Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampf ( rus, Па́вел Ка́рлович Ренненка́мпф, r=Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf, p=ˈpavʲɪɫ ̍karɫəvʲɪtɕ ˈrʲennʲenˈkampf; – 1 April 1918) 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 ...
nobleman, statesman and general of the
Imperial Russian Army who commanded the
1st Army First Army may refer to:
China
* New 1st Army, Republic of China
* First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War
* 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China
Germany
* 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...
in the
invasion of East Prussia during the initial stage of the
Eastern front of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. He also served as the last commander of the
Vilna Military District.
Rennenkampf gained a reputation as an effective cavalry commander during the
Boxer Rebellion and the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
. Following service in the latter, he led the detachment that suppressed the
Chita Republic
The Chita Republic (russian: Читинская республика) was a workers' republic based from Chita from 1905-1906. Chita, a city in eastern Siberia, Russia, and a place of exile for early revolutionaries and combatants of the Russo- ...
during the
1905 Russian Revolution. This earned him further promotion, and by the outbreak of World War I Rennenkampf was commander of the
Vilna Military District, whose forces were used to form the 1st Army under his command.
He led the 1st Army in the invasion of East Prussia and won an early victory at
Gumbinnen
Gusev (russian: Гу́сев; german: Gumbinnen; lt, Gumbinė; pl, Gąbin) is a town and the administrative center of Gusevsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Pissa and Krasnaya Rivers, near the border ...
in late August 1914, but was relieved of command after defeats at
Tannenberg, the
Masurian Lakes
The Masurian Lake District or Masurian Lakeland ( pl, Pojezierze Mazurskie; german: Masurische Seenplatte) is a lake district in northeastern Poland within the geographical region of Masuria, in the past inhabited by Masurians who spoke the Masuri ...
and
Łódź
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...
, although he was later proved innocent for the mistakes made in the Battle at Łódź by an official inquiry into his actions. Rennenkampf was shot by 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 ...
in
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
Th ...
during the
Red Terror in 1918.
Biography
Origin
Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampff was born on 29 April 1854 in the manor of
Konofer (now Konuvere,
Märjamaa parish
Märjamaa Parish ( et, Märjamaa vald) is an Estonian municipality located in Rapla County. It had a population of 7,015 (as of November 2012) and an area of 1,164 km2 (336.54 mi2). Märjamaa Parish was the biggest municipality in Est ...
,
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
) in the then
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia, also known as the Governorate of Esthonia (Pre-reformed rus, Эстля́ндская губе́рнія, r=Estlyandskaya guberniya); et, Eestimaa kubermang was a governorate in the Baltic region, along with the ...
; one of eight children of
Captain Karl Gustav Edler von Rennenkampff and Anna Gabriele Ingeborg Freiin von Stackelberg, he came from the Konofer-Tuttomäggi-Sastama branch of the
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 ...
Rennenkampff family and was of
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
faith. His paternal ancestors were of
Westphalia
Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants.
The territory of the regio ...
n origin, originating in
Osnabrück
Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...
. On his mother's side was the Stackelberg family, whose common ancestor was
Carl Adam von Stackelberg, a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
cavalry officer and participant in
The Great Northern War
The Great Northern War (1700–1721) was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swed ...
; he thus remained a fifth cousin of the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
general
Georg von Stackelberg.
Early career
As a youth, Rennenkampf was educated in the (; et, Tallinna Toomkool), a
German-speaking school established especially for local
Baltic German aristocrats. Upon graduation, he joined the military as a non-commissioned officer in the 89th Infantry Regiment. He graduated the in
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
and began his military career with the Lithuanian 5th Lancers Regiment. He graduated at the top of his class from the
Nicholas General Staff Academy
The General Staff Academy () was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy (Императорская военная академия), then in 1855 it was renamed Nichola ...
in
St. Petersburg
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 ...
(or at the first category) in 1881.
From late August to late November 1884, he was an over-officer of the
14th Army Corps, specialising in instruction. In late September 1886, he was the chief of staff of the
Warsaw Military District
The Warsaw Military District ( pl, Warszawski Okręg Wojskowy, WOW) was one of three military districts in Poland, the other two being the Pomeranian Military District and the Silesian Military District. It was the regional executive body of the ...
