Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov | |
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Aleksey Yermolov, no later than 1825, by George Dawe.
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Born |
Moscow, Russian Empire |
4 June 1777
Died | 23 April 1861 Moscow, Russian Empire |
(aged 83)
Allegiance | Russian Empire |
Service/branch | Imperial Russian Army |
Years of service | 1787–1827 |
Rank | General of the Infantry |
Battles/wars |
Kościuszko Uprising
Russo-Persian War (1826–28) |
Awards |
Order of St. Andrew Order of St. George Order of St. Vladimir Order of Saint Anna Order of St. Alexander Nevsky Order of the White Eagle |
Kościuszko Uprising
Persian Expedition of 1796
Napoleonic Wars
Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov (Russian: Алексе́й Петро́вич Ермо́лов; 4 June [O.S. 24 May] 1777 – 23 April [O.S. 11 April] 1861), or Ermolov, was a Russian Imperial general of the 19th century who commanded Russian troops in the Caucasian War. He served in all the Russian campaigns against the French, except for the 1799 campaigns of Alexander Suvorov in northern Italy and Switzerland. During this time he was accused of conspiracy against Paul I and sentenced to exile. Two years later he was pardoned and brought back into service by Alexander I. Yermolov distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars at the Battles of Austerlitz, Eylau, Borodino, Kulm, and Paris. Afterwards he led the Russian conquest of the Caucasus.
Yermolov was born on 4 June 1777 in Moscow to a Russian noble family from the Orel gubernia. He graduated from the boarding school of the Moscow University and enlisted in the Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment on 16 January 1787. Four years later, he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred to the Nizhegorod Dragoon Regiment with the rank of captain. He briefly taught at the Artillery and Engineer Cadet Corps in 1793 before being sent to fight the Polish insurgents in the Polish campaign of 1794. He participated in the assault on Praga and received the Order of St. George (4th class) on 12 January 1795. The next year, Yermolov took part in the Persian Campaign along the Caspian Sea. However, he was arrested on 7 January 1799 for alleged participation in conspiracy against the Tsar and spent two years in exile to Kostroma, where he taught himself Latin.