Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (born 13 (24) November 1730 - death 6 (18) May 1800) - an outstanding commander who did not lose a single battle in his military career, Count of Rymnik (1789), Prince of Italy (1799), Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and sea forces, holder of all Russian orders of that era. One of the founders of Russian military art.
He took part in the Russian-Turkish wars of 1768-1774. and 1787-1791, commanded a detachment and corps, won victories at Kazludzha (1774), Kinburn (1787), Fokshany (1789), Rymnik (1787), took Izmail by storm (1790). 1774, August - at the last stage of the uprising of Yemelyan Pugachev, he commanded an army sent to suppress it. Commander of troops during the suppression of the Polish uprising in 1794. 1799 - Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian-Austrian Army, conducted Italian and Swiss campaigns, defeated the French army on the Adda and Trebbia rivers and at Novi, crossed the Alps.
Origin. early years
Alexander Suvorov was born in Moscow. His father was General-in-Chief Vasily Ivanovich Suvorov, godson of Peter 1, mother, Evdokia Fedosyevna Manukova, died when the future commander was not yet 15 years old. Alexander spent his early years at home, where he received home education and education. He studied the necessary subjects, as well as foreign languages: French, German and Italian. He studied very diligently, but in a certain direction. After all, Sasha was the son of a general, lived in a military environment, read books from the richest library of his father, mostly military content, of course, that he only dreamed of a military career.
However, the father believed that this would not work for his son, because he was small in stature, weak and frail. His father wanted to assign him to the civil service. The young man only dreamed of being a military man and stubbornly strove to develop strength, endurance, and strengthen his health. Over time, the father changed his mind and the 11-year-old boy was enrolled in the Semyonovsky regiment as a private, but he took up his duties only in 1748, with the rank of corporal.
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Military service
1754 - in the rank of lieutenant was transferred to the Ingermanland infantry regiment. During the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763, he took part in the battles at Kunersdorf, near Frankfurt an der Oder, took Berlin, took part in the siege of Kolberg.
1762, August - Alexander Vasilyevich, having received the rank of colonel, is appointed commander of the Astrakhan infantry regiment. 1763 - Commander of the Suzdal Infantry Regiment. In 1764–1765, when the Suzdal regiment was in permanent quarters in Novaya Ladoga, he wrote “Regimental institution” - a manual on the training and education of troops. 1768-1772 - took part in hostilities in Poland against the troops of the Bar Confederation, for military distinction in 1770 Suvorov was promoted to the rank of major general.
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774, the detachment under the command of Suvorov inflicted several defeats on the superior forces of the Turks. There he was successfully able to apply a structure that was new for those times - an attack in columns, covered by a loose formation of rangers. He was even more glorified by the victory over the 40 thousandth Turkish corps at Kozluj, which he won at the very end of the war on June 8, 1774.
1774, August - Alexander Suvorov was sent against the detachments of E. I. Pugachev, however, the rebels were defeated even before his arrival at the battlefield. 1776-1787 - Alexander Vasilyevich commander of the troops in the Crimea, in the Kuban, then the Vladimir, Petersburg and Kremenchug divisions. 1786 - promoted to the rank of general-in-chief.
With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791, the commander was appointed to the post of chief of defense of the Kherson-Kinburnsky region. 1787, October 1 - the troops led by A. V. Suvoroy destroyed the Turkish landing force that landed on the Kinburn Spit. 1788 - Alexander Suvorov, in the Yekaterinoslav army of Field Marshal G. A. Potemkin, took part in the siege of Ochakov, during which he was seriously wounded and was out of action for a long time. Having recovered, the commander received a separate corps under his command. 1789 - Suvorov defeated the Turkish armies in the battles of Focsani and Rymnik. 1790, December 11 - the Russian army under the command of A. Suvorov seized the fortified fortress of Izmail by storm.
At the end of hostilities, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov commanded the Russian army in Finland, supervised the construction of fortifications on the border with Sweden. 1794 - he took part in hostilities against the Polish confederates. He commanded a successful assault on the right-bank suburb of the Polish capital Prague, after which Warsaw surrendered. The keys to the capitulated city were handed over to the commander. For this brilliantly carried out operation, Suvorov was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.
1795-1796 - Alexander Vasilyevich was with the army in Little Russia, in the city of Tulchin, where he wrote the book "The Science of Victory" - a treatise that lied to the principles of his victorious tactics and gave instructions on the training and education of troops.