, serving under General and later Field Marshal
Count Gurko.
In early 1888, he was appointed to the Kazan Military District. Rennenkampf subsequently became the senior adjutant to the headquarters of the
Don Cossacks. In late October 1889, he was appointed headquarters officer for special assignment at the
2nd Army Corps headquarters. In late March 1890, he was appointed the chief of staff of the
Osowiec Fortress
Osowiec Fortress ( Polish: ''Twierdza Osowiec'', Russian: ''Крепость Осовец'') is a 19th-century fortress built by the Russian Empire, located in what is now north-eastern Poland. It saw heavy fighting during World War I when i ...
in
Russian Poland
Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It w ...
. The same year he was promoted to
Colonel
Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
, after which he served in several different regiments until late November 1899, when he was appointed chief of staff of the Transbaikal region, and was promoted to
major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
.
Boxer Rebellion
From 1900 to 1901, Rennenkampf participated in the suppression of the
Boxer Rebellion in
China. He distinguished himself with extreme success during the campaign, receiving both the 4th and 3rd classes of the
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
for military distinction.
![General von Rennenkampff and Pavlov](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/General_von_Rennenkampff_and_Pavlov.jpg)
In mid-September, Rennenkampf left for Dagushan, leaving hundreds of troops to protect the mint and arsenal. After several days of resetting, he attacked and occupied
Tieling
Tieling () is one of 14 prefecture-level cities in Liaoning province of the People's Republic of China. Tieling is a city where coal mining is an important industry.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census, Tieling was home to 2,388,294 people, wh ...
and
Mukden
Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu name Mukden, is a major Chinese sub-provincial city and the provincial capital of Liaoning province. Located in central-north Liaoning, it is the prov ...
with his detachment attacked, maintaining control until October. Within this time, the general survived numerous assassination attempts; during one encounter, when he and his troops entered a manor, three Chinese men with spears charged toward the general, with a Cossack, Fyodor Antipyev, saving the general and being stabbed himself. For military distinction, he was awarded the Order of St. George of the 3rd degree.
The raid of the cavalry detachment of Rennenkampf was one of the most successful and decisive military operations in the Boxer Rebellion. In just three months of actions, Russian troops had taken over 2,500m
2 of land, the best trained Chinese troops stationed at
Heilongjiang
Heilongjiang () formerly romanized as Heilungkiang, is a province in northeast China. The standard one-character abbreviation for the province is (). It was formerly romanized as "Heilungkiang". It is the northernmost and easternmost province ...
were defeated and pushed out of Manchuria, and rebel detachments were dispersed, leading to the cessation of the Chinese resistance movement against their Russian occupiers.
Russo-Japanese War
![Rennenkampf 1905](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Rennenkampf_1905.jpg)
In February 1904, after the outbreak of the
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
, Rennenkampf was appointed commander of the Trans-Baikal Cossack Division.
[Kowner, '' Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War'', pp. 315–17.] In June, he was promoted to
lieutenant-general in recognition of his military distinction.
In late June 1904, while scouting the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
positions at
Liaoyang
Liaoyang () is a prefecture-level city of east-central Liaoning province, China, situated on the Taizi River. It is approximately one hour south of Shenyang, the provincial capital, by car. Liaoyang is home to Liaoning University's College of F ...
, he was shot in the leg, shattering the
shin. After less than two months he returned to active service, without fully recovering from his wounds. In the
Battle of Mukden, Rennenkampf again distinguished himself commanding the Tsinghechensky detachment, which was stationed at the left flank of the
1st Manchurian Army led by General
Nikolai Linevich
Nikolai Petrovich Linevich, also ''Lenevich'' and ''Linevitch'' (russian: Николай Петрович Линевич, uk, Ліневич Микола Петрович; – ) was a career military officer, General of Infantry (1903) and Ad ...
. During the battle, he showed great persistence, which, combined with other reinforcements, was able to repulse
Field Marshal Kawamura's offensive.
