Alexander Viktorovich Fok

Alexander Viktorovich Fok

Alexander Fok (also Foch ) ( Russian Александр Викторович Фок * 25 ^{. Jul} / 6. September  1843 ^greg. , † 1926 ) was a lieutenant general of the Imperial Russian Army and commander during the siege of Port Arthur in the Russo-Japanese War .

Fok graduated from the Artillery School in Saint Petersburg in 1864 . From 1877 to 1878 he took part in the Russo-Ottoman War . From 1900 he was in command of the 4th East Siberian Rifle Brigade and in this role he took part in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion . During the Russo-Japanese War, the 4th East Siberian Rifle Brigade was stationed in Port Arthur . On May 25, 1904, the Battle of Nanshan broke out , in which Fok commanded the reserve. He refused Colonel Tretyakov reinforcements, which likely contributed to the Russian defeat in that battle. In the course of the siege of Port Arthur he refused to give direct orders to send reinforcements to the collapsing lines at the forts East Panlung and West Panlung. He was then removed from his command on August 21, 1904. Nevertheless, in the course of the siege, after the death of General Kondatenko , Fok was promoted to lieutenant general. Together with the commander of the fortress, Baron Stößel , after 8 months of loss-making fighting, on January 1, 1905, Fok asked General Nogi to start talks about surrender . The decision was strongly criticized among the fortress occupation and among the Russian public. After the fall of the fortress and his return from captivity, Fok was brought to justice, but acquitted on the charges. In 1908 he was released from military service.

Web links

• Russian short biography
• Photography Foks