Sachar Grigoryevich Tschernyschow (Field Marshal General)

Chernyshev as Minister of War and Field Marshal General, under the bust of Tsarina Catherine II, 1776

Count zakhar chernyshyov ( Russian Захар Григорьевич Чернышёв ; born March 7 ^{. Jul} / 18th March  1722 ^greg. , † August 18 ^jul. / 29. August  1784 ^greg. ) Was a Russian field marshal , minister of war (1763-1774) and Governor of the Moscow District . During the Seven Years' War he was involved in the four-day occupation of Berlin in 1760 by Russian and Austrian troops.

Life

Chernyshev with the Ribbon of the Order of the White Eagle and the Order Cross of the Order of St. Vladimir , around 1782

Marble bust of Chernyshev, by Fedot Schubin , 1774

Sachar (Russian variant of Zacharias) was a son of the Russian general Grigori Petrovich Tschernyschow (* 1672, † 1745), since 1742 first Count Tschernyschow. Sachar's older brother Pyotr Grigoryevich Tschernyschow (* 1712; † 1773) made a career as a diplomat, the younger brother Ivan Grigoryevich Tschernyschow (* 1726; † 1797) became field marshal, general admiral and statesman.

Tschernyschow joined the army in 1735 and quickly made a career: in 1741 he was a captain, in 1744 a colonel and chamberlain , in 1750 a major general. At the same time he took on functions at the Russian court and traveled to Vienna on a diplomatic mission.

In 1758, during the Seven Years' War, he was promoted to lieutenant general . As the commander of a 20,000-strong army corps, Tschernyschow was involved in supporting the occupation of Berlin initiated by Major General Tottleben in 1760 , but as the higher-ranking officer he received the commendation from the Tsarina, which was actually due to Tottleben. After Tsar Peter III ascended the throne . and the change of alliance carried out by the new ruler (separate peace with Prussia ) Tschernyschow had to unite his troops with those of Prussia in May 1762. A few weeks later, Russia changed course again: On July 9, 1762, Peter III. deposed and murdered eight days later, his successor Catherine the Great wanted to retire from the war entirely. Therefore, on July 19, Chernyshev received the imperial order to withdraw the contingent under his control. However, he delayed the march by three days. In doing so, he tied the attention of Austrian forces and thus favored the Prussian victory in the Battle of Burkersdorf on July 21, 1762. Historians disputed whether personal admiration for the Prussian king was decisive for Chernyshev's behavior, inability or simply bribery (allegedly 15,000 ducats , according to Curt Jany ).

Since 1762 General en chef , Tschernyschow rose to Vice-President of the War Council (Vice Minister of War) in 1763. In 1773 he became President of the War Council (Minister of War) and General Field Marshal . Due to disputes over jurisdiction with Prince Potjomkin , he lost the presidium in 1774. Instead, the Tsarina entrusted him with the administration of Belarus and the areas annexed in the First Partition of Poland (1772) , which he was responsible for between 1778 and 1782. From 1782 until his death in 1784, Chernyshev served as governor of the Moscow administrative district.

Awards

• 1758 : Alexander Nevsky Order
• 1761 : Order of the White Eagle
• 1762 : Order of St. Andrew the First Called
• 1762 : Order of the Black Eagle
• 1782 : Order of St. Vladimir

literature

• Galina Iwanowa Grizenko: Prawiteli Rossii. 9-21 Wek , 2011; Page 385f. ( Russian Галина Ивановна Гриценко: Правители России. 9-21 век ; about; Russia's rulers. 9th – 21st centuries), ISBN 978-5-373-03752-5 ; so far only published in Russian (as of August 2013)
• Curt Jany: History of the Prussian Army from the 15th Century to 1914, Volume Two , The Army of Friederich the Great 1740-1763 , reprint ed. by Eberhard Jany, Osnabrück 1967. On the Seven Years War: 625ff.
• Isabel de Madariaga: Russia in the Age of Catharina the Great . London 1981.
• Simon Sebag Montefiore: Catherine the Great and Prince Potemkin (Orig .: The Prince of Princes: The Life of Potemkin ). Frankfurt am Main 2009, ISBN 978-3-10-050613-9 .
• Claus Scharf (Ed.): Katharina II., Russia and Europe. Contributions to international research . Mainz 2001.

Web links

• Detailed curriculum vitae of Sachar Tschernyschows (russ.)