persian campaign (1722 - 1723) Under the direct leadership of Peter in the famous Battle of Poltava (1709), the troops of the Swedish king Charles XII were defeated and captured.
4. Fedor Alekseevich Golovin (1650 - 1706) - Count, Field Marshal General, Admiral. Companion of Peter I, the greatest organizer, one of the creators of the Baltic Fleet
5 Boris Petrovich Sheremetyev (1652 - 1719) - Count, General - Field Marshal. Member of the Crimean, Azov. Commanded an army against Crimean Tatars. In the battle at Eresfer, in Livonia, a detachment under his command defeated the Swedes, defeated Schlippenbach's army at Hummelshof (5 thousand killed, 3 thousand prisoners). The Russian flotilla forced the Swedish ships to leave the Neva for the Gulf of Finland. In 1703, he took Noteburg, and then Nienschanz, Koporye, and Yamburg. In Estonia, Sheremetev B.P. occupied by Wesenberg. Sheremetev B.P. besieged Derpt, which surrendered in 13 IL 1704. During the Astrakhan uprising Sheremetev B.P. was sent by Peter I to suppress it. In 1705 Sheremetev B.P. took Astrakhan.
6 Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1673-1729) - His Serene Highness Prince, associate of Peter I. Generalisimo of the Naval and Land Forces. Participant Northern war with the Swedes, battles near Poltava.
7. Pyotr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev (1725 - 1796) - Count, Field Marshal General. Participant Russian-Swedish war, Seven Years War. The biggest victories were won by him during the first Russian-Turkish war (1768 - 1774), especially in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Cahul and many other battles. The Turkish army was defeated. Rumyantsev became the first holder of the Order of St. George, I degree and received the title of Transdanubian.
8. Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov (1729-1800) - His Serene Highness Prince of Italy, Count Rymniksky, Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, grandee of the Sardinian kingdom and prince of royal blood (with the title "cousin King"), holder of all Russian and many foreign military orders awarded at that time.
Not once in any of the battles given by him was he defeated. Moreover, in almost all these cases, he convincingly won with the numerical superiority of the enemy.
he stormed the impregnable fortress of Izmail, defeated the Turks at Rymnik, Focsany, Kinburn, etc. The Italian campaign of 1799 and the victory over the French, the immortal crossing of the Alps was the crowning achievement of his military leadership.
9. Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (1745-1817) - an outstanding Russian naval commander, admiral. Russian Orthodox Church numbered among the saints as a righteous warrior Feodor Ushakov. He laid the foundations of new naval tactics, founded the Black Sea Navy, talentedly led it, having won a number of remarkable victories on the Black Sea and mediterranean seas: in the Kerch naval battle, in the battles near Tendra, Kaliakria, etc. Ushakov's significant victory was the capture of the island of Corfu in February 1799, where the combined actions of ships and land landing forces were successfully used.
Admiral Ushakov conducted 40 naval battles. And they all ended with brilliant victories. The people called him "Naval Suvorov."
10. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745 - 1813) - the famous Russian commander, Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince. Hero Patriotic War 1812, Full Knight of the Order of St. George. He fought against the Turks, Tatars, Poles, French in various positions, including the Commander-in-Chief of the armies and troops. Formed light cavalry and infantry that did not exist in the Russian army
11. Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly (1761-1818) - prince, outstanding Russian commander, field marshal general, minister of war, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, full cavalier of the Order of St. George. commanded the entire Russian army initial stage Patriotic War of 1812, after which he was replaced by M. I. Kutuzov. In the foreign campaign of the Russian army of 1813-1814, he commanded the combined Russian-Prussian army as part of the Bohemian army of the Austrian field marshal Schwarzenberg.
12. Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration (1769-1812) - prince, Russian general from infantry, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. A descendant of the Georgian royal house of Bagration. The branch of the Kartalin princes Bagrationov (ancestors of Peter Ivanovich) was included in the number of Russian-princely families on October 4, 1803, with the approval by Emperor Alexander I of the seventh part of the “General Armorial
13. Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky (1771-1829) - Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, cavalry general. For thirty years of impeccable service, he participated in many of the largest battles of the era. After the feat near Saltanovka, he became one of the most popular generals of the Russian army. The struggle for the Raevsky battery was one of the key episodes of the Battle of Borodino. By the time in 1795 the Persian army invaded the territory of Georgia, and, fulfilling its obligations under the Treaty of Georgievsk, the Russian government declared war on Persia. In March 1796, the Nizhny Novgorod regiment, as part of the corps of V. A. Zubov, went on a 16-month campaign to Derbent. In May, after ten days of siege, Derbent was taken. Together with the main forces, he reached the Kura River. In difficult mountainous conditions, Raevsky showed his best qualities: "The 23-year-old commander managed to maintain full order of battle and strict military discipline during the exhausting campaign."
