Alexander Kaulbars
Encyclopedia
Baron Alexander Vasilyevich Kaulbars (May 14, 1844 - January 25, 1925) was a general in the Imperial Russian Army
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a noted explorer of Central Asia
.
noble family
descended from the Swedish
aristocratic family von Kaulbars of Swedish origin, which remained in Estonia after the country was ceded to Russia. Both his father and his brother rose to the rank of general in the Imperial Russian Army. He was educated at the Nikolaev Cavalry School. His first experience in combat was in 1861, while serving with the Egersky Guards Regiment in the suppression of the Polish Uprising
.
After graduating from the Nicholas General Staff Academy
, Kaulbars was commissioned as a lieutenant, and was assigned to serve on the staff of the Turkestan Military District
. He was promoted to senior aide in 1870, to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1871, and to colonel in 1872. Soon after his arrival in Russian Turkestan
, he explored the country beyond the Issyk-Kul into the Tien Shan mountains. His report was published as “Materials on the Geography of the Tien Shan”, and was awarded the gold medal by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society
In 1870, he explored the Russian-Chinese border, surveying the summit of Khan Tengri
and looking for mountain passes into Kashgar
, which he visited in 1872 for negotiations on a commercial treaty with its ruler, Yaqub Beg.
In 1873, Kaulbars participated in the Russian conquest of the Khanate of Khiva
under General Konstantin von Kaufman. During this expedition, he explored the delta and riverbed of the Amu Darya
river, and located a navigatable route to the Aral Sea
. He also explored the dry riverbed of the Syr Darya
, and the connections between both rivers, the Caspian Sea
and Aral Sea, and the now dry Uzboy River
. His research on these topics resulted in technical papers which were awarded a second gold medal by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.
In 1874, Kaulbars was made Chief of Staff of the 8th Cavalry Division, a position which he held until his return to the General Staff in 1875. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), and was promoted to major general in 1879, and given command of the 1st Brigade of the 14th Cavalry Division. From 1878-1879, he was a member of the committee for the demarcation of the borders of the new Kingdom of Serbia
.
In 1882, Kaulbars became the Minister of War for the Principality of Bulgaria
, then a client state of the Empire of Russia. This state, semi-autonomous since the Russian victory sanctioned by the Treaty of San Stefano
, was fighting for its independence from the Ottoman Empire
. He also concurrently commanded the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. The following year, became commander of the 15th Cavalry Division.
Kaulbars was promoted to lieutenant general in 1891. In 1894, he was assign command of the 2nd Cavalry Corps. This assignment was followed by command of the 2nd Siberian Army Corps in 1900, during which time he participated in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion
and Russian occupation of Manchuria
. He was further promoted to General of Cavalry in 1901 and made Assistant Commander of the Odessa Military District
.
In October 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War
, he became commander of the Russian 3rd Manchurian Army, and was transferred to command the Russian 2nd Manchurian Army in January 1905, which was defeated at the Battle of Mukden
, by the Imperial Japanese Army
. He returned to command the Odessa Military District after the end of the war until December 23, 1909. During this period, he was noted for his strong support of the monarchy during the 1905 Russian Revolution. In December 1909, he returned to St. Petersburg as a member of the Military Council.
With the start of World War I
, he was assigned as a commander of the Northwestern Front, and from October 1914 was placed in charge of all Russian military aviation
activities. However, at the end of 1915, he was dismissed from military service. In 1916 he was appointed military governor of Odessa
.
After the October Revolution
, he moved to South Russia, where he joined an anti-Bolshevik
Volunteer Army
on October 15, 1918 despite his advanced age. He entered the reserves in 1919. With the collapse of the Armed Forces of South Russia
, he was evacuated to Constantinople
, and subsequently lived in exile in Bulgaria and France
. He worked as an employee of a telegraph company in Paris
until his death in 1925. His grave is at the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery
.
