Prince Alexander Ivanovich Chernyshov (russian: Александр Иванович Чернышев, 1786,
Moscow - 1857,
Castellammare di Stabia), General of Cavalry (1827), was a Russian military leader, diplomat and statesman, whose career began in the
Napoleonic Wars. After the
Battle of Austerlitz (1805), he carried out successful diplomatic missions to
France and
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
and served with distinction in battles of 1812 and 1813. Chernyshyov rose through the ranks to the role of Russian Minister of War (1827–1852), chairman of the
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
and Cabinet of Ministers (1848–1856), and acquired the styles from
Count (1826) to
Serene Prince (1849).
Biography
Austerlitz and Friedland
Alexander Chernyshov was a son of Lieutenant General and senator, Ivan Lvovich Chernyshov. As soon as Alexander was born, his influential father "enlisted" him to the elite Mounted Guards Regiment (Конногвардейский полк) of
Russian Imperial Guard. He joined the real service in
Chevalier Guards in 1802, already favorably known to Emperor
Alexander I.
A lieutenant of the Guards (гвардии поручик) since September 1804, he served with distinction in
Battle of Wischau and
Battle of Austerlitz, earning combat
Order of St. Vladimir
The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer ...
for the latter. During the
War of the Fourth Coalition, Chernyshev again excelled at
Battle of Heilsberg
The Battle of Heilsberg took place on 10 June 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars.
Overview
On 24 May 1807, the Siege of Danzig (1807), Siege of Danzig ended when Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian General Friedrich Adolf, Count von Kalckreuth capitul ...
and
Battle of Friedland, and was awarded
Order of St. George, fourth class, and an honorary
Golden Sword for Bravery
The Gold Sword for Bravery (russian: Золотое оружие "За храбрость") was a Russian award for bravery. It was set up with two grades on 27 July 1720 by Peter the Great, reclassified as a public order in 1807 and abolished ...
. However, the coalition lost the battle and the war, and Tsar Alexander settled on diplomacy instead of fighting.
Diplomatic career
In 1808, Emperor Alexander sent Chernyshov as his private messenger to
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
, who at that time started the
Peninsular War in
Spain. Chernyshyov reached him in
Bayonne
Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...
, taking notes of French military development on his journey. He managed to establish a personalized link between two emperors and earned Napoleon's trust. Next year, tsar Alexander assigned Chernyshyov to be his permanent private envoy to Napoleon (parallel to regular Ambassador of Russia). Chernyshyov, a member of Napoleon's
retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers.
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', it ...
, accompanied French headquarters throughout the
War of the Fifth Coalition, and received the
Légion d'honneur for the
Battle of Wagram. In October 1809, he was promoted to the rank of
Rittmeister of the Guards, next year - to
Colonel.
As the
military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...
of Russia in
Paris (1810 - end of 1811), Chernyshyov was in charge of intelligence operations. His best known success was hiring a clerk of French General Staff, who regularly supplied the Russians with complete copies of French troop disposition. As a result, the Russians were well aware of concentration of French troops.
Another successful operation was his mediation of talks between Swedish envoys led by
Karl Otto Mörner Karl may refer to:
People
* Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name
* Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne
* Karl Marx, German philosopher and political writer
* Karl of Austria, last Austrian ...
and
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte
sv, Karl Johan Baptist Julius
, spouse =
, issue = Oscar I of Sweden
, house = Bernadotte
, father = Henri Bernadotte
, mother = Jeanne de Saint-Jean
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Pau, ...
, who was elected
Crown Prince of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
in August 1810 and eventually ascended to the Swedish throne in 1818 as
Charles XIV John of Sweden
sv, Karl Johan Baptist Julius
, spouse =
, issue = Oscar I of Sweden
, house = Bernadotte
, father = Henri Bernadotte
, mother = Jeanne de Saint-Jean
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Pau, ...
. Mutual understanding between Chernyshyov and Bernadotte became an asset in January 1812, during their negotiations about Sweden's stance in the anticipated
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
. However, Russian diplomacy failed in recruiting Bernadotte into military coalition, and the talks culminated in the Treaty of
Åbo (30 August 1812), which upheld Sweden's friendly neutrality.
Campaign of 1812
In the end of September 1812, Admiral
Pavel Chichagov assigned Chernyshyov to lead a mobile detachment into the
Duchy of Warsaw (south-eastern
Poland), to destroy enemy food dumps and disrupt French supply lines. Chernyshyov's force included 7 squadrons of regular cavalry, three
Cossacks
The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
regiments and a regiment of
Kalmyks
The Kalmyks ( Kalmyk: Хальмгуд, ''Xaľmgud'', Mongolian: Халимагууд, ''Halimaguud''; russian: Калмыки, translit=Kalmyki, archaically anglicised as ''Calmucks'') are a Mongolic ethnic group living mainly in Russia, w ...
, a total of 1800 soldiers. October 11, they intercepted their first target south from
Brest-Litovsk
Brest ( be, Брэст / Берасьце, Bieraście, ; russian: Брест, ; uk, Берестя, Berestia; lt, Brasta; pl, Brześć; yi, בריסק, Brisk), formerly Brest-Litovsk (russian: Брест-Литовск, lit=Lithuanian Br ...
.
