Among the generals of the 18th century there were many outstanding personalities who left their bright mark on history. Among them are many domestic military leaders. A significant part of its history, our country fought. The century that began with the reforms of Peter I, continued with the era of palace coups, and ended with the stable reign of Catherine II, was no exception. At the same time, it should be noted that prominent marshals and generals were at the head of the armies not only in Russia, but also in other countries. Biographies of the most famous of them will be discussed in this article.
Alexander Suvorov
Starting to list the outstanding commanders of the 18th century, the first one that comes to mind is Alexander Suvorov. He was a brilliant military leader, who, moreover, was literally idolized by the people and among ordinary soldiers. Suvorov was loved even despite the fact that at that time the training system was based on strict discipline. The exploits and achievements of this outstanding commander of the 18th centurygone to the people. He even became the author of a landmark work called "The Science of Victory", which is still in demand among Russian officers.
Suvorov was born in Moscow in 1730. During his career, he became famous for not losing a single battle, which few famous commanders of the 18th century can boast of, and in other times such achievements are rare. Alexander Vasilievich took part in more than 60 major battles, almost always utterly defeated the enemy, even if he outnumbered him many times over.
Among ordinary soldiers, it was not by chance that he was so loved. It was Suvorov who achieved the introduction of a new field uniform, which was much more comfortable than the previous one, made in the "Prussian manner".
Many do not accidentally believe that Suvorov was the greatest commander of the 18th century. One of the most famous battles he commanded was the assault on Ishmael in 1790. The fortress was considered impregnable. Potemkin, who found himself at its walls, could not take the city, instructed Suvorov to continue the siege.
The commander has been preparing the army for a decisive assault for more than a week, having built a training camp nearby, in which he practically recreated the defenses of Ishmael. After that, Ishmael was taken by storm. Our troops lost about four thousand killed, the Turks - about 26 thousand people. The capture of Ishmael was one of the decisive moments that predetermined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791.
In 1800, the great commander of the 18th century died in St. Petersburg at the age of 69years. Surprisingly, in recent years, the military leader has fallen into disgrace, the reasons for which are still put forward by a variety of versions.
This article will also discuss other famous Russian commanders of the 18th century. In addition to Suvorov, the list can also include Barclay de Tolly, Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, Spiridov, Ushakov, Repnin, Panin.
Mikhail Barclay de Tolly
Mikhail Barclay de Tolly is a well-known Russian military leader of Scottish-German origin. He is one of the famous Russian commanders of the 18-19 centuries, since although his career began under Catherine II, he won his most striking victories in the war of 1812.
Modern historians often call Barclay de Tolly the most underestimated of the Russian military leaders. Like Suvorov, he was directly involved in the Russian-Turkish war. In particular, he stormed Ochakov, was even awarded the Golden Order on the St. George Ribbon.
In 1790, as part of the Finnish army, he participated in the Russian-Swedish military campaign of 1788-1790. In 1794, he suppressed the uprising of Polish rebels, distinguished himself in the battle near Lyuban, which became one of the most striking events of the Kosciuszko uprising. In particular, he managed to defeat Grabovsky's detachment. He also successfully stormed Vilna and Prague.
During the war against Napoleon, among the environment close to the emperor, the attitude towards Barclay de Tolly was wary. At that time, the positions of the "Russian party" were strong, which advocated the removal of this commander from the post of commander-in-chief due tohis foreign origin.
In addition, many were not enthusiastic about his scorched earth tactics, which he used in a defensive war against Napoleon's army, which greatly outnumbered the Russian troops. In World War II, he had to retreat throughout the first stage of the campaign. As a result, Barclay de Tolly was replaced by Kutuzov. At the same time, it is known that it was he who suggested that the field marshal leave Moscow, which as a result became one of the decisive and turning points in the confrontation with Napoleon.
In 1818, the military leader died on his way to Germany, where he went for treatment on mineral waters. He was 56 years old.
Eugene Savoysky
Among the commanders of Western Europe in the 17-18th century, Generalissimo Eugene of Savoy, who was in the service of the Holy Roman Empire, became one of the most famous. It is believed that it was he, along with several other military leaders of his time, who had a decisive influence on the military art of the European armies of the New Age, which remained dominant until the start of the Seven Years' War.