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a noted explorer of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
Biography
Kaulbars was a native St. Petersburg, from a Baltic GermanBaltic German
The Baltic Germans were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today form the countries of Estonia and Latvia. The Baltic German population never made up more than 10% of the total. They formed the social, commercial, political and cultural élite in...
noble family
Russian nobility
The Russian nobility arose in the 14th century and essentially governed Russia until the October Revolution of 1917.The Russian word for nobility, Dvoryanstvo , derives from the Russian word dvor , meaning the Court of a prince or duke and later, of the tsar. A nobleman is called dvoryanin...
descended from the Swedish
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
aristocratic family von Kaulbars of Swedish origin, which remained in Estonia after the country was ceded to Russia. Both his father and his brother rose to the rank of general in the Imperial Russian Army. He was educated at the Nikolaev Cavalry School. His first experience in combat was in 1861, while serving with the Egersky Guards Regiment in the suppression of the Polish Uprising
January Uprising
The January Uprising was an uprising in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Empire...
.
After graduating from the Nicholas General Staff Academy
General Staff Academy (Imperial Russia)
The General Staff Academy was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy , then in 1855 it was renamed Nicholas General Staff Academy and in 1909 - Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy was a...
, Kaulbars was commissioned as a lieutenant, and was assigned to serve on the staff of the Turkestan Military District
Turkestan Military District
The Turkestan Military District was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with its headquarters at Tashkent. The District was first created during the 1874 Russian military reform when by order of Minister D.A. Milyutinym the territory of Russia was...
. He was promoted to senior aide in 1870, to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1871, and to colonel in 1872. Soon after his arrival in Russian Turkestan
Russian Turkestan
Russian Turkestan was the western part of Turkestan within the Russian Empire , comprising the oasis region to the south of the Kazakh steppes, but not the protectorates of the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khiva.-History:-Establishment:Although Russia had been pushing south into the...
, he explored the country beyond the Issyk-Kul into the Tien Shan mountains. His report was published as “Materials on the Geography of the Tien Shan”, and was awarded the gold medal by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society
Russian Geographical Society
The Russian Geographical Society is a learned society, founded on 6 August 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.-Imperial Geographical Society:Prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was known as the Imperial Russian Geographical Society....
In 1870, he explored the Russian-Chinese border, surveying the summit of Khan Tengri
Khan Tengri
Khan Tengri is a mountain of the Tian Shan mountain range. It is located on the China—Kyrgyzstan—Kazakhstan border, east of lake Issyk Kul. Its geologic elevation is , but its glacial cap rises to...
and looking for mountain passes into Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
, which he visited in 1872 for negotiations on a commercial treaty with its ruler, Yaqub Beg.
In 1873, Kaulbars participated in the Russian conquest of the Khanate of Khiva
Khanate of Khiva
The Khanate of Khiva was the name of a Uzbek state that existed in the historical region of Khwarezm from 1511 to 1920, except for a period of Persian occupation by Nadir Shah between 1740–1746. It was the patrilineal descendants of Shayban , the fifth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
under General Konstantin von Kaufman. During this expedition, he explored the delta and riverbed of the Amu Darya
Amu Darya
The Amu Darya , also called Oxus and Amu River, is a major river in Central Asia. It is formed by the junction of the Vakhsh and Panj rivers...
river, and located a navigatable route to the Aral Sea
Aral Sea
The Aral Sea was a lake that lay between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south...
. He also explored the dry riverbed of the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
, and the connections between both rivers, the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
and Aral Sea, and the now dry Uzboy River
Uzboy River
The Uzboy River was a distributary of the Amu Darya which flowed through the northwestern part of the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan until the 18th century, when it abruptly dried up, destroying in the process the Turkmen civilization which had thrived along its banks.Now a dry river channel and a...
. His research on these topics resulted in technical papers which were awarded a second gold medal by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.