14. Alexei Petrovich Ermolov (1777-1861) - Russian military leader and statesman, participant in many major wars that Russian empire led from the 1790s to the 1820s. Infantry General. Artillery general. Hero Caucasian war. In the campaign of 1818, he led the construction of the Groznaya fortress. Under his command were the troops sent to subdue the Avar Khan Shamil. In 1819, Yermolov began the construction of a new fortress - Sudden. In 1823 he commanded military operations in Dagestan, and in 1825 he fought with the Chechens.
15. Matvey Ivanovich Platov (1753-1818) - count, cavalry general, Cossack. Participated in all wars late XVIII — early XIX century. Since 1801 - ataman of the Don Cossack army. Participated in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, then in Turkish war. During the Patriotic War, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful business with the enemy near the town of Mir and Romanovo. During the retreat of the French army, Platov, relentlessly pursuing her, inflicted defeats on Gorodnya, the Kolotsk Monastery, Gzhatsk, Tsarevo-Zaimishcha, near Dukhovshchina and while crossing the Vop River. For merit he was elevated to the dignity of a count. In November, Platov occupied Smolensk from battle and defeated the troops of Marshal Ney near Dubrovna. At the beginning of January 1813 he entered the borders of Prussia and overlaid Danzig; in September he took command of special corps, with whom he participated in the battle of Leipzig and, pursuing the enemy, captured about 15 thousand people. In 1814 he fought at the head of his regiments in the capture of Nemur, at Arcy-sur-Aube, Cezanne, Villeneuve.
16. Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev (1788-1851) - Russian naval commander and navigator, admiral, holder of the Order of St. George IV class and discoverer of Antarctica. Here in 1827, commanding the warship "Azov", MP Lazarev took part in the Battle of Navarino. Fighting with five Turkish ships, he destroyed them: he sank two large frigates and one corvette, burned the flagship under the flag of Tagir Pasha, forced the 80-gun ship of the line to run aground, after which he set it on fire and blew it up. In addition, "Azov" under the command of Lazarev destroyed the flagship of Muharrem Bey. For participation in the Battle of Navarino, Lazarev was promoted to rear admiral and awarded three orders at once (Greek - "Commander's Cross of the Savior", English - Bani and French - St. Louis, and his ship "Azov" received the St. George flag.
17. Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov (1802-1855) - Russian admiral. Under the command of Lazarev, M.P. made in 1821-1825. circumnavigation on the frigate "Cruiser". During the voyage he was promoted to lieutenant. In the Battle of Navarino, he commanded a battery on the battleship "Azov" under the command of Lazarev M.P. as part of the squadron of Admiral L.P. Heiden; for distinction in battle he was awarded on December 21, 1827 the Order of St. George IV class No. 4141 and promoted to lieutenant commander. In 1828 took command of the Navarin corvette, a captured Turkish ship, formerly bearing the name Nassabih Sabah. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828–29, commanding a corvette, he blockaded the Dardanelles as part of a Russian squadron. During the Sevastopol defense of 1854-55. showed a strategic approach to the defense of the city. In Sevastopol, Nakhimov, although he was listed as the commander of the fleet and port, but since February 1855, after the flooding of the fleet, he defended, by appointment of the commander in chief, the southern part of the city, leading the defense with amazing energy and enjoyed the greatest moral influence on the soldiers and sailors who called him "father - a benefactor."
18. Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov (1806-1855) - Vice Admiral (1852). Member of the Navarino battle of 1827 and the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. Since 1849 - chief of staff, since 1851 - the actual commander of the Black Sea Fleet. He advocated the rearmament of ships and the replacement of the sailing fleet with steam ones. V Crimean War- one of the leaders of the Sevastopol defense.
19. Stepan Osipovich Makarov (1849 - 1904) - He was the founder of the theory of ship unsinkability, one of the organizers of the creation of destroyers and torpedo boats. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 - 1878. carried out successful attacks on enemy ships with pole mines. He made two world travel and a number of Arctic flights. Skillfully commanded the Pacific squadron during the defense of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
20. Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov (1896-1974) - The most famous Soviet commander is generally recognized as the Marshal of the Soviet Union. Development of plans for all major operations of the united fronts, large groups Soviet troops and their implementation took place under his leadership. These operations always ended in victory. They were decisive for the outcome of the war.
21. Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky (1896-1968) - an outstanding Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Marshal of Poland. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
22. Ivan Stepanovich Konev (1897-1973) - Soviet commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
23. Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov (1897-1955) - Soviet commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union
24. Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov (1997-1968) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union
25. Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (1895-1970) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, twice Hero of the Soviet Union. In May 1940 - July 1941 People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR.
26. Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (1894 - 1949) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union
27. Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (1900-1982) - Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union, during the Great Patriotic War - commander of the 62nd Army, which especially distinguished himself in the Battle of Stalingrad. 2-time hero of the USSR.
28. Andrei Ivanovich Eremenko (1892-1970) - Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Soviet Union. One of the most prominent commanders of the Great Patriotic War and World War II in general.
29. Radion Yakovlevich Malinovsky (1897-1967) - Soviet military leader and statesman. Commander of the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union, from 1957 to 1967 - Minister of Defense of the USSR.
30. Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (1904-1974) - Soviet naval figure, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, headed the Soviet Navy (as People's Commissar of the Navy (1939-1946), Minister of the Navy (1951-1953 ) and Commander-in-Chief)
31. Nikolai Fedorovich Vatutin (1901-1944) - army general, Hero of the Soviet Union, belongs to the galaxy of the main commanders of the Great Patriotic War.
32. Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky (1906-1945) - an outstanding Soviet military leader, army general, twice Hero of the Soviet Union.
33. Pavel Alekseevich Rotmistrov (1901-1982) - Soviet military leader, Hero of the Soviet Union, Chief Marshal of the armored forces, doctor of military sciences, professor.
And this is only a part of the commanders who are worthy of mention.
As long as there has been human civilization, there have been wars. And wars, in turn, produced great warriors.
10. Richard I the Lionheart (1157-1199)
He earned this nickname for outstanding military talents and personal courage. Together with King Philip II of France, he led the crusade. He turned out to be a victim of an ally's betrayal, so the Holy Sepulcher from the army of the "knight of the East" Saladin never released. After a dramatic return to England, he fought a grueling struggle with his brother John for the English crown. Many chivalric legends and ballads are associated with King Richard I the Lionheart.
9. Spartacus (110-71 BC)
Source: toptenz.net
The most famous gladiator in history, who raised a slave uprising against ancient rome. According to one version, before falling into slavery and becoming a gladiator, he served in the Roman army, deserted and became a thief. With his army of runaway slaves, he passed the Roman possessions far and wide. In 71 B.C. in the battle near the Silari River in the south of the Apennine Peninsula, the gladiators were defeated, Spartacus died. According to legend, a legionary named Felix, who killed Spartacus, laid out a mosaic picture of that battle on the wall of his house in Pompeii.
8. Saladin (1138-1193)
Source: usu.edu
Sultan of Egypt and Syria, brilliant Muslim commander of the XII century. "Anti-hero" of the Third Crusade (for the Western world) and defender of Islamic shrines from hordes of "infidels" (for the Eastern world). Captured King Richard the Lionheart, but then nobly let him go home in exchange for a promise not to try to free Muslim Jerusalem. Developed advanced tactics for a swift cavalry attack.
7. Napoleon I Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Source: liveinternet.ru
Emperor of France, an outstanding commander and statesman. He began his military career with the rank of lieutenant. In 1788, he almost became an officer in the Russian army, which was partially staffed by foreigners for the war with Turkey. Participating in wars, from the very beginning of his career, he proved himself to be a skillful and brave commander. Becoming emperor, unleashed the so-called Napoleonic Wars(1796-1815), who radically changed the face of Europe.
6. Alexander Nevsky (1221-1263)
Source: heruvim.com.ua
He studied martial arts from an early age. Already being a prince, he led his squads and personally fought in the forefront. He received his nickname in honor of the victory on the banks of the Neva River over the Swedes in 1240. However, his most famous victory is the Battle on the Ice on Lake Peipsi in 1242. Then the warriors of Alexander Nevsky utterly defeated the knights of the Livonian Order and stopped the ruthless Catholic expansion of the West into Russian lands.
5. Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC)
Source: teammarcopolo.com
This Roman dictator, commander and statesman, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, became famous for victorious wars far beyond the borders of his country. At the head of the famous Roman legions, he conquered Gaul, Germany and Britain. He was considered the most powerful figure of his time, but fell victim to a relatively small handful of conspirators.
4. Hannibal Barca (247-183 BC)
Source: talismancoins.com
An outstanding Carthaginian commander and strategist. In his battles, he successfully applied the tactics of enveloping enemy troops from the flanks, followed by encirclement. Fiercely hated Rome and everything Roman. With varying success, he fought the famous Punnic Wars with the Romans. Known for his unparalleled transition through the Pyrenees and the snowy Alps at the head of a 46,000-strong army, which included 37 war elephants.
3. Genghis Khan (1155 (or 1162) - 1227)
All contemporaries knew their names, and their armies were a terrible scourge for any opponents. Whether it be the heroes of antiquity and the Middle Ages or the commanders of the Great Patriotic War - every outstanding military leader left a noticeable mark on the history of mankind. The biographies of the best of them are fascinating stories of the talent and heroism of those who have chosen the army as their lifelong vocation.
Alexander the Great
Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BC) - greatest commander antiquity. He was revered by all military leaders of subsequent centuries from Genghis Khan to Napoleon. At the age of twenty, Alexander became king of the small state of Macedonia, located in northern Greece. As a child, he received a Hellenic education and upbringing. His teacher was the famous philosopher and thinker Aristotle.
The military art of the heir was taught by his father, Tsar Philip II. Alexander first appeared on the battlefield at the age of sixteen, and he won his first independent victory at the head of the Macedonian cavalry in 338 BC. e. at the Battle of Chaeronea against the Thebans. In that war, Philip II sought to conquer key Greek cities. Having conquered Athens and Thebes with his son, he began to plan a campaign in Persia, but was killed by conspirators.