He was born in the French capital in 1663. In his youth, along with his mother, he suffered because of the case of poisons. This is a campaign to hunt poisoners and witches, which disturbed the French royal court. As a result, they were expelled from the country. 20-year-old Eugene went to defend Vienna, besieged by the Turks. A regiment of dragoons participated in this campaign under his leadership. Later he took part in the liberation of Hungary, captured byTurks.
Savoy turned into one of the most famous commanders of Western Europe in the 17-18th century, who participated in the War of the Spanish Succession. Savoy received the post of commander in chief in Italy in 1701. Having won brilliant victories at Chiari and Capri, he managed to occupy most of Lombardy. The year 1702 began with a surprise attack on Cremona, which ended with the capture of Marshal Villeroy. After that, Savoy successfully defended himself against the army of the Duke of Vendôme, which greatly outnumbered him.
In 1704, the commander, together with the Duke of Marlborough, won the battle of Hochstadt, which led to the final withdrawal of Bavaria from the alliance with Louis XIV. The next year in Italy, he stopped the victorious march of the Duke of Vendome, and then won a landslide victory at the Battle of Turin, which forced the French to retreat from Italy. In 1708, he defeated the army of Vendôme at Oudenarde, capturing Lille.
He suffered his biggest defeat four years later at Denain, losing to the French Marshal de Villars.
From 1716 Savoy took part in the Turkish campaign again. He won several convincing victories, of which the siege of Belgrade in 1718 was the most significant. As a result, a crushing blow was de alt to the power and superiority of the Turks in Europe.
Savoysky's last campaign was the War of the Polish Succession in 1734-1735. However, due to illness, he was soon recalled from the battlefield. In 1736 Savoysky died at the age of 72.
Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky
Even talking briefly about the commanders of the 18th century, it is necessary to recall the commander Peter Alexandrovich Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. This is an outstanding count, field marshal general.
Already at the age of 6 he was in the guard, at the age of 15 he served in the army with the rank of second lieutenant. In 1743, his father sent him to St. Petersburg, where he handed over the text of the Peace of Abo, which meant the end of the confrontation between Russia and Sweden. For the successful completion of the mission, he was immediately promoted to colonel, received command of an infantry regiment.
This outstanding Russian commander of the 18th century became famous during the Seven Years' War. By the beginning of this military campaign, he had the rank of general. In 1757 he distinguished himself at the battle of Gross-Jegersdorf. Rumyantsev led the reserve, which consisted of several regiments of infantry. At some point, the Russian right flank began to retreat under the pressure of the Prussians, then the commander, on his own initiative, without waiting for the appropriate order, threw his reserve on the left flank of the Prussian infantry. This predetermined a turning point in the battle, which ended in favor of the Russian army.
In 1758, Rumyantsev's columns entered Koenigsberg, and then occupied the whole of East Prussia. The next important battle in the biography of this commander of the 18th century was the Battle of Kunersdorf. Rumyantsev's success drove back the army of King Frederick II, who had to retreat, pursued by cavalry. After this success, he was already officially recognized as one of the outstanding military leaders, he was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
Another significant event in which Rumyantsev participated wasprolonged siege and capture of Kolberg. The commander of the second half of the 18th century attacked the camp of the Prince of Württemberg in 1761. Having defeated it, the Russian army began to lay siege to the city. It lasted four months, culminating in the complete surrender of the defending garrison. Moreover, during this time, the command repeatedly decided to lift the blockade, only Rumyantsev's perseverance made it possible to bring the campaign to a victorious end. This was the last success of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War. During these battles, a tactical system called "column - loose formation" was used for the first time.
This military campaign played a big role in the fate of the commander of the 18th century in Russia, contributing to his career growth. Since then, they began to talk about Rumyantsev as a military leader of the European level. On his initiative, the strategy of mobile warfare was applied. As a result, the troops quickly maneuvered, and did not waste time besieging fortresses. In the future, this initiative was repeatedly used by another outstanding Russian commander of the second half of the 18th century, Alexander Suvorov.
Rumyantsev headed Little Russia, and with the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768 he became the commander of the Second Army. His main task was to confront the Crimean Tatars, who had views of the southern regions of the empire. Over time, he replaced Golitsyn at the head of the 1st Army, as Empress Catherine II was unhappy with his slowness and lack of results.
