Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich : Supreme Commander of the Russian Army / Paul Robinson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robinson, Paul, Author.

Series:

NIU Series in Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Generals--Russia--Biography.

Generals.

Nobility--Russia--Biography.

Nobility.

World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Eastern Front.

World War, 1914-1918.

World War, 1914-1918--Campaigns--Russia.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (465 p.) : 14 illustrations

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, NY : Cornell University Press, [2021]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (1856–1929) was a key figure in late Imperial Russia, and one of its foremost soldiers. At the outbreak of World War I, his cousin, Tsar Nicholas II, appointed him Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. From 1914 to 1915, and then again briefly in 1917, he was commander of the largest army in the world in the greatest war the world had ever seen. His appointment reflected the fact that he was perhaps the man the last Emperor of Russia trusted the most. At six foot six, the Grand Duke towered over those around him. His fierce temper was a matter of legend. However, as Robinson's vivid account shows, he had a more complex personality than either his supporters or detractors believed. In a career spanning fifty years, the Grand Duke played a vital role in transforming Russia's political system. In 1905, the Tsar assigned him the duty of coordinating defense and security planning for the entire Russian empire. When the Tsar asked him to assume the mantle of military dictator, the Grand Duke, instead of accepting, persuaded the Tsar to sign a manifesto promising political reforms. Less opportunely, he also had a role in introducing the Tsar and Tsarina to the infamous Rasputin. A few years after the revolution in 1917, the Grand Duke became de facto leader of the Russian émigré community. Despite his importance, the only other biography of the Grand Duke was written by one of his former generals in 1930, a year after his death, and it is only available in Russian. The result of research in the archives of seven countries, this groundbreaking biography—the first to appear in English—covers the Grand Duke's entire life, examining both his private life and his professional career. Paul Robinson's engaging account will be of great value to those interested in World War I and military history, Russian history, and biographies of notable figures.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

Illustrations

Preface

Romanov Family Tree

Introduction

1-Education of a Soldier, 1856-1873

2-First Shots, 1873-1878

3-Hunting and Riding, 1878-1895

4-Inspector General: Reforming the Cavalry, 1895-1904

5-The October Manifesto, 1905

6-Restoring Order, 1905-1906

7-The Council of State Defense, 1906-1907

8-Fall from Favor, 1907-1908

9-The Calm before the Storm, 1908-1913

10-Supreme Commander, Summer 1914

11-Stavka

12-0pening Salvoes, August 1914

13-The Warsaw- Ivangorod Operation, September-October 1914

14-The Battle of Lodz, November 1914

15-Winter, December 1914-January 1915

16-Behind the Lines

17-The Carpathian Offensive, February-April1915

18-The Battle of Gorlice-Tarnow, May-June 1915

19-The Great Retreat, July-August 1915

20-Victory in the Caucasus, September 1915-April 1916

21-Governing the Caucasus, May 1916-February 1917

22-Revolution, March 1917

23-Crimea, April 1917-April 1919

24-Exile, May 1919-December 1924

25-The Emigre Congress, January 1925-June 1926

26-Thoughts of God, July 1926-January 1929

Epilogue

Cast of Characters

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 25. Feb 2021)

ISBN:

1-5017-5709-1