10 facts about Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov - the only commander in the world who did not lose a single battle

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov - a skinny man with a nondescript appearance, but a far-sighted and subtle mind, who allowed himself antics that could be considered insanity - the only commander in the world who did not lose a single battle, and a holder of all Russian orders of his time, awarded to men … He was the sword of Russia, the scourge of the Turks and the storm of the Poles. Today - a story about little-known facts from the life of the great Russian commander.

Suvorov received the first rank, standing on guard

The future generalissimo began his service as a private at the court of Elizabeth Petrovna. In 1779, the Semyonovsky regiment, where Alexander Vasilyevich served, was on guard duty in Peterhof. Standing at the post at Monplaisir, Suvorov saluted the Empress so diligently and deftly that she, passing by, decided to clarify his name and handed the soldier a silver ruble. Suvorov said that it was not supposed to take money at the post, and Elizaveta Petrovna left the coin at his feet and ordered to take it when changing the guard. The next day, Private Suvorov was promoted to corporal, and he kept the ruble donated by the empress all his life.

Suvorov became a military man at the insistence of Pushkin's great-grandfather

As a child, Alexander Suvorov was a weak and sickly child and, apparently, he was prepared for a civil future. But already in those years, the future commander showed interest in military affairs. Young Alexander came to serve in the Semyonovsky regiment on the instruction and recommendation of Pushkin's great-grandfather Abram Hannibal. It was he who convinced the father of Alexander Suvorov to give in to his son's inclinations.

It is worth saying that the advancement of the military career ladder was not easy for Suvorov. He received an officer only at the age of 25, and in the rank of colonel he was "stuck" for six long years. The rank of Major General Suvorov received after the war with Poland in 1770, the rank of Field Marshal Catherine II bestowed on him in 1795. In 1799, at the end of the Italian campaign, Paul I conferred on Alexander Suvorov the rank of Generalissimo and ordered that the commander be given the same honors as the monarch even in the presence of the emperor himself. Suvorov, having become the fourth generalissimo in the history of Russia, exclaimed:

Having received the rank of field marshal, Suvorov jumped over chairs

Traditionally, it was possible to obtain the rank of field marshal in Russia only "in turn". Suvorov became an exception. In 1794, for the suppression of the Polish uprising and the capture of Warsaw, Empress Catherine II decided to make Alexander Vasilyevich a field marshal. In response to the message sent by Suvorov, Catherine sent him. But in the Russian army at that time there were 9 generals who had a higher rank than Alexander Vasilyevich.

The commander's contemporaries recalled that, having learned about his new rank, he placed chairs around the room and began to jump over them like a child, saying: "Dolgoruky is behind, Saltykov is behind, Kamensky is behind, we are ahead!" There were 9 chairs in total - according to the number of generals.

Suvorov withdrew 2,778 French soldiers and officers from the Alps

In the Swiss campaign, the Russian army, emerging from the encirclement without ammunition and food, defeating all the troops on its way, lost about 5,000 people (about 1/4 of the entire army), many of whom died during mountain crossings. But the losses of the French army, which outnumbered the Russian army, were 3-4 times more. In addition, the Russian army captured 2,778 French officers and soldiers, more than half of whom Suvorov was able to feed and bring out of the Alps, which was another evidence of his great feat.

Suvorov was going to go to the monastery

Alexander Vasilyevich fell out of favor at the beginning of the reign of Paul I. Suvorov reacted to the order to introduce a new Russian military uniform with a remark: And this is just one of the well-known unflattering public statements of the commander about the emperor.

On February 17, 1797, Suvorov was dismissed by imperial order, depriving him of the right to wear a uniform. In the spring he left for his estate near the town of Kobrin (Belarus), and later he was exiled to the Novgorod region. With him was only his adjutant Friedrich Anting. Suvorov was not allowed to travel further than 10 km from the village, all his visitors were reported, and the correspondence was reviewed.

In fairness, it should be noted that Paul I tried several times to make peace with Suvorov. But the exiled commander replied to the courier who delivered a letter from the emperor that he was forbidden to correspond. On the order of the emperor to appear in the capital, the commander asked the tsar for permission to leave as a monk in the Nilov Hermitage.

The return of Surov did take place. Paul I wrote to him: and called him back. When Surovov returned to Petersburg, Pavel personally put on the count the chain of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the sign of the big cross., - exclaimed Suvorov, to which Paul I replied:.

Suvorov was very devout

The great Russian commander Alexander Suvorov began and ended every day with prayer, strictly observed the fasts, knew the Gospel perfectly, read and sang in the kliros during divine services, was an expert in the rite of church services. Suvorov would never have driven past the church without crossing himself, but in the room he would have baptized himself with an icon. Before each battle, he raised a prayer to God and constantly called upon the soldiers:

Disabled soldiers lived in Suvorov's house

Suvorov constantly helped officers in need, and was merciful to the poor. Before Easter, he secretly sent 1,000 rubles to the prison in order to redeem the debtors. Several elderly peasants or disabled soldiers always lived in Suvorov's house. Preserved written orders of Suvorov, one of which says: "".

Suvorov was a talisman for Russian soldiers

As soon as Suvorov appeared on the battlefield in his white shirt, the troops, even those that had failed before, went into battle with renewed vigor. Russian general-in-chief Otto Wilhelm Khristoforovich Derfelden, who knew Suvorov for more than 25 years, said that Suvorov is a talisman who "".

Suvorov presented a gold medal to valet Proshka

When the Austrian emperor made attempts to return Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov to the command of the Austrian army, he began to actively distribute awards. He sent two ribbons of the military order of Maria Theresa, a chain of the military order of Saints Lazarus and Mauritius, two orders for the neck, many orders in the buttonhole, so that Suvorov could dispose of them at his discretion. Suvorov, on the other hand, did not award almost anyone who distinguished himself in hostilities. He rained down awards on the officials and relatives accompanying the army. Suvorov awarded his valet Proshka with a gold medal around his neck, on which the profile of the Sardinian king was captured. So Alexander Vasilyevich appreciated the awards from the treacherous allies.

Suvorov asked to knock out only three words on his grave

Returning from the Swiss campaign, Suvorov ended up in the city of Neitingen, where he visited the tomb of the Austrian Field Marshal Laudon. Reading the lush, wordy praises of Loudon, he said:. The commander's will was violated. A slab with a long inscription: "" was laid on his grave.

Only 50 years after the death of Suvorov, his grandson, Alexander Arkadyevich, to whom his grandfather's comrades-in-arms told about his last will, after much trouble was able to fulfill the will of his grandfather. The inscription on the grave was replaced with a short one, in three words:.

One dream of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov still remained unfulfilled - he dreamed of meeting in battle with the army Napoleonbut did not have time.