Austrian commander
Count Schwarzenberg, launched the hunt for Chernyshyov's corps. Chernyshyov responded with separating his force: while smaller detachments set up a screen diverting Austrians, the main force was plundering French and Austrian supplies and taking prisoners north. In the end, Austrians intercepted some of their property back, but Chernyshyov managed to evade the trap and returned to Russian base in
Włodawa
Włodawa (; yi, וולאָדאַווע, Vlodave; ua, Володава, Volodava) is a town in eastern Poland on the Bug River, close to the borders with Belarus and Ukraine. It is the seat of Włodawa County, situated in the Lublin Voivodeship ...
October 18.
In November, Chichagov, based in
Slonim
Slonim ( be, Сло́нім, russian: Сло́ним, lt, Slanimas, lv, Sloņima, pl, Słonim, yi, סלאָנים, ''Slonim'') is a city in Grodno Region, Belarus, capital of the Slonimski rajon. It is located at the junction of the Ščar ...
, discovered imminent danger from an Austrian pursuit corps, and dispatched Chernyshyov to rear guard. November 8, Chernyshyov established contact with advancing Austrians near
Volkovyssk. Cossack units destroyed existing bridges over
Neman River
The Neman, Nioman, Nemunas or MemelTo bankside nations of the present: Lithuanian: be, Нёман, , ; russian: Неман, ''Neman''; past: ger, Memel (where touching Prussia only, otherwise Nieman); lv, Nemuna; et, Neemen; pl, Niemen; ...
and the Austrian supply of timber. Next day, Chichagov ordered Chernyshyov to march through the enemy territory and make contact with Russian corps of general
Peter Wittgenstein. For five days, his regiment marched at night and made daytime ambushes against French communications; in one of these ambushes, Chernyshyov's cossacks released general
Ferdinand Wintzingerode and three Russian officers held prisoners by the French. This raid promoted Chernyshyov to Major General.
On 31 December 1812 Chernyshyov defeated
Eugène de Beauharnais at
Marienwerder, earning his second Order of St. George.
Campaigns of 1813-1815
Chernyshyov, based in Poland, met with resistance from Napoleon's ''Lithuanian troops''; these were defeated in January–February 1813. He advanced on Berlin and was the first to capture the city, earning
Order of St. Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...
, first class. In 1813, he was engaged in action at
Lüneburg,
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
and
Battle of Hanau. This was followed by a cavalry raid in
Westfalen.
In 1814, he was distinguished for assault on
Soissons; in 1815 - for taking
Chalon Chalon may refer to:
Culture
* Chalon people, a Native American tribe of California
* Chalon language, an Ohlone language spoken by the Chalon people
Places
* Chalon, Isère, formerly Châlons, in France's Isère ''département''
* Le Chalon, in ...
; in between the two campaigns, he was tsar Alexander's aide at the
Congress of Vienna. Chernyshyov became
Lieutenant General in March 1814, at the age of 27.
Political career
His peacetime career in the reign of Alexander slowed down; since 1819 Chernyshyov was assigned to the
Don Cossack Troops Commission and headed this institution in 1821–1835. In 1821, he became the commander of Light Division of
Imperial Guards
An imperial guard or palace guard is a special group of troops (or a member thereof) of an empire, typically closely associated directly with the Emperor or Empress. Usually these troops embody a more elite status than other imperial forces, in ...
, and established close contact with
Nicholas
Nicholas is a male given name and a surname.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglicanism, Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the n ...
, the future tsar of Russia.
Accession of Nicholas to the throne and the aftermath of
Decembrist revolt accelerated Chernyshyov's career, who joined the close circle of tsar's most trusted officers. Nicholas appointed Chernyshyov to the commission investigating the revolt, and rewarded this service with titles of
Count (1826), General of Cavalry (1827), a seat in
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
, and the appointment as acting Minister of War. "Acting" status was replaced with proper Minister of War appointment in 1832, which he held until 1852. Nicholas relied on Chernyshyov's personal experience in 1812
guerilla warfare in his handling of
Caucasian War.
In 1848, Chernyshyov consolidated the roles of Chairman of State Council (senate of Russia) and Cabinet of ministers, being the highest-ranking statesman of Russian until 1856.
Ageing Chernyshyov was sent to honorary retirement upon ascension of
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Poland and Gra ...
, which coincided with the final stage of the disastrous
Crimean War. Chernyshyov, the chief of land forces throughout most of Nicholas I period, bears full responsibility for the performance of Russian military in
Crimea.
Honours and awards
*
Order of St. Vladimir
The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer ...
*
Order of St. George (Fourth Class)
*
Legion of Honour
*
Order of St. Anna
The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (russian: Орден Святой Анны; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holst ...
(first class)
*
Gold Sword for Bravery
* Commander of the
Military William Order
The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William (Dutch: , abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Oran ...
(27 November 1815)
*
Order of the White Eagle
References
* Russian: Encyclopedia of 1812 War, "Отечественная война 1812 года. Энциклопедия", М, Роспэн, 2004, с.773-773
*
*
Further reading
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chernyshyov, Alexander
Senators of the Russian Empire
Russian commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
Imperial Russian Army generals
Diplomats of the Russian Empire
Politicians of the Russian Empire
Members of the State Council (Russian Empire)
1786 births
1857 deaths
Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree
Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class
Recipients of the Legion of Honour
Knights Commander of the Military Order of William
Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery
Russian princes