Pyotr Vannovsky was born in the Russian city of Kiev in a gentry Orthodox Belarusian family. He distinguished himself in the suppression of the Hungarian uprising in the allied Austria-Hungary, and in the victorious Russian-Turkish wars for Russia.
As Minister of War, he proved to be an ardent conservative, like Konstantin Pobedonostsev, but was as successful as one of the best Russian commanders, Ivan Paskevich. He cared no less about the comfortable life of soldiers and officers, improving the allowances and conditions of service of the Russian military.