Alexander continued his father's work and multiplied his successes. He made the Macedonian army the most well-equipped and trained in the entire ancient world. The Macedonians were armed with spears, bows and slings, heavily armed cavalry, siege and throwing machines were present in their army.
In 334 BC. e. the greatest commander of his time began a campaign in Asia Minor. In the first serious battle on the Granik River, he defeated the Persian governors of the satraps. The king then and later invariably fought in the thick of the army. Having conquered Asia Minor, he moved to Syria. Near the city of Issa, the army of Alexander clashed with the army of the Persian king Darius III. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, the Macedonians defeated the enemy.
Later, Alexander annexed all of Mesopotamia, Palestine, Egypt and Persia to his power. In a campaign to the east, he reached India itself and only then turned back. Macedonian made Babylon the capital of his empire. He died in this city at the age of 33, stricken with an unknown disease. In a fever, the king did not appoint a legitimate successor. Within only a few years of his death, Alexander's empire was divided among his numerous associates.
Hannibal
Another famous military leader of antiquity is Hannibal (247 - 183 BC). He was a citizen of Carthage - a city in modern Tunisia, around which at that time a large Mediterranean state developed. Hannibal's father Hamilcar was a nobleman and a military man who commanded troops on the island of Sicily.
In the III century. BC e. Carthage fought with the Roman Republic for leadership in the region. Hannibal was to become a key figure in this conflict. At the age of 22, he became a cavalry commander in the Iberian Peninsula. A little later, he led all the troops of Carthage in Spain.
Wanting to defeat Rome, the greatest commander of antiquity decided on an unexpected daring maneuver. Previous wars between rival states took place in frontier regions or on isolated islands. Now Hannibal himself invaded exclusively Roman Italy. To do this, his army needed to cross the rugged Alps. The natural barrier always protected the republic. In Rome, no one expected an enemy invasion from the north. That is why the legionnaires did not believe their eyes when, in 218 BC. e. the Carthaginians did the impossible and overcame the mountains. Moreover, they brought with them African elephants, which became their main psychological weapon against Europeans.
The greatest commander Hannibal waged a successful war with Rome for fifteen years, while being far from his own homeland. He was an outstanding tactician and knew how to make the most of the forces and resources provided to him. Hannibal also had a diplomatic talent. He enlisted the support of numerous tribes that were also in conflict with Rome. The Gauls became his allies. Hannibal won several victories over the Romans at once, and in the battle on the Ticin River he defeated his main opponent, the commander Scipio.
The main triumph of the hero of Carthage was the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC. e. During the Italian campaign, Hannibal marched through almost the entire Apennine Peninsula. His victories, however, did not break the Republic. Carthage stopped sending reinforcements, and the Romans themselves invaded Africa. In 202 B.C. e. Hannibal returned to his homeland, but was defeated by Scipio at the Battle of Zama. Carthage requested a humiliating peace, although the commander himself did not want to stop the war. His own countrymen turned their backs on him. Hannibal had to become an outcast. For some time he was sheltered by the Syrian king Antiochus III. In Fivonia, fleeing from Roman agents, Hannibal took poison and voluntarily said goodbye to life.
Charlemagne
In the Middle Ages, all the great commanders of the world sought to revive the once fallen Roman Empire. Every Christian monarch dreamed of restoring a centralized state that would unite all of Europe. The king of the Franks, Charlemagne (742 - 814) from the Carolingian dynasty, most succeeded in implementing this idea.
The only way to build a new Roman Empire was by force of arms. Charles was at war with almost all the neighbors. The Lombards who inhabited Italy were the first to submit to him. In 774, the ruler of the Franks invaded their country, captured the capital of Pavia and captured King Desiderius (his former father-in-law). After the annexation of Northern Italy, Charlemagne went with a sword to the Bavarians, Saxons in Germany, Avars in Central Europe, Arabs in Spain and neighboring Slavs.
The Frankish king explained the wars against numerous tribes of various ethnic groups by the struggle against the pagans. The names of the great generals of the Middle Ages were often associated with the defense of the Christian faith. We can say that the pioneer in this matter was just Charlemagne. In 800 he arrived in Rome, where the pope proclaimed him emperor. The monarch made the city of Aachen (in the west of modern Germany) his capital. All subsequent Middle Ages and Modern times, the great commanders of the world tried to somehow resemble Charlemagne.
The Christian state created by the Franks was called the Holy Roman Empire (as a sign of continuity ancient empire). As in the case of Alexander the Great, this power did not long outlive its founder. The grandchildren of Charles divided the empire into three parts, from which, over time, modern France, Germany and Italy were formed.
Saladin
In the Middle Ages, not only Christian civilization could boast of talented commanders. The Muslim Saladin (1138 - 1193) was an outstanding commander. He was born decades after the crusaders conquered Jerusalem and established several kingdoms and principalities in formerly Arab Palestine.
Saladin vowed to cleanse the lands taken from the Muslims from the infidels. In 1164, he, being the right hand of Nur-zhd-din, liberated Egypt from the crusaders. Ten years later, he carried out a coup d'état. Saladin founded the Ayubit dynasty and proclaimed himself Sultan of Egypt.
