Anatol Leonid Fürst von Lieven, (1872 – 1937) was a
Baltic German
Baltic Germans (german: Deutsch-Balten or , later ) were ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since their coerced resettlement in 1939, Baltic Germans have markedly declined ...
prince of the
Lieven
The House of Lieven ( lv, Līveni; russian: Ливен) is one of the oldest aristocratic families of Baltic Germans.
History
The family claims descent from Caupo of Turaida (Latvian, ''Kaupo''), the Livonian ''quasi rex'' who converted to Ch ...
family who commanded a
counter-revolutionary
A counter-revolutionary or an anti-revolutionary is anyone who opposes or resists a revolution, particularly one who acts after a revolution in order to try to overturn it or reverse its course, in full or in part. The adjective "counter-revoluti ...
White movement during the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
in
Latvia known after him as the Liventsy ( lv, Līvenieši).
Biography
Anatol von Lieven was born on November 16, 1872 in
St. Petersburg, Russia
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
. He had studied law in the
University of St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University (SPBU; russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный университет) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the ...
but later was admitted into the where he graduated with the rank of
podporuchik
''Podporuchik'' ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, потпоручник, potporučnik, cs, podporučík, pl, podporucznik, russian: подпору́чик, bg, подпоручик, sk, podporučík) is the most Junior officer in some Slavic armed forces, an ...
.
From 1896 until 1908 he served as an officer in the Cavalry Guards regiment. In 1908 he left the army and traveled to
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia ...
where his family owned several manors. Until the
First World war he owned and lived in the
Mežotne Palace
Mežotne Palace ( lv, Mežotnes pils, german: Schloss Mesothen) is a manor house located in Mežotne municipality in Bauska district, in the Semigallia region of Latvia. The palace is one of the most outstanding examples of Neoclassical archit ...
near
Bauska
Bauska () is a town in Bauska Municipality, in the Zemgale region of southern Latvia.
Bauska is located from the Latvian capital Riga, 62 km (38.5 mi) from Jelgava and from the Lithuanian border on the busy European route E67. The t ...
. When the war started he returned to active service in his cavalry regiment and in 1917 was granted the rank of rotmistr (cavalry captain).
After the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
, he returned to Latvia and in December 1918, arrived in
Liepāja. In January 1919, he started the formation of ''Liepāja volunteer rifleman unit''. Core of the newly established unit was 60 officers of the
Russian Imperial army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
. Soon, this unit was complemented with one company of
Baltische Landeswehr
The Baltic Landwehr or ("Baltic Territorial Army") was the name of the unified armed forces of Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.
Command structure
The Landeswehr was subordinated to the German VI Reser ...
and one company under the command of captain Didorov. The unit became known as ''Līvenieši'' and it participated in the
Latvian War of Independence
The Latvian War of Independence ( lv, Latvijas Neatkarības karš), sometimes called Latvia's freedom battles () or the Latvian War of Liberation (), was a series of military conflicts in Latvia between 5 December 1918, after the newly proclaim ...
fighting against the
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
.
During the pro-German coup in April 1919, Lieven refused to collaborate with the pro-German government. Later, his unit was incorporated into the Baltische Landeswehr and participated in battles around
Ventspils,
Jelgava and also the liberation of Riga. On 24 May 1919, Lieven was seriously wounded near
Ropaži
Ropaži (german: Rodenpois) is a village in Latvia, the administrative centre of Ropaži Municipality. The village located approximately 36 km from the capital Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city o ...
, the injury left him slightly lame for the rest of his life. On June 6, 1919, Lieven's unit was transformed to the ''Russian volunteer corps'' with around 4000 men. Lieven forbade his men to fight the
Estonian Army and Northern Latvia brigade in
Vidzeme, unlike the rest of the ''
Baltische Landeswehr
The Baltic Landwehr or ("Baltic Territorial Army") was the name of the unified armed forces of Couronian and Livonian nobility from 7 December 1918 to 3 July 1919.
Command structure
The Landeswehr was subordinated to the German VI Reser ...
''. His detachment only performed rear security duties for the Landeswehr during
the campaign.
When the ''Strazdumuiža ceasefire'' was signed between the Baltische Landeswehr and Estonian army, Lieven transformed his corps into the
West Russian Volunteer Army
The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War in 1918–20.
History
The Western Russian Volunteer Army, unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army, was su ...
. Another two Russian units joined his army. Those were the partisan unit ''Cavalry General count Keller'' under command of
Pavel Bermondt Avalov and infantry brigade under command of colonel Virgolitz. On 9 July, his army received an order from
Nikolai Yudenich
Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich ( – 5 October 1933) was a commander of the Russian Imperial Army during World War I. He was a leader of the anti-communist White movement in Northwestern Russia during the Civil War.
Biography
Early life
Yude ...
to move to
Narva
Narva, russian: Нарва is a municipality and city in Estonia. It is located in Ida-Viru county, at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, on the west bank of the Narva river which forms the Estonia–Russia international border. With 5 ...
and join his northwest army's offensive on
Petrograd. Pavel Bermondt Avalov and colonel Virgolitz refused to leave Latvia and stayed in Jelgava. Bermondt took over command of the army and during October–November 1919, and were defeated by the
Latvian army
The Latvian Land Forces ( lv, Sauszemes spēki, SzS) together with the Latvian National Guard form the land warfare branch of the Latvian National Armed Forces. Since 2007, land forces are organized as a fully professional standing army.
Mission ...
.
Lieven went to
Estonia and until December 1919, fought with Yudenich's army around Petrograd. He also traveled to
London and
Paris and tried to negotiate further military support to Yudenich, however unsuccessfully.
After the civil war, Lieven became a Latvian citizen and a manufacturer of bricks. Early in 1920, he returned to his Mežotne palace but soon traveled to France. He returned to Latvia in 1924; but meanwhile, Latvian agrarian reforms were launched and his Mežotne palace was seized by the government and his lands divided. However, he was granted a small manor nearby
Mazmežotne manor, and he lived there and also in Riga for the rest of his life. Later, he established the Mazmežotne brick factory. He was also active in the anticommunist movement and led a local detachment of the
Brotherhood of Russian Truth.
Anatoly von Lieven died on April 3, 1937 in
Ķemeri
Ķemeri resort (originally ''Ķemeres'', also known as ''Kemmern'')
JŪRMALA, Nature and Cultural Heritage, Ed. LaimaSlava, Neputns 2004, , pages 83-95
is a part of Jūrmala in Latvia, 44 km from Riga. From 1928 to 1959, Ķemeri was a separat ...
, Latvia. He was buried in the yard of the
Mežotne lutheran church.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lieven, Anatoly
1872 births
1937 deaths
Baltic-German people
Baltische Landeswehr personnel
Lieven family
People from Liepāja
People from Sankt-Peterburgsky Uyezd
Russian military personnel of World War I
People of the Russian Civil War
Russian anti-communists
White movement people
Military personnel from Saint Petersburg