According to some historians and writers, after the Battle of Mukden, a personal conflict occurred between Rennenkampf and General
Samsonov and it came to an exchange of blows, which made the two of them lifelong foes; some other historians argue that there could be no clashes between the generals. The main source of this rumor is the memoirs of the German general
Max Hoffmann
Carl Adolf Maximilian Hoffmann (25 January 1869 – 8 July 1927) was a German military strategist. As a staff officer at the beginning of World War I, he was Deputy Chief of Staff of the 8th Army, soon promoted Chief of Staff. Hoffmann, along w ...
, who was a military agent in the Japanese army during the war; capable of personally observing relations among Russian generals, he would subsequently become one of Rennenkampf's enemies in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. In his memoirs, which refer again to rumors, Hoffmann mentioned that both generals quarrelled in Liaoyang after the battle; however, this claimed argument remains physically impossible, as Rennenkampf was seriously injured at this time.
After the war, Rennenkampf commanded numerous army corps, including the 7th Siberian Army Corps, the
3rd Siberian Army Corps and the
3rd Army Corps.
1905 Russian Revolution
After the war, Rennenkampf commanded an infantry battalion with several machine guns which followed a train in
Harbin, restoring communications between the Manchurian Army and Western Siberia. Within this time, the
Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
broke out; this task remained interrupted via a revolutionary movement in Eastern Siberia, the
Chita Republic
The Chita Republic (russian: Читинская республика) was a workers' republic based from Chita from 1905-1906. Chita, a city in eastern Siberia, Russia, and a place of exile for early revolutionaries and combatants of the Russo- ...
. Rennenkampf and his forces were sent to suppress the movement, successfully restoring order in
Chita.
After this campaign, he remained a target for assassination by numerous rebel groups and several plots to assassinate him were planned. In late October 1906, he faced an assassination attempt while walking along the street with two of his adjutants; a member of the
Socialist Revolutionary Party, who was sitting on a bench, threw a bomb onto the general's feet. However, rather than destroying Rennenkampf and his adjutants, the explosion merely stunned them. The attempted assassin was later arrested and tried.
![Paul Georg von Rennenkampf](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Paul_Georg_von_Rennenkampf.jpg)
The decisive actions of Rennenkampf in the course of a war and in the suppression of rebellion led to further advancements in his career. In late December 1910, he was promoted to
General of the Cavalry General of the Cavalry (german: General der Kavallerie) was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers ...
, then promoted to
General-Adjutant in 1912. A further promotion to commander-in-chief of all troops within the
Vilna Military District followed in mid-January 1913.
World War I
![Paul-von-Rennenkampf-2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Paul-von-Rennenkampf-2.jpg)
In the beginning of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Rennenkampf was appointed commander of the
1st Army First Army may refer to:
China
* New 1st Army, Republic of China
* First Field Army, a Communist Party of China unit in the Chinese Civil War
* 1st Group Army, People's Republic of China
Germany
* 1st Army (German Empire), a World War I field Arm ...
of the
Northwestern Front
The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-cr ...
, under commander-in-chief General
Yakov Zhilinsky
Yakov Grigoryevich Zhilinsky (russian: Я́ков Григо́рьевич Жили́нский; 27 March 1853 – 1918) was a Russian cavalry general, chief of staff of the Imperial Russian Army from 2 February 1911 to 4 March 1914. He was con ...
; his rival Samsonov was the commander of the
2nd Army invading
East Prussia from the south. On 7 August 1914, Rennenkampf and his troops entered East Prussia from the east. While retreating upon orders from the defending
8th Army commander, General
Maximilian von Prittwitz, a gap formed between the Russian armies; exploiting this, the Imperial German
1st Division, commanded by General
Hermann von François
Hermann Karl Bruno von François (31 January 1856 – 15 May 1933) was a German ''General der Infanterie'' during World War I, and is best known for his key role in several German victories on the Eastern Front in 1914.
Early life and military ...
, counterattacked at the
Battle of Stallupönen
The Battle of Stallupönen, fought between Russian and German armies on August 17, 1914, was the opening battle of World War I on the Eastern Front. The Germans under the command of Hermann von François conducted a successful counterattack a ...
