Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov
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Born
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24 November 1730
Moscow, Russian Empire |
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Died
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18 May 1800 (aged 69)
Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire |
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Allegiance
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Service/branch
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Years of
service
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1746–1800
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Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (Russian: Алекса́ндр
Васи́льевич Суво́ров,
r Aleksandr
Vasil‘evich Suvorov; 24 November [O.S.
13 November] 1729 or 1730 – 18 May [O.S.
6 May] 1800) was a Russian military leader and national hero. He was the
Count of Rymnik, Count
of the Holy Roman Empire,
Prince of Italy, and the last Generalissimo of the Russian Empire. Suvorov is one of the
greatest generals in history and is one of the few who never lost a battle,
being undefeated in over 60 large battles while frequently having the numerical
disadvantage.
Suvorov
was born in Moscow in 1729. He studied military history
as a young boy and joined the Imperial Russian
Army at the age of 17. During the Seven Years' War he was promoted to colonel
in 1762 for his success on the battlefield. When war broke out with the Bar
Confederation in 1768, Suvorov captured Krakow and defeated the Poles at Lanckorona
and Stołowicze,
bringing about the start of the Partitions of
Poland. He was promoted to general and next fought in the Russo-Turkish
War of 1768–1774, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Kozludzha.
Becoming the General
of the Infantry in 1786, he commanded in the Russo–Turkish
War of 1787–1792 and won a crushing victories at the Battle of Rymnik and Siege of Izmail. For his accomplishments,
he was made a Count of both the Russian Empire and Holy Roman Empire. Suvorov
put down a Polish uprising
in 1794, defeating them at the Battle of
Maciejowice and storming Warsaw.
While
a close associate of Empress Catherine the Great,
Suvorov often quarreled with her son and heir apparent Paul. After Catherine died of a stroke in
1796, Paul I was crowned Emperor and dismissed Suvorov for disregarding his
orders. However, he was forced to reinstate Suvorov and make him a field
marshal at the insistence of the coalition allies for the French
Revolutionary Wars. Suvorov was given command of the Austro-Russian
army, captured Milan, and drove the French out of Italy at
the Battles of Cassano d'Adda,
Trebbia,
and Novi. Suvorov
was made a Prince of Italy for his deeds. Afterwards he became surrounded in
the Swiss Alps by the French after a Russian army he
was supposed to unite with was routed before he could arrive. Suvorov led the
strategic withdrawal of Russian troops while fighting off the four times larger
French force and returned to Russian with minimal casualties, for which he
became the fourth Generalissimo
of Russia. He died in 1800 of illness in Saint Petersburg.
Suvorov
is widely regarded as the greatest Russian military leader and one of the
greatest commanders in history. He was awarded numerous medals, titles, and
honors by Russia, as well as by other countries. Suvorov brought Russia expanded
borders, renewed military prestige, and a legacy of theories on warfare. He was
famed for his military manual The Science of Victory and noted for
several of his sayings. Several military academies, monuments, villages,
museums, and orders are dedicated to him.
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