Pyotr Aleksandrovich Tolstoy facts for kids

Portrait by George Dawe

Count Pyotr Aleksandrovich Tolstoy (Russian: Пётр Александрович Толстой) (1769 – 28 September 1844) was a brave Russian general and an important leader. He was a member of the famous Tolstoy family.

A Young Soldier's Start

Pyotr Tolstoy grew up in the Oryol region of Russia. His family was well-known. When he was just a boy in 1775, he joined the special Leib Guard Preobrazhensky regiment. He officially started serving in 1785 as an aide-de-camp to Prince Nikolai Saltykov. An aide helps a higher-ranking officer. In the same year, he became a lieutenant colonel. From 1788 to 1790, he fought in a war against Sweden, called the Gustav III's Russian War.

Rising Through the Ranks

Pyotr Tolstoy showed great courage in battle. In 1794, he was very important during the Siege of Warsaw. After this, he was promoted to colonel. On October 24, 1794, he led two groups of soldiers in the Battle of Praga. When he returned, Empress Catherine II personally gave him a special award, the Order of St. George of the 3rd degree. She also made him the leader of the Pskov Dragoon regiment.

More Promotions and Awards

On November 9, 1797, he became a major general. He was then put in charge of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon regiment. The next year, he received another important award, the Order of St. Anna of the 1st degree.

Important Roles and Generosity

Towards the end of 1798, Pyotr Tolstoy was sent to Archduke Charles of Austria. His job was to share information with another famous general, Alexander Suvorov. After the battles of 1799, he was promoted to lieutenant general. He also became a member of the War Collegium and the Governing Senate. These were important groups that helped run the country.

In 1802, he became the war governor of Vyborg. The next year, he became the war governor of St Petersburg. In this role, Tolstoy became known for being very generous. He often gave money to poor people and soldiers. During this time, he also commanded the Preobrazhensky regiment again.

Portrait by Vladimir Borovikovsky, 1799

Fighting in Europe

In September 1805, Pyotr Tolstoy led about 20,000 soldiers to Pomerania. This area is in northern Germany. He worked under the command of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden. He helped capture Hanover. After the battle of Austerlitz, he returned to Russia.

At the start of the War of the Fourth Coalition, Emperor Alexander sent Tolstoy on a special mission. He had to help two army commanders, Bennigsen and Buxhoeveden, stop arguing. He also had to report their quarrel directly to the Emperor. After Bennigsen became the main commander, Tolstoy became his on-duty general.

Ambassador to France

From October 14, 1807, to October 1, 1808, Pyotr Tolstoy was the ambassador in Paris. An ambassador is a country's official representative in another country. His main goal was to watch over the Treaty of Tilsit. This was an agreement between Russia and France.

Tolstoy wrote to Emperor Alexander that Napoleon's friendly promises were not true. He begged the Emperor not to believe them. He told Alexander to get ready for a fight and predicted that France would invade Russia soon. He suggested many things Russia should do to protect itself from Napoleon. He said Russia should:

• Make its army much bigger.
• Move the army closer to the western borders.
• Make a secret agreement with Austria.
• Finish the wars with Turkey and Sweden.
• Make peace with England.
• Form a new group of countries against France with Prussia and Austria.

Because he didn't have much experience as a diplomat, his efforts didn't work as well as he hoped. After the Congress of Erfurt, Tolstoy was called back to Russia. However, he was right that the relationship between Alexander and Napoleon was getting worse.

Later Life and Retirement

From 1809 to 1812, Pyotr Tolstoy lived on his large estate near Tula. In 1812, he helped create and then led a special citizen army. This army was made up of people from different regions like Nizhny Novgorod, Simbirsk, Kazan, Vyatka, and Orenburg.

In 1813, he helped capture the cities of Dresden and Magdeburg. On June 19, 1814, he was promoted to Full General. This was a very high rank. In 1816, he was put in charge of infantry regiments. From August 30, 1823, he was a member of the State Council. This was another important group that advised the Emperor. During the time of Emperor Nicholas I, he received the Order of St. Andrew and took on other military jobs.

Pyotr Tolstoy retired in 1839. He passed away in Moscow and was buried in the Donskoy Monastery.