, initiating the Eastern Front of the war. Although it was a victory for the Germans, Russian artillery bombardment halted the German offensive, causing François to withdrew to the town of
Gumbinnen
Gusev (russian: Гу́сев; german: Gumbinnen; lt, Gumbinė; pl, Gąbin) is a town and the administrative center of Gusevsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Pissa and Krasnaya Rivers, near the border ...
.
Rennenkampf continued his advance, defeating the 8th Army under the Prittwitz's command at the
Battle of Gumbinnen
The Battle of Gumbinnen, initiated by forces of the German Empire on 20 August 1914, was a German offensive on the Eastern Front during the First World War. Because of the hastiness of the German attack, the Russian Army emerged victorious.
Bac ...
. But due to a later incorrect assessment made by Zhilinsky, the victory at Gumbinnen did not develop. After the battle, Rennenkampf was ordered by Zhilinsky to launch an offensive against the heart of East Prussia,
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...
, but his army did not link up with Samsonov's
2nd Army due to a mistake made by Zhilinsky. As a result, the German 8th Army under the new commander, General (later field marshal)
Paul von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (; abbreviated ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I and later became President of Germany fr ...
, charged through the gap, then encircled and nearly wiped out the 2nd Army near
Allenstein (the Battle of Tannenberg). When the desperate Samsonov sent his appeals for help, instead of immediately replying and heading south to aid Samsonov, Rennenkampf almost completely ignored the appeal. When he finally began to head south, he and his men started too late and proceeded more slowly than they should have, contributing to the defeat of the 2nd Army. After the battle, Samsonov, fearing being held responsible for the defeat, committed suicide.
After the 2nd Army's annihilation at the Battle of Tannenberg, Rennenkampf's army took over all the defenses along the
Deyma,
Lava
Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...
and the
Masurian Lakeland. On 7 September, the
First Battle of the Masurian Lakes
The First Battle of the Masurian Lakes was a German offensive in the Eastern Front 2–16 September 1914, during the second month of World War I. It took place only days after the Battle of Tannenberg where the German Eighth Army encircled a ...
began, as the Germans attacked the left flank of the 1st Army with a powerful detachment. Zhilinsky broke his promise to provide Rennenkampf with reinforcements from other formations; as a result, the 1st Army had to retreat hurriedly. The
2nd Army Corps, led by General Vladimir Slyusarenko, resisted desperately, as did Rennenkampf himself, who transferred all the cavalrymen, reserves, and troops from the right to left flank of the
20th Army Corps in order to avoid encirclement by Hindenburg. By 15 September, he skillfully withdrew his men from encirclement and withdrew behind the
Neman
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; ...
, saving all the remaining troops he had. After this failure, despite his best efforts to blame Rennenkampf for the defeat, Zhilinsky was dismissed and was replaced by the General
Nikolai Ruzsky
Nikolai Vladimirovich Ruzsky (russian: Никола́й Влади́мирович Ру́зский; – October 18, 1918) was a Russian general, member of the state and military councils, best known for his role in World War I and the abdi ...
.
In mid-November at
Łódź
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...
, due to the indecisiveness and mistakes made by Ruzsky, the 1st Army was unable to prevent the
XXV Reserve Corps of General
Reinhard von Scheffer-Boyadel
Reinhard Gottlob Georg Heinrich Freiherr von Scheffer-Boyadel (28 March 1851 – 8 November 1925) was a general of the Imperial German Army during World War I, reaching the rank of General der Infanterie.
Early life and career
Scheffer-Boyadel ...
from escaping out of the encircling movement, causing the front to retreat. A sharp conflict then broke out between the two men. After the incident, Rennenkampf was relieved from his position. His acts during the battle became the subject of a special commission under General
Peter von Baranoff; he was even considered being tried for treason, due to his ethnic background. He was then dismissed in early October 1915 "for domestic reasons with a uniform and pension".
After that, he stayed in
Petrograd, living in retirement with his wife Vera until the
Bolshevik coup. However, his retirement was extremely unsettling, as he was falsely accused of being a traitor, and all across Russia, on streets and in public places, people insulted him for his actions. Even Baltic Germans accused him, as Vera recalled, as being a "terrible Russophile". All these events plunged Rennenkampf into deep moral suffering.