What great commanders did not fight against internal enemies no less furiously than against internal ones? After proving his leadership in the Muslim world, Saladin came into direct conflict with the Christians in the Holy Land. In 1187, his army of twenty thousand men invaded Palestine, completely surrounded by the possessions of the Sultan. Almost half of the troops consisted of horse archers, who became the most effective combat unit in the fight against the crusaders (the arrows of their long-range bows pierced even heavy steel armor).
The biography of the great generals is often the biography of the reformers of military art. Saladin was just such a leader. Although he always had many people at his disposal, he did not achieve success by numbers, but by his intelligence and organizational skills.
On July 4, 1187, the Muslims defeated the Crusaders near Lake Tiberias. In Europe, this defeat went down in history as the Battle of Hatti. The master of the Templars, the king of Jerusalem, was captured by Saladin, and in September Jerusalem itself fell. In the Old World, a third Crusade was organized against the Sultan. It was led by King Richard the Lionheart of England. A new stream of knights and simple volunteers poured into the east.
The decisive battle between the armies of the Egyptian sultan and the English monarch took place near Arsuf on September 7, 1191. The Muslims lost many men and were forced to retreat. Saladin concluded a truce with Richard, giving the crusaders a small coastal strip of land, but retaining Jerusalem. After the war, the commander returned to the Syrian capital Damascus, where he fell ill with a fever and died.
Genghis Khan
The real name of Genghis Khan (1155 - 1227) is Temujin. He was the son of one of the numerous Mongol princes. His father was killed during a civil strife when his son was only nine years old. The child was taken prisoner and put on a wooden collar. Temujin fled, returned to his native tribe and grew into a fearless warrior.
Even 100 great commanders of the Middle Ages or any other era could not create such a great power that this steppe built. First, Temujin defeated all the neighboring hostile Mongol hordes and united them into one awesome force. In 1206, he was proclaimed Genghis Khan - that is, the great khan or king of kings.
For the last twenty years of his life, the ruler of the nomads waged wars with China and the neighboring Central Asian khanates. The army of Genghis Khan was built according to the decimal principle: it consisted of tens, hundreds, thousands and tumens (10 thousand). The most severe discipline triumphed in the steppe army. For any violation of the generally accepted order of the warrior, severe punishment awaited. With such orders, the Mongols became the embodiment of horror for all the settled peoples they met on their way.
In China, the steppes mastered siege weapons. They destroyed the resisting cities to the ground. Thousands of people fell into their slavery. Genghis Khan was the personification of war - it became the only meaning of the life of the king and his people. Temujin and his descendants created an empire from the Black Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
Alexander Nevskiy
Even the great Russian commanders did not become church saints. Alexander Yaroslavovich Nevsky (1220 - 1261) was canonized and acquired a genuine halo of exclusivity during his lifetime. He belonged to the Rurik dynasty and became a prince of Novgorod as a child.
Nevsky was born in fragmented Russia. She had many problems, but they all faded before the threat of the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The steppes of Batu went through many principalities with fire and sword, but happily did not touch Novgorod, which was too far to the north for their cavalry.
Nevertheless, many trials awaited Alexander Nevsky even without the Mongols. In the west, Novgorod land was adjacent to Sweden and the Baltic States, which belonged to German military orders. After the Batu invasion, the Europeans decided that they could easily defeat Alexander Yaroslavovich. The seizure of Russian lands in the Old World was considered a struggle against the infidels, since the Russian Church was not subordinate to Catholic Rome, but was dependent on the Orthodox Constantinople.
First crusade Swedes organized against Novgorod. The royal army crossed the Baltic Sea and in 1240 landed at the mouth of the Neva. The local Izhorians have long paid tribute to the Lord Veliky Novgorod. The news of the appearance of the Swedish flotilla did not frighten the seasoned warrior Nevsky. He quickly gathered an army and, without waiting for the blow, went to the Neva. On June 15, the twenty-year-old prince, at the head of a loyal squad, hit the enemy camp. Alexander in a personal duel wounded one of the Swedish Jarls. The Scandinavians could not withstand the onslaught and hastily returned to their homeland. It was then that Alexander received the nickname Nevsky.
Meanwhile, the German crusaders were preparing their attack on Novgorod. On April 5, 1242, they were defeated by Nevsky on the frozen Lake Peipsi. The battle was dubbed the Battle of the Ice. In 1252, Alexander Yaroslavovich became Prince of Vladimir. Having protected the country from Western invaders, he had to minimize the damage from the more dangerous Mongols. The armed struggle against the nomads was yet to come. The restoration of Russia took too much time for one human life. Nevsky died, returning home from the Horde, where he held regular negotiations with the Golden Horde Khan. He was canonized in 1547.
Alexey Suvorov
All military leaders of the last two centuries, including the great commanders of the war of 1941-1945. bowed and bow before the figure of Alexander Suvorov (1730 - 1800). He was born in the family of a senator. Suvorov's baptism of fire took place during the Seven Years' War.
