Birth of Alexander Vasilievich Samsonov, General of Cavalry

“He was a noble man, which are few. A real Russian officer who loved his Fatherland…”

Colonel A. Krymov

Cavalry General Alexander Samsonov was born 2 (14) November 1859, in the village of Andreevka, Yaakimovskaya parish, Elisavetgrad county, Kherson province, in the impoverished noble family.

In 1875, Alexander graduated from the Vladimir military school in Kiev; in 1877 - Nikolaev Cavalry School, and then was sent to the 12th Akhtyrsky Hussars Regiment, which participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. After graduating from the Academy of the General Staff, Samsonov served in the Caucasus, then, in 1896 and 1904, headed the Elisavetgrad School.

As a cavalry chief, Major General Samsonov took part in the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905, commanding the Ussuri Cavalry Brigade, then the Siberian Cossack Division. He successfully fought near Vafangou and Liaoyang, the river Shahe and Mukden. For military merits Alexander was awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree and other orders, a Golden Wword with the inscription "For Bravery", was promoted to lieutenant general.  

After the war, Samsonov served as chief of staff of the Warsaw Military District. In 1907, he became the ataman of the Don Cossack Army, and in 1909 he was appointed Governor-General of Turkestan, and commanded the troops of the Turkestan Military District, being promoted in 1910 to general of cavalry. From March 1909 he had been the ataman of Semirechensk Cossack Army.

With the outbreak of World War I, Samsonov was at the head of the 2nd Army of the North-Western Front, which was given the task in conjunction with the 1st Army General P. K. Rennenkampf to make an invasion of East Prussia. Historian A. Kersnovsky, noting impeccable personal bravery of Samsonov, emphasized the lack of real experience of the general of commanding the troops of corps and divisions. "Appointed to replace General Rausch Traubenberg at the command of the 2nd Army, General Samsonov - cavalry chief of brilliant personal courage - occupied senior staff posts (in the Warsaw Military District) and administrative posts (Don Ataman), but had never commanded neither a corps not even an infantry division," wrote Kersonovsky.

According to the plan of the operation, developed at headquarters under the leadership of Supreme Commander, the Grand Duke Nicholas, the 1st and 2nd Armies were to defeat the German 8th Army, concentrated in East Prussia. Samsonov was ordered to move from the Narew River, bypassing the Masurian lakes to the north, Rennenkampf - from the Niemen to the west. 7 (20) August, the 1st Army of Rennenkampf defeated the 8th German army under the command of General M. Pritvits near Gumbinnen-Goldap. By the time, Samsonov's army had to advance following the difficult sandy roads in the countryside, poor with food, which caused the need for prior organization of the rear, but obeying the orders of the commander of the North-Western Front Ya. G. Zhilinsky, Samsonov continued to move at a rapid pace.

13 (26) August 1914, the enemy launched a counter-offensive. After fightings near Uzdau 13 (26) -14 (27) August and Bischofsburg 13 (26) August, flanking corps of the 2nd Army were discarded. 15 (28) August, Samsonov left his main quarters and went to the front-line, to the headquarters of the 15th Corps of Nadrau. 16 (29) -17 (30) August, the main forces of the central corps of the army were encircled in Komussinsky forest. While breaking out of the encirclement of the Army Staff, Samsonov stayed behind his companions, and, not wanting to endure the shame of defeat, shot himself.

Samsonov’s army lost in the battles around 70,000 men. Despite the failure of the operation, the actions of the armies of the North-Western Front forced Germany to transfer its troops to the Eastern Front, which contributed to the Allied victory over Germany in the Marne battle.

A year later, the widow of Alexander Vasilyevich got permission to go to Germany as a representative of the Red Cross. After performing her official mission, E. A. Samsonova with the permission of the German authorities went to East Prussia, where she found her husband's grave. In November 1915, General Samsonov's body was delivered to Petrograd and then transported to be buried in the village of Yakimovka (Akimovka), Kherson province.

Lit.: Вацетис И. И. Танненберг. Разгром 2-й русской армии генерала Самсонова. М., 1932; Иссерсон Г. Канны мировой войны: [Гибель армии Самсонова]. М., 1926.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Восточно-Прусская операция : [сборник документов]. М., 1939.