What do you know about Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov and can he really be called a great commander?
I sat down to write this article after a conversation with one fairly well-informed (by today's standards) young man. We talked about modern politics and the war, about Syria, about the storming of Aleppo. And I suggested that a new Suvorov appeared in the modern Russian army.
I will not be distracted by the nuances of our conversation and by the circumstances that made me assume that a truly talented (and maybe a genius) commander has appeared in Russia. It became a revelation for me that my interlocutor knows practically nothing about Suvorov.
Yes, there was such a military leader, took Ishmael, passed the turn of the Alps (the picture was in the textbook), and also brutally suppressed the popular uprising of Pugachev, drenched poor Poland with blood, oppressed the unfortunate Finns … That is, perhaps, all that was known to my interlocutor.
WHY IS SUVOROV CALLED A GREAT COMMANDER?
- And who calls him a great commander? This is Soviet propaganda again!
- Here's your grandmother and Rabinat Tagore!
On the other hand, why am I surprised? Who today is interested in Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, who lived almost three hundred years ago, Count of Rymnik, Prince of Italy, Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire, Grand Marshal of the Piedmontese troops, Generalissimo of the Russian Empire?
Solemn meeting of Suvorov in Milan in April 1799. Artist A. Charlemagne.
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Were there not many generals in the history of mankind, and in Russia? Why can and should the name of Suvorov be singled out from this endlessly long list?
And the point is not at all that Suvorov did not lose a single battle. History knows the names of military leaders who knew no defeat.
The point is how Alexander Vasilievich won the battle!
I will not draw you a scheme of battles and bore you by listing the military units that took part in these battles. And I will not retell the biography of Alexander Vasilyevich day by day and year. And I will not even prove the obvious fact that Suvorov was a great commander. I will try to tell you about some of the events in which Suvorov was a direct participant, and you yourself will decide whether he deserves the title of "great".
Personally, I would call him just brilliant. However, this is just my opinion.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE BIOGRAPHY OF COMMANDER ALEXANDER VASILIEVICH SUVOROV
The date of birth of the future commander of history is unknown. 1727, 1729 or 1730. The place of birth is also unknown. It is known that his childhood was spent in the village, on the family estate.
For the first time, Suvorov got into the war in 1756. And this war was called the Seven Years. In the first years of the war, Suvorov served in the rear service of the Russian army, i.e. was engaged in logistics and supply of combat units of the army.
He took his first battle on July 14 (25), 1759 - as part of a dragoon squadron he participated in a cavalry attack and was soon transferred to the post of an officer on duty under the division commander V. V. Fermore. Subsequently, he commanded cavalry units (dragoon, hussar, Cossack) and showed himself as a "talented and courageous cavalryman and partisan."
After the end of the Seven Years War, Suvorov was awarded the rank of colonel and appointed commander of the regiment. For six years (1763 - 1769) Alexander Vasilyevich commanded the Suzdal Infantry Regiment. This fact from the biography of the commander could have been missed if not for one "but". During this period, Colonel Suvorov draws up his "Regimental Code" - instructions for organizing the training of Russian troops. It is in the Suzdal regiment that the future military genius begins, who not only drills the soldiers, but teaches them what will be needed in the war, reads a lot and thinks a lot about the war.
In 1768, Suvorov was awarded the rank of brigadier, in May 1769 he was appointed brigade commander and sent to Poland to participate in hostilities against the troops of the Bar Confederation. In 30 days the brigade covered 850 versts - just amazing speed for a foot army with carts! And in 30 days of absolutely crazy march - only 6 sick!
The brigade fought successfully in Poland. The battle near the village of Orekhovo seems especially interesting to me. I will not describe all the circumstances preceding this battle, but it so happened that a Russian detachment of 320 men with two cannons near the village of Orekhovo overtook a detachment of Confederates (2,000 men with two cannons). Suvorov attacks the Poles on the move, personally leading a cavalry attack by a detachment of 50 dragoons on an enemy battery. All day the Russians beat off the attacks of the Confederates, and with the onset of dusk, Suvorov makes an absolutely "crazy" and the only possible decision - he raises his detachment with bayonets and counterattacks. Victory! Enemies retreat in panic!
