Alexander Pavlovich Rodsyanko

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Rodzyanko, 1912

Alexander Pavlovich Rodsjanko ( Russian Александр Павлович Родзянко ; born August 13, 1879 in the Russian Empire , † June 5, 1970 in New York City ) was a Russian military . In the Russian Civil War he was the commander of the North Corps and the Northwest Army of the White Movement .

Youth and First World War

Rodzjanko came from a noble family with large estates. His uncle Mikhail Rodzyanko was chairman of the 3rd and 4th State Duma . In 1899 Rodsjanko entered a cavalry regiment and attended officer's cavalry schools, including in 1908 in Saumur in France. In addition to his military service, Rodzjanko was successful in equestrian sport. Among other things, he was a participant in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

At the beginning of the First World War he served in various front and staff commandos of the cavalry. In May 1916, as regimental commander of an officers cavalry school, he trained an elite military unit for frontline operations. In April 1917 he was in command of the 1st Brigade of the 17th Cavalry Division. From June to July 1917 he was chief of the Riga garrison , and in October 1917 commander of the 17th Cavalry Division. After the October Revolution and the dissolution of the tsarist army, he was interned by the advancing German army in 1918.

White movement

In August 1918 Rodzyanko lived in Riga. In November 1918 he participated in the formation of white troops under German leadership. After Germany's defeat in the war, he tried to establish links with the Entente powers. In January 1919 he went to Tallinn and took over leadership positions in the Russian North Corps , which fought against the Red Army under Estonian command . Successful counter-attacks in the Pskov area earned him the esteem of the Estonian commander-in-chief Johan Laidoner . and from April 1919 was de facto commander of the North Corps. In May an offensive began on Gdov and Jamburg in the direction of Saint Petersburg . On June 1, Rodzyanko was officially appointed commander of the corps. The small number of its white troops, the lack of connection with the anti-Bolshevik underground in Saint Petersburg, differences with the Estonians and lack of support for the Entente led to the cessation of the offensive. During the fighting, Rodzyanko proved himself to be an energetic commander, but had repeatedly to contend with the arbitrariness and insubordination of various lower troop leaders.

After retreating to the Estonian border area, the troops, now known as the Northwest Army , were able to reorganize. From August 1919 there were increasing conflicts between Rodzjanko and the now commander-in-chief of the North-West Front Yudenich , who had more authority and influence. Yudenich was in favor of an attack on Saint Petersburg, while Rodzyanko wanted to move the center of the army to the Pskov area , south of Lake Peipus . In this direction of attack, more support from the peasant population and less resistance from the Red Army could be expected. On October 2, Yudenich finally took over direct command of the army. Rodzjanko was appointed to his assistant and at the same time promoted to lieutenant general. During the attacks on Saint Petersburg in October 1919, Rodzyanko was at the forefront of the advancing 3rd Division. He took part in the occupation of Gatchina and Tsarskoye Selo . After the defeat he had to lead the difficult retreat to Estonia. There was a lack of material and financial support to restore combat capability, which resulted in the dissolution and partial internment of the army.

emigration

In the early 1920s, Rodsjanko went to Stockholm and from there to Germany. In his memoirs, he sharply criticized General Yudenich and defended his own decisions and initiatives. In 1921 these memoirs were published in Berlin . He later emigrated to the USA , where he chaired various veterans' associations of Russian emigrants.

literature

  • Alexander Rodzjanko: Воспоминания о Северо-Западной армии ( Memories of the North-West Army ). Berlin 1921; 2nd edition, Moscow, 2000.
  • Karsten Brüggemann: The founding of the Republic of Estonia and the end of the “one and indivisible Russia”: The Petrograd Front of the Russian Civil War 1918–1920. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2002 (Publications of the Eastern European Institute Munich: Series of research on the Baltic Sea area; Vol. 6). Zugl .: Hamburg, University, dissertation, 1999 ISBN 3-447-04481-0 .
  • Nikolai Nikolaijitsch Rutych: Белый фронт генерала Юденича. Moscow 2002. Pages 327-344.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Karsten Brüggemann : The founding of the Republic of Estonia and the end of the "one and indivisible Russia". , P. 142
  2. ↑ Karsten Brüggemann: The founding of the Republic of Estonia and the end of the "one and indivisible Russia" page 365
personal data
SURNAME Rodzyanko, Alexander Pavlovich
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Родзянко, Александр Павлович (Russian)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian military
DATE OF BIRTH August 13, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Russian Empire
DATE OF DEATH 5th June 1970
Place of death New York City , USA