According to the most common version among scientists, Peter Bagration was born on July 10, 1765. But some historians mention other years, for example, the 1769th and 1762th. The birthplace of Peter Bagration also causes controversy. Most scholars are of the opinion that the future commander was born in Kizlyar, but there is speculation that he might have been born in Tiflis.

Grandfather of Peter Bagration, Alexander was the son of one of the concubines of the Kartlian king Jesse, who left his homeland due to dynastic friction and enlisted in Russia. After some time, his example was followed by the father of Peter Bagration - Ivan. In Russia, the Bagration was granted the princely title.

  • Graphic copy of the scheme of the fortress and the city of Kizlyar XVIII century
  • © Wikimedia commons

The childhood of the future commander passed in Kizlyar - at the place of service of his father. He was educated at the garrison school. In 1782 (according to some reports in 1783) Bagration joined the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment with the rank of private.

Pupil of Alexander Suvorov

It is worth noting that the biography of Peter Bagration, both personal and military, still causes controversy among historians. In this regard, there are various versions regarding the dates and details of certain events from the life of the commander.

Bagration took part in several military campaigns in the Caucasus.

In 1794, he participated in the Polish campaign, including in the cavalry battle during the capture of Prague (a suburb of Warsaw, bearing the same name as the capital of the Czech Republic). According to historians, the prince received the rank of lieutenant colonel and the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th degree with a bow for Prague. It was at this time, according to some biographers, Alexander Suvorov could pay attention to the lieutenant colonel.

In 1797, Bagration received the rank of colonel. A year later he was sent to Austria, and a year later he was promoted to major general. In Italy Bagration commanded the vanguard of the Russian army and carried out special assignments of Suvorov. As the doctor of historical sciences Yevgeny Anisimov wrote, at the Battle of Trebby Bagration "played the first violin."

“Bagration occupied a prominent and honorable place near Suvorov for the first comrade-in-arms and even a trusted person who could be entrusted with the vanguard, the siege of the fortress, and training sessions with the Austrians,” Anisimov wrote in his book “General Bagration. Life and war. "

  • Suvorov crossing the Devil's Bridge. Artist A. E. Kotzebue
  • © Wikimedia commons

According to the historian, "Bagration was one of the first among the heroes of the Italian and Swiss campaigns." Suvorov, on the other hand, characterized him as a brave, active, "most distinguished general and worthy of the highest degrees." At the same time, Bagration himself considered the commander his teacher, treating him with admiration and adoration.

Tipping points

In 1800, the rapid court rise of Bagration began. By that time, he was already in the position of chief of the Jaeger regiment and more often had lunch and dinner with the royal family, which was a great honor. Soon they found a bride for him. She became a relative of the tsar and the maid of honor of the Empress Catherine Skavronskaya - great-granddaughter of the brother of Catherine I and the granddaughter of Grigory Potemkin.

Bagration's wife was almost half the age of the illustrious general, extremely good-looking, and loved social life. Trying to satisfy the whims of his young wife, the prince began to behave wastefully, taking significant amounts of debt. But family happiness did not last long - in 1805 the couple parted: Bagration went to war with Napoleon, and his wife went to Vienna to unwind. She did not return to her husband, after some time having twisted an affair with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Austrian Empire Count Clemens von Metternich, to whom she gave birth to a daughter. The prince tried to return his spouse, but to no avail. Despite everything, he retained a warm attitude towards his wife and kept her portrait with him all his life.

In 1805, Peter Bagration was promoted to lieutenant general. A new war with Napoleon brought him even greater glory than the Italian campaign. On November 16, 1805, in the battle of Schöngraben, he covered up the withdrawal of the main forces of the Russian army. Having only six thousand troops against 30 thousand French, Bagration restrained the enemy and calmly moved away, capturing the French flag and prisoners. In Russia, the prince began to be compared with the Spartan king Leonid.

  • E.P. Skavronskaya and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna
  • © Wikimedia commons

Adjutant of Bagration Denis Davydov, the future general and hero of the war of 1812, left invaluable descriptions of the prince's habits.

“During the five-year service under Prince Bagration as his adjutant, during the hostilities I did not see him except as dressed day and night. His sleep was very short - three, many four hours a day, and that with awakenings, ”he wrote.

On February 7-8, 1807, Bagration showed himself perfectly in the battle with the Napoleonic troops at Preisis-Eylau. And after the conclusion of peace with France, he distinguished himself during the Russo-Swedish war - his corps made a throw on the ice to the Åland Islands and replaced the enemy from them.

In the spring of 1809 Bagration was promoted to general from infantry. However, in the same year, the prince fell into disgrace: in the high society there were rumors about his romance with the sister of Alexander I, Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna, which caused the monarch great irritation. In the summer of 1809, Bagration was sent to Moldova to command the Danube Army. The prince won a number of brilliant victories over the Turks, but then, as some historians note, contrary to the wishes of Alexander I, he took away the army, which was experiencing acute problems with supplying it, to the left bank of the Danube. In many ways, this played a role in his resignation from his post in early 1810.

Last Stand

However, in the summer of 1811 Bagration was appointed commander of the Podolsk army, then renamed the 2nd Western. He developed vigorous intelligence activities, which made it possible to predict Napoleon's attack on Russia. The prince was among the military leaders who proposed a preemptive strike against the enemy, but the empire did not support him.

Already after Napoleon’s attack, Bagration proposed attacking the rear of the enemy army and breaking its communications, but this plan also did not find support from Alexander I. Instead, Bagration was required to lead the army towards Minsk. The prince understood that this was fraught with encirclement and death of the troops, so he decided to change the route and moved towards Bobruisk. According to Yevgeny Anisimov, Bagration managed to avoid the destruction of the army with his maneuvers. However, the king was very dissatisfied with the willfulness of the commander, and in the light of the prince was called almost a coward.

At the same time, Bagration himself did not see anything inappropriate in his behavior. Being a great patriot of Russia and an opponent of Westernism, he suspected that traitors from among foreign experts could prompt dangerous decisions to the Russian authorities.

In August 1812, Bagration joined with the 1st Western Army of Michael Barclay de Tolly near Smolensk. On the Borodino field, he commanded the left flank of Russian troops. According to historians, during the battle, a fragment of the nucleus crushed the tibia of his left leg. Doctors insisted on amputation, but the prince refused. On September 24, 1812, he died of gangrene.

Peter Bagration was buried in the Epiphany Church, but in 1839, at the insistence of Denis Davydov, Emperor Nicholas ordered the general to be transferred to the tomb on the Borodino field.

Monuments to the great commander are installed in many settlements of Russia. In 1946, the city of Preisish-Eylau of the Kaliningrad region was renamed Bagrationovsk. In honor of the commander, one of the key operations of the Great Patriotic War - the Belarusian Offensive - was named.

  • A.I. Vepkhvadze Mortal wound of Bagration
  • © Wikimedia commons

According to historian Yevgeny Pchelov, Bagration was a professional military man who made a career thanks to his vast practical experience.

“Peter Bagration is an outstanding military leader and a bright commander. And high historical marks are a logical consequence of his military successes, ”summed up Bees.