Army chief of staff General
Nikolai Yanushkevich wrote the following about the issue of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Generals in the Russian Army to the Minister of War, General
Sukhomlinov:
In a further investigation, it was revealed that it was Ruzsky's strategic mistakes that had let Scheffer-Boyadel and his troops escape from the encirclement. This, however, did not bring Rennenkampf back to service.
February Revolution
Rennenkampf was arrested shortly after the
February Revolution, as many of the revolutionaries remembered his role in the suppression of the Chita Republic back in 1905. He was then questioned by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the
Russian Republic
The Russian Republic,. referred to as the Russian Democratic Federal Republic. in the 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state which controlled, ''de jure'', the territory of the former Russian Empire after its proclamation by the Rus ...
, although he was not charged with any crimes.
October Revolution and death
Rennenkampf was arrested again 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 mome ...
and, like many other tsarist officials, was imprisoned in the
Peter and Paul Fortress. He was released shortly afterwards due to deteriorating health. After that, he, along with several other tsarist generals, went south to
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
Th ...
, his wife's birthplace, and lived under the protection of a merchant named Smokovnikov.
After the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
took over the city, Rennenkampf disappeared, disguised as a Greek subject named Mandusakis, but was tracked down by the Red Army and identified, after which he was brought to the headquarters of the Bolsheviks under the order of
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
commander-in-chief
Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko
Vladimir Alexandrovich Antonov-Ovseenko (russian: Влади́мир Алекса́ндрович Анто́нов-Овсе́енко; ua, Володимир Антонов-Овсєєнко; 9 March 1883 – 10 February 1938), real surna ...
. After arriving, the former general was offered a command in the Red Army, with refusal implying death. Rennenkampf refused to defect to the Bolsheviks, saying:
At the time, the Germans were
advancing toward Taganrog; the
Czechs
The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, ...
and
Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
's
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
were as well. As a result, Rennenkampf was taken hostage by the Bolsheviks and brought near the railway tracks running from the Martsevo station to the Baltic. Upon arrival, Rennenkampf was forced to dig his own grave, then stabbed before being executed with a bullet to the temple.
Aftermath
According to Rennenkampf's wife Vera's memoirs, after his death, the
Whites
White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view.
Description of populations as ...
were told that Rennenkampf was on the way to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. In May 1918, after the Whites had taken over Taganrog, a stick was found stuck in the ground near the railway tracks running from the Martsevo station to the Baltic Plant. After they dug up the grave, they found several bodies, including one nearly naked with a bullet wound to the head. When they took the corpses to a local cemetery (now the
Taganrog Old Cemetery) in the city, Rennenkampf's wife Vera arrived at the cemetery and identified the nearly naked corpse as her husband Paul.
The White troops and Rennenkampf's wife held a funeral that fulfilled Rennenkampf's wish of being buried in an
unmarked mass grave with other victims of the
Red Terror. But other than her memoirs, there is no evidence of Rennenkampf's burial in the
Old Cemetery in Taganrog.
In recent years, researchers at the
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution (officially The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace; abbreviated as Hoover) is an American public policy think tank and research institution that promotes personal and economic liberty, free enterprise, an ...
archives of the
Stanford University found several photos taken during the civil war. In the photos, a marked grave was clearly seen on the left with "''P. K. Rennenkampf''" written on it. This allowed historians and researchers to determine and establish the final resting place of Rennenkampf at the burial ground in the
Old Cemetery in Taganrog.
Family
Born into a large and wealthy family, Rennenkampf had five brothers and two sisters. His brothers included Woldemar Konstantin von Rennenkampff (1852–1912), a cavalryman and the director of the Russian gun industry, and Georg Olaf von Rennenkampff (1859–1915), a chief of powder manufacturing in
Zawiercie
Zawiercie is a city in the south of Poland located in the Silesian Voivodeship with 49,334 inhabitants (2019). It is situated in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland near the source of the Warta River. The town lies near the historical region of Sile ...
