Nikolai Ruzsky

Nikolai Ruzsky
General Nikolai Vladimirovich Ruzsky
Born	March 6, 1854 Russia
Died	October 18, 1918 (age 64) Pyatigorsk
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service/branch	Russian Imperial Army
Years of service	1872-1918
Rank	General
Commands held	Russian Imperial Army Second Manchurian Army, 1877-1888, 1904-1905 Kiev Military District, 1896-1902 Third Army, 1914 Northwestern Front, 1914 Sixth Army, 1915 Northern Front, 1916
Battles/wars	Russo-Turkish War Russo-Japanese War World War I Battle of Galicia Battle of Łódź Battle of Lemberg Battle of Gnila Lipa
Awards	Order of St. Anne Cross of St. George

Nikolai Vladimirovich Ruzsky (Russian: Никола́й Влади́мирович Ру́зский) (March 18 [O.S. March 6] 1854 – October 18, 1918), was a Russian general of World War I.

His military career prior to the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 took him to both the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and the Russo-Japanese War, where he was Chief of Staff to the Second Manchurian Army. In between he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Kiev Military District (1896- 1902). He was influenced by General Mikhail Ivanovich Dragomirov.

In August 1914 he was in command of the Third Army, and was soon involved in the Battle of Galicia. He was given command over the Northwest Front in September 1914. His greatest achievement during the war was his part in the defence of Lodz in November 1914. He was given command of Sixth Army in March 1915 and of the Northern Front in the winter of 1916, but he was replaced by Alexei Kuropatkin in February 1916 because of his excessive caution and indecision. He later was reinstated by the Tsar in July.

Following the February Revolution of 1917 he resigned his command and went south to the Caucasus, where he joined other Tsarist generals. Captured by the Bolsheviks on September 11, 1918, in Essentuki, he was executed along with the last remaining loyal officers and generals in Pyatigorsk.