Under Catherine II, Suvorov became a key commander of the Russian army. The wars with Turkey brought him the greatest glory. In the second half of the 18th century, the Russian Empire annexed the Black Sea lands. Alexander Suvorov was the main creator of that success. All of Europe repeated his name after the siege of Ochakov (1788) and the capture of Izmail (1790) - operations that had never been equal in the history of the then military art.
Under Paul I, Count Suvorov led the Italian campaign against the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte. All the battles in the Alps were won by him. In the life of Suvorov, there were no defeats at all. Shortly. The military leader died, surrounded by the international glory of an invincible strategist. According to his will, contrary to numerous titles and ranks, the laconic phrase "Here lies Suvorov" was left on the grave of the commander.
Napoleon Bonaparte
At the turn of the XVIII and XIX centuries. all of Europe plunged into an international war. It began with the French Revolution. The old monarchical regimes tried to stop this plague of freedom. It was at this time that the young military Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821) became famous.
The future national hero began his service in the artillery. He was a Corsican, but despite his deep provincial origin, he quickly advanced in the service due to his abilities and courage. After the revolution in France, power changed regularly. Bonaparte joined the political struggle. In 1799, as a result of the coup of 18 Brumaire, he became the first consul of the republic. Five years later, Napoleon was proclaimed emperor by the French.
In the course of numerous campaigns, Bonaparte not only defended the sovereignty of his country, but also conquered neighboring states. He completely subjugated Germany, Italy and the numerous other monarchies of continental Europe. Napoleon had his own brilliant generals. great war could not be avoided with Russia. In the campaign of 1812, Bonaparte occupied Moscow, but this success did not give him anything.
After the Russian campaign, a crisis began in Napoleon's empire. In the end, the anti-Bonapartist coalition forced the commander to abdicate. In 1814 he was sent into exile on the Mediterranean island of Elba. The ambitious Napoleon escaped from there and returned to France. After another "Hundred Days" and the defeat at Waterloo, the commander was sent into exile on the island of St. Helena (this time in Atlantic Ocean). There, under the protection of the British, he died.
Alexey Brusilov
The history of Russia has developed in such a way that the great Russian commanders of the First World War, after the establishment of Soviet power, were forgotten. However, among the people who led royal army in the battles against the Germans and Austrians there were many outstanding specialists. One of them is Alexei Brusilov (1853 - 1926).
The cavalry general was a hereditary military man. His first war was the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. Brusilov participated in it on the Caucasian front. With the outbreak of World War I, he ended up on the Southwestern Front. The group of troops commanded by the general defeated the Austrian units and pushed them back to Lemberg (Lvov). The Brusilovites became famous for capturing Galich and Ternopil.
In 1915, the general led the fighting in the Carpathians. He successfully repulsed the Austrian attacks and went on the counteroffensive. It was Brusilov who took the powerful fortress of Przemysl. However, his successes were brought to naught due to the breakthrough of the front in the area for which other generals were responsible.
The war became positional. Month after month dragged on, and victory did not approach either side. In 1916, the headquarters, which included Emperor Nicholas II, decided to launch a new general offensive. The most triumphant episode of this operation was the Brusilovsky breakthrough. During the period from May to September, the general's army took control of the whole of Bukovina and Eastern Galicia. A few decades later, the outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War tried to repeat the success of Brusilov. His victories were brilliant, but useless because of the actions of the authorities.
Konstantin Rokossovsky
Many dozens of talented military leaders became famous on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. After the victory over Germany, the great Soviet generals were awarded the titles of Marshals of the Soviet Union. One of them was Konstantin Rokossovsky (1896 - 1968). He began serving in the army at the very beginning of the First World War, which he graduated as a junior non-commissioned officer.
Almost all commanders of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. due to age, they were hardened on the fronts of the imperialist and civil wars. Rokossovsky in this sense did not differ from his colleagues. During the "citizenship" he commanded a division, a squadron and, finally, a regiment, for which he received two orders of the Red Banner.
Like some other outstanding commanders of the Great Patriotic War (including Zhukov), Rokossovsky did not have a specialized military education. He rose to the top of the army ladder in the turmoil of battles and years of fighting thanks to his determination, leadership qualities and the ability to make the right decisions in a critical situation.
Because of Stalinist repressions Rokossovsky ended up in a short-term prison. He was released in 1940 at the request of Zhukov. There is no doubt that the commanders of the Great Patriotic War were in a vulnerable position all the time.
After the German attack on Soviet Union Rokossovsky began to command first the 4th and then the 16th army. It was regularly moved from place to place depending on operational tasks. In 1942, Rokossovsky was at the head of the Bryansk and Don fronts. When a turning point occurred, and the Red Army began to advance, Konstantin Konstantinovich ended up in Belarus.