.
Rennenkampf married four times. In 1882, he married Adelaide Franziska Thalberg, with whom he had three children: Adelaide Ingeborg (1883–1896), Woldemar Konstantin (1884) and Iraida Hermaine (1885–1950). Thalberg died in 1888 after only six years of marriage.
In 1890, in
Vilno
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
, Rennenkampff married Lydia Kopylova, with whom he had one more child, Lydia (1891–1937). He then married Evgenia Dmitryevna Grechova, with whom he had no children.
Finally, in 1907 in
Irkutsk he married Vera Nikolayevna Krassan (Leonutova), with whom he had a daughter, Tatyana (1907–1994), and adopted Vera's daughter Olga (1901–1918) from her first marriage. Unlike his other marriages, Rennenkampf's marriage with Vera was long and happy. Vera, as the wife of the commander of the Vilna Military District, was a trustee and member of a branch of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. When the war broke out, she participated in organizations that cared for the wounded. In Vera's memoirs, she wrote of her founding of the Committee for Assistance to the families of reserve lower ranks, tailoring workshops for the front, and her participation in the formation of the flying car detachment of the
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
Red Cross that took the wounded from the battlefield.
After the war and Rennenkampf's death, the fate of his family was unknown, but Vera and Tatyana escaped to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Olga was murdered on her doorstep the same month as her stepfather's murder. The rest of the family either fled to Estonia or back to
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
during the civil war.
Legacy
Before his execution, Rennenkampf had asked his wife Vera to make every effort to "whitewash his name from slander". Vera was not alone in considering her husband to be innocent of the strategic mistakes that led to the Russian defeats in the East Prussian campaign; a significant part of the
White émigrés
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, including generals
Baron Wrangel
Wrangel (sometimes transliterated as Wrangell or Vrangel, from the Russian ''Вра́нгель'') is a Baltic German noble family, whose members have also been included in Swedish, Russian, Spanish and Prussian nobility. The family's earliest k ...
,
Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
, and
Nikolai Golovin
Nikolai Nikolayevich Golovin ( rus, Никола́й Никола́евич Голови́н; 4 December 1875 – 10 January 1944) was an Imperial Russian general and military historian.
Biography
Since 1908 Golovin was professor of tactics at ...
, shared that and view.
To rehabilitate the general's image and to "give the light to the real face of General Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampff", on the initiative of his wife in November 1936 the historical society of the "Friends of Rennenkampf" ("Les Amis de Rennenkampf") was founded in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
. The honorary chairman was Vera herself, and the president of the bureau was the husband of Rennenkampf's daughter Tatyana. The honorary committee included the widow of Baron Wrangel – Baroness Olga Mikhailovich, General
Nikolai Epanchin
Nikolai Alexeyevich Epanchin (Russian, Николай Алексеевич Епанчин, 1857 - 1941) was an Imperial Russian division and corps commander. He fought in World War I against the Ottoman Empire.
Awards
* Order of Saint Anna, ...
,
Prince Belosselsky-Belozersky and others.
Personal collection
A collection of Chinese art pieces looted by Rennenkampf during the 1900 Chinese Campaign is on display in the
Alferaki Palace
Alferaki Palace is a museum in Taganrog, Russia, originally the home of the wealthy merchant Nikolay Alferaki. It was built in 1848 by the architect Andrei Stackenschneider on ''Frunze Street'' (formerly ''Katolicheskaya''), in downtown Taganrog ...
in Taganrog.
In popular culture
* In the 2005 Russian film ''
The Fall of the Empire
''The Fall of the Empire'' (russian: Гибель империи, Gibel' imperii) is a Russian TV miniseries in ten episodes directed by Vladimir Khotinenko, broadcast in March 2005.
It is set in World War I, following Russian counterintellige ...
'', Rennenkampf was portrayed by Russian actor
Sergei Nikonenko
Sergei Petrovich Nikonenko (russian: Серге́й Петрович Никоненко; born 16 April 1941 in Moscow) is a Russian actor. He performed in more than eighty films since 1961.
Selected filmography
* 1967
** '' The Red and the Whi ...
.