Losses of the Suvorov detachment (for the entire battle at Orekhovo): 5 killed and 11 wounded. Confederate losses: more than 300 killed, 40 prisoners. The number of wounded is unknown. And the enemy is put on a panicky flight.
In May 1771, the battle of Lanzkoron took place. To support the Polish confederates, a detachment under the command of the famous French general C. F. Dumouriez. The combined Polish-French troops took up a position near the city of Lyantskorone: the left flank of the positions was covered by a real castle, the positions of the Confederates were located on a steep hill, which made it difficult to attack along the front. In addition, the Confederates had more than 50 cannons and about 4,000 soldiers.
And Suvorov had only 3,500 soldiers. And zero guns!
To attack with this balance of power is suicide. And you need to attack. 150 Russian carabinieri, using the folds of the terrain, go out to the flank of the Confederates and at the same time with the carabinieri 200 Cossacks rush into the attack. Russian detachments are introduced into the gap formed, and after half an hour of battle, the Confederates leave their positions in panic. In this battle, the Polish-French detachment lost more than 500 people (the rest scattered around the surroundings). Losses of the Suvorov detachment: 10 wounded. No one was killed.
In September 1771, the "Stolovichi affair" took place. Suvorov at the head of a detachment of 900 people, having traveled more than 200 miles in 4 days, went to the town of Stolovichi and attacked the corps of Hetman M. Oginsky (more than 5,000 people) on the move. In the middle of the night, the Russians approached the Stolovichi and, without rest, threw themselves into bayonets. The battle lasted about four hours. In this battle, the Poles lost over 1,000 people killed and over 700 prisoners. Oginsky with a dozen hussars went abroad. Losses of the Russian detachment: 80 people killed.
ALEXANDER VASILIEVICH SUVOROV IN THE RUSSIAN-TURKISH WAR 1768 - 1774
In this war, the Russian troops won several really high-profile victories under the command of Major General Suvorov. Indeed, there were many victories, but it is Suvorov's that surprise.
Field Marshal Suvorov at the top of Saint Gotthard on September 13, 1799. Artist A. Charlemagne.
He twice takes the Turtukay fortress by storm. On May 6 (17), 1773, a detachment (about 900 people) under the leadership of Suvorov is sent under the walls of the fortress to conduct reconnaissance in force. A small Russian detachment seems to the Turks an easy prey (there are more than 4,000 soldiers in the fortress garrison, cannons on the fortress walls) and the commander of the fortress garrison decides to attack the careless (and stupid) Russians. The Suvorov detachment repels the attack and … rushes into a counterattack. And takes the fortress.
In that battle, Suvorov's detachment lost about 200 people killed and wounded. Losses of the Turks - up to 1,500 people killed. Rumor has it that for the "unauthorized" seizure of the fortress, Suvorov was removed from command. And even put on trial. It is reliably known that the Suvorovites, before the retreat, destroyed (as far as possible) the fortress and led all Christians out of the fortress to the right bank of the Danube. In this battle, Suvorov himself was seriously wounded in the leg.
However, the Turtukay epic did not end there for Alexander Vasilyevich. Suvorov left for Russia for treatment, and the Turks returned to the fortress, restored the walls and strengthened the garrison.
And again Suvorov was needed to capture Turtukai. The major general was summoned to the troops, received under his command 2,000 soldiers and the order to take the fortress, in which the four thousandth garrison with cannons settled. And Suvorov again took Turtukai. And again with minimal losses.
And there was also the defense of Girsovo and the battle of Kozludzhi. And again the enemy units are 2-3 times larger than the unit commanded by General Suvorov. And victories again. And the losses are 4-5 times less than that of the enemy.