In 1874, Kaulbars was made Chief of Staff of the 8th Cavalry Division, a position which he held until his return to the General Staff in 1875. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), and was promoted to major general in 1879, and given command of the 1st Brigade of the 14th Cavalry Division. From 1878-1879, he was a member of the committee for the demarcation of the borders of the new Kingdom of Serbia
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia was created when Prince Milan Obrenović, ruler of the Principality of Serbia, was crowned King in 1882. The Principality of Serbia was ruled by the Karađorđevic dynasty from 1817 onwards . The Principality, suzerain to the Porte, had expelled all Ottoman troops by 1867, de...
.
In 1882, Kaulbars became the Minister of War for the Principality of Bulgaria
Principality of Bulgaria
The Principality of Bulgaria was a self-governing entity created as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. The preliminary treaty of San Stefano between the Russian Empire and the Porte , on March 3, had originally proposed a significantly larger Bulgarian territory: its...
, then a client state of the Empire of Russia. This state, semi-autonomous since the Russian victory sanctioned by the Treaty of San Stefano
Treaty of San Stefano
The Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78...
, was fighting for its independence from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. He also concurrently commanded the 1st Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division. The following year, became commander of the 15th Cavalry Division.
Kaulbars was promoted to lieutenant general in 1891. In 1894, he was assign command of the 2nd Cavalry Corps. This assignment was followed by command of the 2nd Siberian Army Corps in 1900, during which time he participated in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
and Russian occupation of Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. He was further promoted to General of Cavalry in 1901 and made Assistant Commander of the Odessa Military District
Odessa Military District
The Odessa Military District was a military administrative division of the Imperial Russian military, the Soviet Armed Forces and the Ukrainian Armed Forces and was known under such name from around 1862 to 1998. It was reorganized as part of the Military of Ukraine and the Military of Moldova in...
.
In October 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, he became commander of the Russian 3rd Manchurian Army, and was transferred to command the Russian 2nd Manchurian Army in January 1905, which was defeated at the Battle of Mukden
Battle of Mukden
One of the largest land battles to be fought before World War I, the , the last major land battle of the Russo-Japanese War, was fought from 20 February to 10 March 1905 between Japan and Russia near Mukden in Manchuria...
, by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. He returned to command the Odessa Military District after the end of the war until December 23, 1909. During this period, he was noted for his strong support of the monarchy during the 1905 Russian Revolution. In December 1909, he returned to St. Petersburg as a member of the Military Council.
With the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was assigned as a commander of the Northwestern Front, and from October 1914 was placed in charge of all Russian military aviation
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
activities. However, at the end of 1915, he was dismissed from military service. In 1916 he was appointed military governor of Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
.
After the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
, he moved to South Russia, where he joined an anti-Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
Volunteer Army
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
on October 15, 1918 despite his advanced age. He entered the reserves in 1919. With the collapse of the Armed Forces of South Russia
Armed Forces of South Russia
The Armed Forces of South Russia was formed on the 8th of January 1919, it incorporated many of the smaller formations of the White army in that area under them, including the Volunteer Army ....
, he was evacuated to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, and subsequently lived in exile in Bulgaria and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He worked as an employee of a telegraph company in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
until his death in 1925. His grave is at the Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Russian Cemetery
Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois Cemetery, specifically the one known as Cimetière de Liers, as there are two cemeteries in the city, is a Russian Orthodox cemetery, located on Rue Léo Lagrange in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, département Essonne, France....
.
Honors
- Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd class, 1870
- Order of St Vladimir, 4th class with swords and bow, 1871
- Order of St. Anne
Order of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
2nd class, 1872 - Golden Sword of St George, 1874.
- Order of St Vladimir, 3rd class with swords, 1877
- Order of St. Stanislaus 1st class, 1882
- Order of St. AnneOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
1st class with sword, 1886 - Order of St Vladimir, 2nd class, 1890
- Order of the White Eagle, with swords, 1898
- , Order of St. Alexander NevskyOrder of St. Alexander NevskyThe Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire.-History:The introduction of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was planned by Emperor Peter I of Russia...
, 1901, with diamonds, 12 June 1907 - Order of St Vladimir, 1st class, 12 June 1914