* Rennenkampf was among 15 Russian generals and admirals to be featured in the postcards produced by the French confectionery company
Chocolat Guérin-Boutron, with the description "86. Rennenkampf, général russe".
"General P.K. Rennenkampf on Guerin-Boutron chocolate leaflet"
/ref>
Honours and awards
Russian Empire
*
Order of St. Stanislaus
The Order of Saint Stanislaus ( pl, Order Św. Stanisława Biskupa Męczennika, russian: Орден Святого Станислава), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Ponia ...
, 3rd class (1884)
*
Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class (1894)
*
Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st class with swords (31.3.1905)
*
Order of St. Anne, 3rd class (1888)
*
Order of St. Anne, 2nd class (1895)
*
Order of St. Anne, 1st class (1907)
*
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 Baptize ...
, 4th class (1899)
*
Order of St Vladimir, 3rd class (1903)
*
Order of St Vladimir, 2nd class with swords (1914)
*
Order of St. George
The Order of Saint George (russian: Орден Святого Георгия, Orden Svyatogo Georgiya) is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. Originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian (7 December 1769 Gregorian) a ...
, 4th class (12.8.1900)
*
Order of St. George, 3rd class (22.12.1900)
*
Golden Weapon with diamonds and the inscription "For Bravery" (1906)
Foreign
* :
**
Order of the Sword
The Royal Order of the Sword (officially: ''Royal Order of the Sword''; Swedish: ''Kungliga Svärdsorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry and military decoration created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the ...
(before 1914)
* :
**
Order of the Iron Crown
The Order of the Iron Crown ( it, link=no, Ordine della Corona Ferrea) was an order of merit that was established on 5 June 1805 in the Kingdom of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte under his title of Napoleon I, King of Italy.
The order took its name ...
(before 1914)
Publications
* ''Auf dem Fluß Amur und in der Mandschurei'', war reports of Generals Rennenkampf of 1904, Part I, Voyenny Sbornik (military collection), Nr. 3, S. 89–108.
* ''Auf dem Fluß Amur und in der Mandschurei'', war reports of Generals Rennenkampf of 1904, Part II, Voyenny Sbornik, Nr. 4, S. 57–86.
* ''Auf dem Fluß Amur und in der Mandschurei'', war reports of Generals Rennenkampf of 1904, Part III, Voyenny Sbornik, Nr. 5, S. 55–86.
* ''Der zwanzigtägige Kampf meines Detachements in der Schlacht von Mukden'', Berlin: Mittler & Sohn (1909)
Notes
References
Sources
* Connaughton, R.M (1988). ''The War of the Rising Sun and the Tumbling Bear – A Military History of the Russo-Japanese War 1904–5'', London, .
* Jukes, Geoffrey. ''The Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905''. Osprey Essential Histories. (2002). .
*
* Warner, Denis & Peggy. ''The Tide at Sunrise, A History of the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905''. (1975). .
* Stackelberg, Otto Magnus v. ''Genealogical Handbook of the Baltic Knighthoods Part 2, 3: Estonia''. Görlitz (1929)
* Transehe Roseneck, Astaf v. ''Genealogical Handbook of the Baltic Knighthoods Part 1, 2: Livonia, Lfg. 9-15.'' Görlitz (1929)
* ''Baltic German Biographical Dictionary 1710-1960.'' (1970), from th
''Baltic Biographical Dictionary Digital''
External links
*
Rennenkampff, Paul Georg v.
Baltic Biographical Dictionary Digital
Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf – Biography, imfromation, personal life
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rennenkampf, Paul Von
1854 births
1918 deaths
People from Märjamaa Parish
People from Kreis Wiek
Baltic-German people
Baltic nobility
Imperial Russian Army generals
Russian military personnel of the Boxer Rebellion
Russian military personnel of the Russo-Japanese War
Russian military personnel of World War I
Russian people of German descent
Recipients of the Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russian), 1st class
Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree
Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class
Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class
Recipients of the Gold Sword for Bravery
Victims of Red Terror in Soviet Russia
Executed Russian people
Executed Estonian people
Deaths by firearm in Russia