How Napoleon Bonaparte tried to become a Russian ensign and other foreign rulers who served in the Russian army

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

For a long time, officers from all over Europe entered the Russian service. The vector of accepting foreigners into his own army was set by Peter the Great, although overseas volunteers in Russia were also favored before him. Catherine II actively continued the policy of Peter, striving to provide the imperial army with the most qualified and effective personnel. Foreign volunteers have made a significant contribution to the formation of the defense capability of Russia, the development of the economy and industry. And among them were not only talented military men, but also the first persons of foreign states, for whom military experience in the Russian army was a matter of honor.

Finnish President Karl Gustav Mannerheim and his high services in the tsarist army of Russia

The famous military and political figure of Finland Karl Mannerheim is known for his anti-Russian stance during the Soviet-Finnish war. But there was also a completely opposite experience in his biography. From generation to generation, his predecessors were supporters of a pro-Russian policy and in one way or another linked their activities with Russia.

Karl chose the path of a professional soldier, graduating with honors from the St. Petersburg Nikolaev Cavalry School. Since 1891, Mannerheim attended a military school in the ranks of the Cavalry Regiment, and in 1897 he was transferred to the stable part of the court regiment. He was assigned a 300-ruble salary and allocated state-owned apartments in St. Petersburg and Tsarskoye Selo. At the beginning of 1902, under the patronage of General Brusilov, Mannerheim was transferred to the cavalry officer school, and a year later he was enrolled in the St. Petersburg cavalry officer school. So the legendary Finnish field marshal became the commander of an exemplary squadron.

This was followed by successes in the Far East during the Russo-Japanese War and intelligence work in Manchuria. In February, after a collision with the Japanese squadron, Mannerheim miraculously survived thanks to the help of his stallion. Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Karl Gustav was entrusted with the post of commander of the Separate Guards Cavalry Brigade based in Warsaw, where he met the First World War. In 1914, he made a mark in the defense of the Polish Krasnik, routing significant enemy forces and capturing more than 250 Austrians. The next successful step was an operation to break out of the dense encirclement near the village of Grabuk. Mannerheim changed his landmarks with the arrival of the Bolsheviks, when, after the arrest of officers from his unit, he left the Russian army and returned to the already independent Finland.

Serbian kings Karageorgievich who received military experience in Russia

The heirs of the Kosovo covenant, the Karageorgievichs, ruled Serbia since the 19th century. The eldest son of the founder of the princely family, Karageorgy, served as a lieutenant in the Russian guard. Georgy Karageorgievich continued his father's business, having gained experience of serving in the Preobrazhensky regiment of the Russian army. Prince Alexander, the youngest son of Karageorgy, also studied military art in Russia. After returning to Serbia in 1839, he was sent to the General Staff of the Serbian Army. And, by the way, the formation of the regular Serbian army was based on the Russian military experience gained during the service.

General of the Russian service and participant in the Napoleonic Wars Leopold I, who became King of Belgium

The main triumph of Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha came to him with the entrusted Belgian throne. But up to this point, the future king went through a difficult path of military formation in the ranks of the Russian army, where he came to thanks to family ties. Leopold was the brother of the wife of the Russian heir, Prince Konstantin Pavlovich. From the age of nine, the future Belgian ruler was in the ranks of the Izmailovsky Life Guards regiment, in which he became a major general by 1803. At the same time, Leopold did not leave his native Coburg. But ahead of him was waiting for participation in the thundering pan-European war after Napoleon ascended the throne.

In 1805, Leopold was in the imperial retinue near Austerlitz, and in 1807 he took part in a difficult battle near Friedland. Later, in the rank of brigadier commander, he distinguished himself in the battles of Leipzig, Kulm, Fer-Champenoise, having met the end of the war as a lieutenant general and division commander. And in July 1831, General of the Russian army Leopold Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in the royal crown takes the oath to the people of Belgium.

Georgian princes in the military campaigns of the Russian Empire

Due to the difficult political situation at the beginning of the 18th century, the Georgian king Vakhtang VI left for Kartli, accompanied by a large retinue, to Russia. The government of the Russian Empire determined all the members of the tsarist entourage to be worthy, thanks to which the majority of those who came had the opportunity to serve in the local army. Among the settled Georgians were princes Athanasius and George Bagration, the younger brother of Tsar Vakhtang and the son of the monarch. Since 1720, the Georgian princes took an active part in many military campaigns. Afanasy rose to the rank of general-in-chief, and in 1761 he was appointed commandant of Moscow. The same rank was eventually awarded to his nephew George, who distinguished himself in the Russian-Swedish war.

How Napoleon almost became a Russian ensign

By the end of the 18th century, the Russian army could be replenished with a very promising officer, who in the future would become one of the world's greatest commanders. When the young Corsican lieutenant applied for admission to the imperial army of Russia, no one imagined that in 15 years he would go to Russia with the war.

In August 1787, the next Russian-Turkish war promised to drag on. Russian units on the border were few in number and unprepared for an offensive operation, the Turkish army also did not differ in sufficient training and powerful weapons. Russia used a well-established strategy for recruiting foreign specialists - European military officers. This vector was set by Peter the Great, but the maximum number of foreigners was in the Russian service at the end of the 18th century. Under Catherine II, Germans, French, Spaniards, and British served in the ground forces and in the navy.

In 1788, the Empress instructed General Zaborovsky to organize a new recruitment of foreigners for the Tsar's service to participate in the Russian-Turkish campaigns. Moreover, the emphasis was on the South European officers - the militant Albanian, Greek and Corsican volunteers who had experience of clashes with the Ottomans.

The Corsican nobleman Napoleone Buonaparte, who graduated from the Paris military school, set out to follow the military path. His mother became a widow early and lived extremely poorly, which is why Napoleon, who sent her his salary, existed literally from hand to mouth. This situation prompted the ambitious artillery lieutenant to apply for service in the Russian imperial army. Foreigners were well paid for participation in Russian-Turkish battles, so Napoleon planned to get hold of it well. But shortly before that, the Russian government decided to lower the military rank of foreign officers entering the service. This picture did not suit the ambitious Frenchman, and he even tried to influence the situation in a personal meeting with Zaborovsky, who is in charge of the volunteers. But no one began to meet the unknown Frenchman, and on this Napoleon Bonaparte completed his attempts to become a Russian officer.

But literally one mistake could cost any ruler of the throne, honor, and even life.