Rokossovsky reached Germany itself. He could have liberated Berlin, but Stalin put Zhukov in charge of this final operation. Great commanders 1941 - 1945 differently were rewarded for saving the country. Marshal Rokossovsky was the only one to host the climactic Victory Parade a few weeks after the defeat of Germany. By origin, he was a Pole and with the advent of peace in 1949-1956. He also served as Minister of Defense of socialist Poland. Rokossovsky is a unique military leader, he was a marshal of two countries at once (USSR and Poland).
Fought at the front of the Great Patriotic War from March 1942 to May 1945. During the time he was wounded 2 times near the city of Rzhev, Kalinin region.
He met the victory near Koenigsberg in the rank of senior sergeant as commander of the 7th branch of the Motorized Reconnaissance Company (participated in 21 reconnaissance operations).
Awarded:
-Order "Glory of the 3rd degree" for courage and courage shown in the fight against the German invaders;
- medal "For the victory over Germany in the Second World War 1941-1945;
- badge "Excellent scout".
Kutuzov M.I.
Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, famous Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, savior of the Fatherland. He distinguished himself for the first time in the first Turkish company, then, in 1774, he was seriously wounded near Alushta and lost his right eye, which did not prevent him from remaining in the ranks. Kutuzov received another serious wound in the second Turkish company during the siege of Ochakov in 1788. Under the command participates in the assault on Ishmael. His column successfully captured the bastion, and was the first to break into the city. He defeated the Poles in 1792 as part of Kakhovskiy's army.
He proved himself a subtle diplomat, carrying out an assignment in Constantinople. Alexander I appoints Kutuzov the military governor of St. Petersburg, but in 1802 dismisses him. In 1805 he was appointed commander in chief of the Russian army. The failure at Austerlitz, when the Russian soldiers turned out to be only cannon fodder for the Austrians, again caused disgrace of the sovereign, and before the start of World War II, Kutuzov was on the sidelines. In August 1812, he was appointed commander in chief instead of Barclay.
Kutuzov's appointment lifted the spirits of the retreating Russian army, although he continued Barclay's retreat tactics. This made it possible to lure the enemy deep into the country, stretch his lines and make it possible to attack the French from two sides at once.
The father of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky, famous for the exploits of the Russian commander, was the youngest son. He was a specific prince and carried out diplomatic service, soon died of the plague forty days before the birth of his son Vladimir, later nicknamed the Brave for military merits. The young Prince Vladimir was raised by Metropolitan Alexei, who sought to raise the boy as a faithful and obedient "young brother" for the Grand Duke, in order to subsequently avoid civil strife in the Moscow principality.
Vladimir made his first military campaign as an eight-year-old child and even then showed unheard-of endurance and courage. At the age of ten, he participates in another campaign, gaining experience, getting used to the hard military life (1364). New war(1368) affects the interests of Vladimir Andreevich: his Serpukhov inheritance is endangered by the powerful Prince of Lithuania and Russia Olgerd Gedeminovich. But the Serpukhov regiment coped on its own, driving the “Lithuania” back home. Subsequently, Prince Olgerd concludes a peace treaty with Moscow and even gives his daughter Elena to Vladimir Andreevich (1372).
The chroniclers tell about many military campaigns of Prince Vladimir: he fights against the Russian princes, the Livonian crusaders, the Tatars of the "Golden Horde". But fame and fame brought him the famous Battle of Kulikovo (September 8, 1380). Before the battle, there was a large military council, where the battle plan with his participation was discussed.
Born in a small old Russian town called Tarusa, Kaluga province. His family was poor: his father, Grigory Efremov, an ordinary tradesman, had a small mill, and that's how they lived. So young Mikhail would have remained to work at the mill all his life, until one day a Moscow merchant named Ryabov, who owns a manufactory in Moscow, paid attention to him and took him as an apprentice. Military career The youth began in the Russian Imperial Army, where he graduated from the school of ensigns in Telavi. He spent his first battle as an artilleryman on the Southwestern Front, in which the Brusilovsky breakthrough was made in Galicia. In battles, Mikhail showed himself as a brave warrior and commander respected by the soldiers. After returning to Moscow after the First World War, he got a job at a factory.
However, soon, in the midst of clashes between supporters of the Soviet regime and supporters of the provisional government, he enrolled in the ranks of the Zamoskvoretsky Workers' Detachment, where he was appointed instructor of the Red Guard detachment. In October, he participated in the famous uprising in Moscow. Later he was appointed commander of the Moscow infantry brigade. After starting as a commander, he fought on the Caucasian and Southern fronts, for which he received two orders: the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of the Red Banner of the Azerbaijan SSR “For Baku”. These were not his last awards, later he was awarded a personalized golden saber, a crystal vase framed with precious stones and another order of the red banner of the Azerbaijan SSR, but already “For Ganja” Such a case in the life of Mikhail Grigorievich is typical. During a breakthrough to the Ugra River on April 2, 1942, in order to get out of the German encirclement, the general received a leaflet from the Germans, which contained a proposal to Yefremov and his troops to surrender, signed by the Military Command of the Third Reich itself.
There are such people in the history of great Russia according to their biography and contribution to history, you can track the dramatic path of development and the formation of the state.