SUVOROV IN THE RUSSIAN-TURKISH WAR 1787 - 1791
In this war, General-in-Chief Suvorov took over as corps commander. I will not describe all the battles in which the troops under the command of Suvorov distinguished themselves in that war. Personally, at one time, the battle of Rymnik made a special impression on me.
Suvorov's crossing over the Alps.
220,000 Turks under the command of Yusuf Pasha moved to Focsani, where at that time there was an Austrian corps under the command of Prince Kobursky (in that war the Austrians were allies of the Russians). And what does the famous military leader Prince of Kobursky do? He sends a messenger to Suvorov with a note "Save us."
The detachment under the command of Suvorov covers 100 kilometers in 2.5 days, connects with the Austrians and the combined forces (about 25,000 people) attack the Turks. The fight lasts 12 hours. Complete rout of the Turkish army!
The losses of the allied forces: 400 Austrians and about 200 people in the Russian army! The losses of the Turks - only about 20,000 killed.
Do you feel the scale of the victory? Almost the entire Turkish army was smashed to smithereens. And it was defeated not by the entire Russian army, but by a relatively small consolidated detachment. And with little or no loss. It looks like a fairy tale. However, it was so. The works of a genius always look like a fairy tale.
And there was also the Battle of Kinburn and the siege of Ochakov, the Battle of Foksha and the capture of Izmail, the Italian campaign of 1799 and the Swiss campaign.
I would love to tell you about all these battles. And not at all because I "like" the war. But because in all these battles Suvorov showed himself to be an absolutely extraordinary commander. Talent!
And before I finish my story about Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov, I want to recall the capture of Ishmael. For the simple reason that very little was written about this assault in the Soviet history textbook, and even less in modern textbooks.
TAKING ISMAIL SUVOROV
What do we know from a school textbook? The fortress was impregnable, but Suvorov took it! Well done! And also - "a bullet is a fool, a bayonet is a fine fellow."
The storming of Ishmael.
However, it is not the genius of the commander to take the fortress - it is the duty of the commander and officer. If I had 4-5 times more soldiers and guns than the Turks, then I would have taken Ishmael. Or maybe he didn't take it …
Suvorov had about 30,000 soldiers. And in the garrison of Ishmael there were about 35,000 - 40,000 soldiers (excellent soldiers). Suvorov has 40 army guns and about 100 guns on the ships of the Russian fleet, which was involved in the siege of the fortress. The Turks have about 300 guns in the fortress and about 150 guns on Turkish ships.
The Russian army was desperate for supplies. We can say that there was only one good assault on the "fire supply" in the Russian army. The Ishmael garrison did not need ammunition or food.
And besides, the tall walls of the fortress (which must be reached) and field fortifications in front of the fortress (one ditch 12 meters wide and up to 10 meters deep is worth something).
And another very serious factor that affects the army even more than the number of guns and the abundance of provisions is the fighting spirit of the army. The Russian army stormed the walls of the fortress three times. And, understandably, all three times are unsuccessful. With huge losses.
When Suvorov arrived at the troops, the army was already ready to lift the siege and retreat. How to get people to climb the walls again under bullets and cannonballs?
For six days (only 6 days) Alexander Vasilyevich is preparing troops for the assault.
On December 11 (22), 1791, Russian troops launched an attack. Two and a half hours later, all the fortifications were occupied by the Suvorov detachments. After another 8 hours of city battles, Ishmael was taken completely.
During the assault, the Russian army lost 4,582 killed and about 6,000 wounded.
9,000 Turks were taken prisoner (more than 26,000 were killed during the assault). And the Russian army also got Turkish guns (265 pieces), more than 20,000 cannonballs and 3,000 poods of gunpowder, more than 10,000 horses, a huge amount of food and fodder, about 30 ships and vessels of the Turkish fleet, etc.
That's how Ishmael Suvorov was taken! Agree that he is not just great. Great commander! The pride of the Russian army and Russian history! And another example for modern commanders. If you fight, then fight not by number, but by skill!
Portrait of A. V. Suvorov with a field marshal's baton.