At the beginning of the reign of Paul I, he was temporarily disgraced for criticizing the changes carried out by the emperor in the army, rebuilding it according to the Prussian model.
Return to Russia. Death
1799, October 29 (November 9) - the field marshal receives two rescripts from Paul I, in which it was reported about the break of the alliance with Austria and ordered to prepare Russian troops for the return to Russia. In the second half of November, the Russian army began to return. In Bohemia and Northern Austria, she settled down to rest in the Shkvorets Castle (Suvorov himself stayed in Prague) in anticipation of a possible renewal of the war with the French Republic. But it did not follow, and on January 14 (25), 1800, Russian troops finally moved to Russia.
In Krakow, Suvorov surrendered command to Rosenberg and went to St. Petersburg. On the way, he got sick and stopped at his estate in Kobrin. The medical life sent by the emperor to Suvorov I. I. Weikart improved the condition of the commander so that he could continue on his way. In St. Petersburg they were preparing a solemn welcome. But at this time, the commander unexpectedly fell into disgrace again. The reason for her was that in the Italian and Swiss campaigns, Alexander Vasilyevich kept a general on duty with him, which only the sovereign was supposed to have. Various versions have been put forward about the real reasons for the opals.
Suvorov's illness worsened. The ceremonial meeting was canceled. Arriving in St. Petersburg, Alexander Vasilyevich stayed at the house of the husband of his niece D. Khvostov. Paul I refused to accept Suvorov. According to one of the versions, on his deathbed, Suvorov said to the favorite of the emperor, Count Kutaisov, who had come to demand an account of his actions: “I am getting ready to give an account to God, but now I don’t want to think about the sovereign…”.
1800, May 6 (18) - in the second hour of the day, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov died.
The renowned commander was buried in the Lower Annunciation Church of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in the presence of a huge crowd of people. A short inscription is carved on the tombstone: "Here lies Suvorov"
Personal life
On the personal front, the commander was not so simple. In early 1774 he married Princess Varvara Ivanovna Prozorovskaya, daughter of Prince Ivan Andreevich Prozorovsky and Princess Maria Mikhailovna Golitsyna. Family life did not work out, the relationship between the spouses was cool. After five years of marriage, Alexander Vasilyevich learned about his wife's infidelities and filed for divorce. However, after the persuasion of his wife's family and influential acquaintances, he happened to stop the divorce proceedings. However, in 1784 their family finally disintegrated. In this marriage, the commander had a daughter, Natalya, and a son, Arkady.
Interesting Facts
• A. V. Suvorov during 40 years of almost continuous military service conducted 20 companies 63 battles and never lost.
• Catherine, having learned that the commander travels and walks in severe frosts in one uniform, presented him with a black sable fur coat. Alexander Vasilyevich accepted the gift with great reverence and … he always carried this fur coat with him in the carriage, carefully holding it on his knees, but he never put it on.
• Suvorov's favorite horse was called Mishka. On it, the commander fought at Rymkin and took Ishmael. But the horse was unlucky: he was wounded in the leg, and the doctors took out a bullet, but the horse was left limp. Alexander Vasilyevich sent him not to the baggage train, but to his home, to the Konchanskoye estate, and informed the elder by a letter that the horse was “retired for faithful service and put on a pension”.
• A. V. Suvorov condescendingly treated youngsters who were not fired upon. He could have been arrested for showing cowardice, but never brought to justice.
• The commander's morality manifested itself in his way of life. Extramarital affairs were unacceptable for Suvorov. Only at the persuasion of his father, he married at 44. Ascetic in his way of life. He considered women a hindrance to his calling.
• Well-known curiosity that occurred at the gala dinner with the Empress. Taking offense at Catherine II for her inattention to herself (did not wait for the expected order), the commander did not take anything from the table and defiantly looked at the ceiling.
The Empress was curious as to why Count Suvorov was not eating anything. “So after all there is a post, mother. Until the first star is impossible! " - answered the commander and again stared at the ceiling - they say, know-understand: I am waiting for the first star to appear in the "sky" … The Empress took off the order and gave it to the "fasting" …
• The commander always appreciated his peasants, he did not allow children under the age of 13 to work in the field, if they needed help, he always helped them. And when he acquired a new estate, all the fugitive peasants returned to him, having learned who had become the new owner.