Jānis Buivids (Janis Buivydas) (8 September 1864 – 2 April 1937) was a general in the Latvian Army. He participated in World War I and the Russian Civil War.

Biography

Buivids was born in

Alkiškiai Alkiškiai is a village in Akmenė district municipality, in Šiauliai County, in northwest Lithuania. According to the 2011 census, the village had a population of 374 people. The village is located near the Dabikinė river. Famous villagers ...

, in the Kovno Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

). In 1885, he joined the Russian Imperial Army. From 1887 to 1889, he studied at the

Vilnius Military Academy Vilnius Military School (russian: Виленское военное училище) also known as the Vilnius Junker Infantry School (russian: Виленское пехотное юнкерское училище) was a military school for the non ...

. Afterwards, Buivids served in the Second

Kaunas Fortress Kaunas Fortress ( lt, Kauno tvirtovė, russian: Кοвенская крепость, german: Festung Kowno) is the remains of a fortress complex in Kaunas, Lithuania. It was constructed and renovated between 1882 and 1915 to protect the Russian ...

Battalion. From 1896 to 1900, he studied at the Nicholas General Staff Academy, graduating with distinctions. From 1900, he lectured at the

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

Military Academy. From 1907 to 1914, he served in the 166th Infantry Regiment. In 1910, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. In 1914, he was promoted commander of the 13th Reserve Battalion, but in December he became the commander of the 17th Infantry Regiment. For merit on the battlefield, he received the Cross of St. George (IV class) and Sword of St. George. From 1916, he commanded a brigade in the 15th Siberian Division. In 1917, he was promoted to the rank of general; later that year, he was appointed to the post of commander of the 15th Riflemen Division. After the October Revolution, he was arrested, but was released after a month. In October 1918 he joined the army of the Hetman of Ukraine,

Pavlo Skoropadskyi Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi ( uk, Павло Петрович Скоропадський, Pavlo Petrovych Skoropadskyi; – 26 April 1945) was a Ukrainian aristocrat, military and state leader, decorated Imperial Russian Army and Ukrainian Army ...

, and fought in Denikin's army. After the Russian Civil War, he returned to Latvia. From 1923, Buivids lectured in senior officer courses. On 29 February 1924, Buivids was promoted to

Chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the Latvian Army by Minister of War

Fricis Birkenšteins Fricis is a Latvian masculine give name. It is derived from the name Frīdrihs (a cognate of Frederick) and the associated name day is November 14. Notable people named Fricis * Fricis Apšenieks (1894–1941), Latvian chess master * Fricis B ...

, a promotion that was confirmed 26 March 1924 by Latvian President

Jānis Čakste Jānis Kristaps Čakste (14 September 1859 – 14 March 1927) was a Latvian politician and lawyer who served as the first head of an independent Latvian state as the Chairman of the People's Council (1918–1920), the Speaker of the Constitutio ...

. From 1925 to 1928, he led academic officer courses. In 1928, he attained maximum age for military service and was retired. He is the author of several books and military publications. Buivids died in Jūrmala, and was buried in

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

, at the

Forest Cemetery A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buivids, Janis 1864 births 1937 deaths People from Akmenė District Municipality People from Shavelsky Uyezd Latvian generals Russian military personnel of World War I People of the Russian Civil War Burials at Forest Cemetery, Riga

Biography

See also

References