Ignoring the lack of food and weak forces, Rumyantsev decided to wage an offensive military campaign. With 25,000 troops, hetriumphantly defeated the 80,000th Turkish corps at Larga in 1770. Even more significant was his victory at Cahul, when the enemy forces outnumbered the Russian army by ten times. These successes made Rumyantsev one of the greatest generals of the second half of the 18th century.
In 1774, he entered into a confrontation with the 150,000th enemy army, with about 50,000 soldiers and officers under his command. Skillful tactical maneuvers of the Russian army led to panic among the Turks, who agreed to accept peace terms. It was after this achievement that the empress ordered him to add the name "Zadunaysky" to his surname.
In 1787, when another Russian-Turkish war started, Pyotr Alexandrovich was appointed to lead the Second Army. By that time, he was very stout and was inactive. At the same time, he had to report directly to Potemkin, which became a serious insult for him. As a result, according to historians, they quarreled, the commander actually removed himself from command. Later, due to illness, he did not leave the estate at all, although he was nominally the commander in chief.
In 1796, at the age of 71, Rumyantsev died alone in the village of Tashan in the Poltava province.
Grigory Spiridov
One of the outstanding commanders of the second half of the 18th century is Full Admiral Grigory Spiridov. First of all, he became famous for his success in the Navy.
He entered the Navy voluntarily in 1723. At the age of 15 he becamemidshipman. From 1741 he served in Arkhangelsk, making transitions from there to Kronstadt.
When the Seven Years' War began, he served in the B altic Fleet, commanding the Astrakhan and St. Nicholas ships. With them, he made several successful military transitions. In 1762 he became rear admiral, leading the Revel squadron. Her task was to defend domestic communications on the B altic coast.
Speak about Spiridov as one of the most famous generals and naval commanders of the 18th century began after the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. When Turkey declared war on the Russian Empire, Grigory Andreevich was in the rank of admiral. It was he who led the expedition, which went to the islands of the Greek archipelago.
The battle of Chios in 1770 became important in his career. Spiridov used a fundamentally new tactic for that time. According to his plan, the vanguard of the ships advanced to the enemy at a right angle, attacking his vanguard and center from the shortest possible distance. When the "Evstafiya", on which he was, died from the explosion, Spiridov escaped by continuing the battle on board the "Three Hierarchs". Despite the superiority in strength of the Turkish fleet, the victory remained with the Russians.
On the night of June 26, Spiridov commanded the Battle of Chesma, becoming famous as the great Russian commander and naval commander of the 18th century. For this battle, he prepared a plan for a parallel attack. Due to successful actions, he managed to hit a significant part of the enemy fleet. As a result, the Russian army lost 11 people killed whenthe Turkish side killed and injured about 11 thousand soldiers and officers.
Over the next few years, Spiridov remained in the Greek archipelago, controlling the Aegean Sea. He retired in 1773 for he alth reasons, when he was 60 years old. He died in Moscow in 1790.
Pyotr S altykov
Among the outstanding Russian commanders of the 18th century, Count and Field Marshal Pyotr S altykov should be noted. He was born in 1696, he began to study military affairs under Peter I, who sent him to France to hone his skills. S altykov remained abroad until the 1730s.
In 1734, with the rank of major general, he took part in military operations against Poland, the war with Sweden in 1741-1743. When the Seven Years' War began, he was at the head of the landmilitia regiments in Ukraine. In 1759 he became the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, showing himself as an outstanding Russian commander of the 18th century. With his participation, Russian troops won victories at Palzig and Kunersdorf.
He was removed from command only in 1760, a few years later he was appointed governor-general of Moscow. Lost this post after the "plague riot". Passed away at the age of 76.
Anikita Repnin
Among the notable generals of the 18th century in Russia is Anikita Ivanovich Repnin. A well-known military leader, one of the associates of Peter I. Back in 1685, at the age of 17, he commanded "amusing" troops. A year before the new century, he was promoted to major general.
Russian commander of the 18th centuryRepnin took part in the Azov campaigns. On his shoulders lay the creation of the Russian army in the form in which it won its most significant victories throughout the 18th century.