Fedor Tolbukhin, just from this list. Find another person to symbolize the hardest way the Russian army in the previous century from the double-headed eagle to the banners of red, it would be extremely difficult.
The share of the great commander, which will be discussed today, fell 2 world wars.
The hard fate of the forgotten marshal
Born in a large peasant family on July 3, 1894. An interesting fact is that the date of his birth coincides with the date of his baptism, which may indicate inaccuracies in the information. Most likely, the exact date of birth is unknown, which is why the date of baptism is recorded in the documents.
Prince Anikita Ivanovich Repnin - commander of the reign of Peter the Great. Born in the family of Prince Ivan Borisovich Repnin, who was titled as a close boyar under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (Quiet) and respected at court. At the age of sixteen, he was assigned to the service of 11-year-old Peter the Great as a sleeping bag, and fell in love with the young tsar. After 2 years, when the Amusing Company was established, Anikita became a lieutenant in it, and after another 2 years - a lieutenant colonel. He faithfully served Peter when the rebellion of the archers took place in 1689, accompanied him on a campaign against Azov, and showed courage in taking him. In 1698 Repnin became a general. On behalf of the king, he recruited new regiments, trained them, took care of their uniforms. Soon he received the rank of general from the infantry (corresponding to the rank of general-general). When the war with the Swedes began, he went with his troops to Narva, but on the way he received an order from the tsar to transfer the army under the leadership of Field Marshal Golovin, and go to Novgorod himself to recruit a new division. At the same time, he was appointed governor of Novgorod. Repnin carried out the order, then participated in the Battle of Narva, supplemented and equipped his regiments. Then, in the course of various military operations, he repeatedly showed his military leadership talent, tactical cunning and the ability to properly take advantage of the situation.
The name of Mikhail Borisovich Shein, boyar and governor, is inextricably linked with the seventeenth century. And his name is first found in 1598 - that was his signature under the letter of election to the kingdom. Unfortunately, very little is known about this man's life. He was born at the end of 1570. Basically, all historians, including Karamzin, describe only two significant events in Shein's life - this is his courageous two-year confrontation in the besieged Smolensk.
When he was governor in this city (1609 - 1611) and, already during the reign in 1632 - 1934, when he failed to return the same Smolensk from the Poles, for which, in fact, Mikhail Borisovich was accused of treason and executed. In general, Shein Mikhail Borisovich was the offspring of a very old boyar family, he was the son of a roundabout.
He fought near Dobrynichy in 1605, and so distinguished himself in battle that it was he who had the honor to go to Moscow with the news of the victory. Then he was granted the title of okolnichi, and he continued his service for the benefit of the state as a governor in the city of Novgorod-Seversky. In 1607, Mikhail Borisovich was elevated to the rank of boyar by royal grace and appointed governor to Smolensk, which Sigismund the Third, the Polish king, just decided to go to war.
Mikhail Ivanovich Vorotynsky descended from a branch of the princes of Chernigov, more precisely, from the third son of Prince Mikhail Vsevolodovich of Chernigov - Semyon. Back in the middle of the fifteenth century, his great-grandson named Fedor, received the city of Vorotynsk for specific use, which gave the surname to the family. Mikhail Ivanovich (1516 or 1519-1573) is the most famous descendant of Fedor in history.
Despite the fact that the military voivode Vorotynsky had a fair amount of courage and courage, despite the fact that for the capture of Kazan he received the rank of boyar, as well as “what is given from the sovereign, and that name is more honest than all boyar names”, namely - highest rank the royal servant, the fate of Mikhail Ivanovich was difficult and, in many ways, unfair. He served as the Grand Duke's governor in the city of Kostroma (1521), was a governor in Belyaev, and in, and in the Moscow State.
Daniil Vasilyevich was a noble offspring of the Gediminovich family themselves, the Lithuanian princes. His great-grandfather was hospitably received in the Moscow principality after his departure from Lithuania in 1408. Subsequently, Schenya's great-grandfather laid the foundation for several Russian noble families: Kurakin, Bulgakov, Golitsyn. And the son of Daniil Vasilyevich, Yuri, became the son-in-law of Vasily the First, who, in turn, was the son of the famous Dmitry Donskoy.
Schenya's grandson, Daniil, named after the illustrious grandfather-commander, turned out to be related to and with the Lithuanian prince Gediminas. In the service of John the Great, he was at first in minor roles, for example, he was in the retinue of Grand Duke John the Third on a campaign against Novgorod in 1475, then, already as a diplomat, he participated in negotiations with the ambassador of the empire, Nikolai Poppel. The future military associate was born in the city of Gusum in 1667, in the duchy of Holstein-Gottorp, located in northern Germany. He faithfully served the emperor of Saxony for fifteen years, and then, in 1694, he transferred to the Swedish service as a cornet. Rodion Khristianovich served in Livonia in a recruited regiment under the command of Otto Weling.
And then, in the autumn of 1700, on September 30, the following happened: Captain Bauer fought in a duel with his comrade in the service.
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