Aleksey Kuropatkin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aleksey Kuropatkin
|
|
|---|---|
General Aleksey Kuropatkin
|
|
| Minister of War | |
| In office 1 January 1898 – 7 February 1904 |
|
| Monarch | Nicholas II |
| Preceded by | Pyotr Vannovskiy |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Sakharov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 29, 1848 Kholmsky Uyezd, Pskov Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | January 16, 1925 (aged 76) Pskov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Branch/service |  Russian Imperial Army |
| Years of service | 1864–1907 1915–1917 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Fifth Army |
| Battles/wars | Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War World War I |
| Awards | see awards |
Aleksey Nikolayevich Kuropatkin (Russian: Алексе́й Никола́евич Куропа́ткин; March 29, 1848 – January 16, 1925) was a Russian general. He served as the Minister of War for the Russian Empire from 1898 to 1904. Later, he became a field commander. Many historians believe he was responsible for major Russian losses in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Key battles include the Battle of Mukden and the Battle of Liaoyang.
Contents
Aleksey Kuropatkin's Life Story
Growing Up and Early Military Career
Aleksey Kuropatkin was born in 1848 in a place called Kholmsky Uyezd. This area was part of the Pskov Governorate in the Russian Empire. His father was a retired army captain from a land-owning family.
Kuropatkin went to military schools, including the Cadet Corps. He joined the Imperial Russian Army in 1864. By 1866, he was a lieutenant. He took part in the conquest of Bukhara and other battles in Central Asia. He became a major in 1870.
From 1872 to 1874, Kuropatkin studied at the Nicholas General Staff Academy. After that, he worked as a military attaché in Berlin and Paris. He also traveled with French troops in French Algeria to the Sahara desert.
He returned to Russia in 1875. He was sent to the Turkestan Military District. He received an award, the Order of St. George, for his role in the Russian conquest of Kokand.
Diplomatic and Military Missions
From 1875 to 1876, Kuropatkin went on a diplomatic trip. He met with Yaqub Beg, the ruler of Kashgaria. Their goal was to settle border issues in the Fergana Valley.
From 1877 to 1878, he was the Chief of Staff for the 16th Infantry Division. In 1879, he commanded the Turkestan Rifle Brigade. In 1880, he led his troops on a long march across the desert. They joined General Mikhail Skobelev's forces invading Turkmenistan.
Kuropatkin led a main attack at the Battle of Geok Tepe in 1881. He won another Order of St. George for this victory. After the war, he wrote a detailed book about the military operations.
In the 1880s, Kuropatkin served on Russia's southeastern border. He was promoted to major general in 1882. He joined the General Staff the next year. In 1890, he became a lieutenant general.
From 1890 to 1898, Kuropatkin was the governor of the Transcaspian Region in Central Asia. He worked to improve trade, farming, and towns there. This area used to have a lot of banditry and slavery. He also set up local courts and schools. He encouraged people from other parts of the Russian Empire to move there.
In 1895, Kuropatkin led an important Russian mission to Persia. This mission announced that Nicholas II had become the new Tsar. A painter named Pavel Piasetsky was part of this trip. He later created his famous Panorama of Persia.
Serving as Minister of War
.jpg)
In 1898, Kuropatkin was called back to St. Petersburg. He was made the War Minister. His main goal was to make the army's command structure better. He also wanted to improve life for officers.
His changes included setting age limits for officers. He also made officers from the General Staff spend more time with combat units. To improve officer quality, he made cadet training programs longer. He also opened seven new cadet schools. He increased how often the army practiced with training exercises.
However, his changes for regular soldiers were not as successful. He knew that their food, clothes, and housing were poor. But he could not get enough money to fix these problems. So, he focused on improving their spirits. He did this by using more chaplains and ending corporal punishment. He also improved field kitchens.
Role in the Russo-Japanese War
Kuropatkin was involved in talks with Japan before the Russo-Japanese War began in 1904. He did not want a war with Japan. He visited Japan in 1903, which made his opinion even stronger.
He played a big part in the problems faced by Russian land forces during the war. His military plan was to fight a long war. He wanted to wait until the Trans-Siberian Railway brought enough troops and supplies. He tried to avoid big attacks. However, his careful and hesitant approach led to many Russian defeats.
Military experts say his lack of decision-making and poor organization were major reasons for Russia's loss. He also seemed to underestimate the Japanese army. He reportedly told the Tsar that he would only need two Russian soldiers for every three Japanese soldiers.
After Russia lost the Battle of Mukden, Kuropatkin was removed from his main command. He gave his position to Nikolai Linevich. But Kuropatkin wanted to stay at the front. He was allowed to take over Linevich's old command.
In 1906, after the war ended, Kuropatkin became a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia. But in 1907, he retired to his country home. He wrote a book explaining his actions during the war. The Russian government reportedly took away the history book he wrote.
During World War I
When World War I started, Kuropatkin asked to rejoin the army. He wanted to go to the front lines. But his requests were blocked by Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich.
However, when Tsar Nicholas II took over as Supreme Commander, he put Kuropatkin in charge of the Grenadier Corps in October 1915. In early 1916, he became commander of the 5th Army. In February 1916, he became Commander of the Northern Front.
In March, his forces tried a small attack near Riga. But they were outflanked and had to retreat. A second, larger attack later that month only moved a short distance. Tsar Nicholas II did not accept Kuropatkin's reasons for the failures, like lack of artillery or bad weather.
He planned a night attack using searchlights to blind German defenders. This tactic had worked for him against Japanese troops in 1904. But in 1915, his men were silhouetted by the lights. They suffered thousands of casualties.
Kuropatkin was removed from command on July 22, 1916. He was sent to Turkestan. In this region, Russia's involvement in World War I was very unpopular. This led to the Central Asian revolt of 1916. Kuropatkin became the Governor-General of the Turkestan Military District. He also led the Semirechye Cossacks and helped put down the revolt.
After the Revolution
During the February Revolution of 1917, Kuropatkin was in Petrograd. He quickly promised his loyalty to the new Russian Provisional Government. He even cut the royal symbols off his uniform. The Provisional Government confirmed him as commander of the Turkestan Military District.
However, the local Bolshevik group, the Tashkent Soviet of Soldiers and Workers' Deputies, disagreed. They arrested him and sent him back to Petrograd. The Provisional Government ordered his release. He then returned to his home province.
After the October Revolution, he became very good at playing the violin. He also taught at an agriculture school that he had started. He lived there until he passed away in 1925.
Honours
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, with diamonds
Order of St. George, 4th class,
Order of St. George, 3rd class,
Order of the White Eagle
Order of St Vladimir 4th degree- Order of St Vladimir 3rd degree
- Order of St Vladimir 2nd degree
Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd degree- Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd degree
- Order of St. Stanislaus 1st degree.
Order of St. Anne 3rd degree- Order of St. Anne 2nd degree
- Order of St. Anne 1st degree
- Foreign
France: Legion of Honor, Chevalier
Kingdom of Romania: Order of the Star of Romania
Kingdom of Bulgaria: Order of St Alexander
Kingdom of Italy: Grand Cordon of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus - July 1902 - during a visit to Russia of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Images for kids
-
General Aleksey Kuropatkin
-
General Aleksey Kuropatkin
See also
In Spanish: Alekséi Kuropatkin para niños