At the same time, in 1708 he fell out of favor with Peter I after the defeat at Golovchin from the Swedish king Charles XII. He was even court-martialed and stripped of his general rank. However, he managed to restore his position, taking advantage of the intercession of Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn and the victory he won in the Battle of Lesnaya as part of the Northern War. Due to this, he even managed to regain his lost general rank.
In the Battle of Poltava he commanded the center of the Russian army, after the successful completion of the battle he was promoted to the Knights of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
In 1709 he besieged Riga together with Sheremetev in the status of the second commander. He was the first to enter the city, replacing the Swedish guards stationed in it with his troops. As a result, he was appointed governor of Riga by the tsar.
He did not leave military service. In 1711 he commanded the vanguard during the Prut campaign, took part in the capture of Stettin and Tenning.
In 1724, Repnin was appointed president of the Military Collegium after another disgrace by Menshikov. After the coronation of Catherine I, he received the rank of field marshal. In St. Petersburg, the commander was drawn into the confrontation of several court parties. The struggle escalated after the he alth of the emperor deteriorated sharply, since the issue of succession to the throne actually remained unresolved. After the death of Peter I, Repnin spoke out in favor of Peter II, but latersupported Menshikov, who lobbied for the interests of Catherine I. After her official accession, he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
At the same time, Menshikov himself feared the strengthening of the influence of the great Russian commander of the 18th century. He removed him from the post of head of the Military Collegium, having achieved the organization of a business trip to Riga. Repnin never returned from it, having died in 1726.
Pyotr Panin
Pyotr Panin was born in 1721 in the Meshchovsky district of the Moscow province. Glory and success came to him after participating in the Seven Years' War. He distinguished himself in the battles of Zorndorf and Gross-Jägersdorf.
In 1760, together with other eminent military leaders (Totleben, Chernyshev and Lassi), he participated in the capture of Berlin. He distinguished himself in this battle, defeating, together with the Cossacks, the rearguard of von Gulsen's corps. After that, he ruled the lands of East Prussia, receiving the title of Governor-General of Koenigsberg.
During the time of Catherine II, he was considered the great Russian commander of the 18th century. In 1769, he was appointed head of the 2nd Army, which acted against the Turks. He managed to break the resistance of the enemy in the Bendery region, and then resist the Crimean Tatars, who were planning raids on the southern regions of Russia. Bender himself submitted to Panin in 1770.
For his exploits he was awarded the Order of St. George I degree. At the same time, the empress was dissatisfied with the actions of the commander due to heavy losses: the Russian army lost about six thousand people killed, as well as the fact that the city was actually turnedinto ruins. Panin was left out of work, offended by Catherine, starting to criticize everything.
It took him back to duty during the Peasants' War of 1773-1775. After the death of Bibikov, it was he who led the Russian army, which opposed the detachments of Pugachev. Shortly after this appointment, Pugachev's army was defeated, the leader of the uprising himself was taken prisoner.
In 1775, he finally retired from public affairs, as his he alth deteriorated significantly. He died suddenly in 1789.
Fyodor Ushakov
One of the outstanding Russian commanders of the 18-19th century, whose name for a long time became personified with the successes of the Russian fleet - Admiral Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov. He became famous for the fact that he did not lose a single ship in battles and did not suffer a single defeat in 43 naval battles.
The future great commander and naval commander of the 18th century was born in 1745 in the village of Burnakovo on the territory of the modern Yaroslavl region. After graduating from the Naval Cadet Corps, he was promoted to midshipman and sent to serve in the B altic Fleet.
For the first time he managed to prove himself during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. In particular, he commanded the 16-gun ships Morea and Modon. By the next Russian-Turkish war, which began in 1787, he was already in the rank of captain of the brigadier rank, led the battleship "St. Paul".
In the spring of 1772, a young officer distinguished himself on the Don while rescuing supplies that sank immediatelyseveral river transport vessels. For this, he received gratitude from the vice-president of the Admir alty, Ivan Chernyshev, and was soon appointed commander of the deck boat "Courier". On it, he was cruising in the Black Sea for almost the entire next year.
In 1788, Ushakov took part in the battle near the island of Fidonisi. The balance of power in this battle was on the side of the enemy, the Turkish squadron had more than twice as many guns as the Russian one. When the Turkish column advanced to the domestic vanguard, a shootout began. Ushakov, who commanded the ship St. Paul, rushed to the aid of the frigates Strela and Berislav. Confident and targeted fire support of Russian ships inflicted significant losses on the Turkish fleet. All enemy attempts to rectify the situation were thwarted. After this success, Ushakov was appointed commander of the Sevastopol squadron, and then promoted to rear admiral.
In 1790 he distinguished himself in the battle of Kerch. By that time he was already in command of the Black Sea Fleet. The Turks, using a more advantageous position and a larger number of guns, immediately attacked the Russian ships. However, Ushakov's flotilla not only managed to contain this blow, but also to bring down the offensive impulse of the enemy with return fire.
In the midst of the battle, it turned out that the cannonballs from Russian ships do not reach the enemy. Then Ushakov decided to go to the aid of the avant-garde. The admiral in this battle proved to be a skilled and experienced flagship, who immediately makes extraordinary tactical decisions,thinks creatively and out of the box. The advantage of the Russian sailors became obvious, which manifested itself in brilliant training and excellent fire training. After the victory in the Battle of Kerch, the plans of the Turks to seize the Crimea came to naught. Moreover, the Turkish command began to worry about the security of their capital.
During the war against Turkey, Ushakov not only fought successfully, but also made an important contribution to military science. Using his tactical experience, he often quickly reorganized the squadron into battle formation when approaching the enemy. If earlier tactical rules called for the commander to be directly in the middle of the battle formation, Ushakov put his ship in the forefront, while occupying one of the most dangerous positions. He is rightfully considered the founder of the Russian tactical school in naval affairs.
In the battle at Cape Tendra, the Sevastopol fleet under the command of Ushakov appeared quite unexpectedly for the Turks, which led them to complete confusion. The commander directed the entire severity of the attack to the front of the formation. As a result, by the evening the Turkish line was finally defeated, which was facilitated by reserve frigates, which were put into battle on time by Ushakov. As a result, the enemy ships fled. This victory left another bright mark in the annals of the Russian fleet.
The Battle of Kaliakria in 1791 was of great importance. And this time, on the side of the Turks, there were actually twice as many guns, but this did not stop Ushakov from entering the battle. At the same time, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian commander hadthe most advantageous position for an attack due to Ushakov's tactical tricks when rebuilding. As close as possible to the enemy, the Russian fleet launched a massive attack.
The commander-in-chief's flagship was advanced. With his active maneuvers, he managed to completely disrupt the battle order of the advanced part of the Turkish flotilla. The Black Sea Fleet began to achieve success, intensifying the attack, which was accompanied by a fire defeat of the enemy. The Turkish ships were so constrained that by mistake they even began to shoot at each other. As a result, their resistance was finally broken, they fled.
Unfortunately, as Ushakov noted, it was not possible to pursue the enemy, as powder smoke enveloped the battlefield, and besides, night fell.
Analyzing the actions of the Russian fleet, military experts note that the commander-in-chief acted in his usual manner, his tactics were predominantly offensive.
At the end of the service
The great commander and naval commander of the 18th century in 1798 by Emperor Paul I was appointed commander of the Russian squadron, which operated in the Mediterranean Sea. His task was to seize the Ionian Islands, block the French army in Egypt, and disrupt stable communications. Ushakov also had to assist the English Rear Admiral Nelson in the capture of the island of M alta as part of the anti-French coalition.
In this campaign, Ushakov proved himself not only as a skilled naval commander, but also as a skilled politician and statesmanfigure. For example, when creating the Greek Republic of the Seven Islands, which was actually under the protectorate of Turkey and Russia.
In 1799 he was promoted to admiral, soon after that he returned to Sevastopol. In the last years of his service, he commanded the B altic Rowing Fleet, led naval teams based in St. Petersburg.
Retired in 1807. Three years later, he finally left the capital, settling in the small village of Alekseevka on the territory of the Tambov province. When the Patriotic War began, he was elected head of the local militia, but due to illness he was forced to give up this position. It is known that in the last years of his life he devoted most of his time to prayers, near his village was the Sanaksar monastery.
Died in 1817 on his own estate at the age of 72.
