Brusilov Aleksey Alekseevich (born August 19 (31), 1853 - death March 17, 1926) - infantry general, took part in the Russian-Turkish (1877-1878) and World War I, commander of the Southwestern Front (1916), Supreme Commander of the Russian Forces (1917), Inspector of the Red Army Cavalry (1920)
Origin. Childhood
Alexey Alekseevich Brusilov was a hereditary military man. He was born on August 19, 1853 in the family of a general in Tiflis. By the time the first child was born, the father was already 60 years old, and the mother was 28. But their marriage was happy. After Alexei, three more boys were born. Alexei's childhood passed in an atmosphere of love and happiness. But when he was six years old, a misfortune happened: his father died suddenly, and after another 4 months, his mother died. Further upbringing of children took place in the family of aunts and uncles, who, being childless, doted on boys. In their house, with the help of governesses and tutors, the children received an excellent education.
Education. Service
At the age of 14, the future commander was taken to St. Petersburg, where he successfully passed the exams for the Corps of Pages and was enrolled immediately in the third class, and in 1872, upon graduation, he was hired as an ensign in the 15th Tver Dragoon Regiment, which was located in Transcaucasia, in Kutaisi, and was soon appointed a junior platoon officer in the 1st squadron.
The service of Alexei Brusilov in the regiment was favorable and did not differ in anything special: he did not violate discipline, he was not late for service, he enjoyed training with the dragoons of his platoon. He himself, adoring horses and riding, willingly learned from veterans how to treat a horse. This was noticed, and six months later the young officer was appointed adjutant of the regiment to a position that required accuracy, discipline and tact, which the young ensign possessed in full. April 1874 - Brusilov was promoted to lieutenant.
Russo-Turkish War 1877–1878
The first war for the future general was the Russian-Turkish 1877–1878. Brusilov with his regiment went to the southern border. Young officers perceived the beginning of the war with great enthusiasm, because the salary was increased and the opportunity to receive awards appeared. The Tver regiment was part of the 1st Cavalry Division of the Caucasian Army, under the command of M.T. Loris-Melikov.
Brusilov was able to distinguish himself already in the first battle, when, commanding a detachment of dragoons, he captured the Turkish barracks and the commander of the Turkish border brigade. For distinction in the capture of the Ardagan fortress, he was awarded the first military award - the Order of Stanislav 3rd degree with swords and a bow. Then new awards followed: the Order of Anna 3rd degree, the rank of staff captain and the Order of Stanislav 2nd degree for courage during the assault and capture of Kars. This war gave Brusilov good combat training. At 25, he was already an experienced officer.
A.A. Brusilov as Commander-in-Chief of the South Western front
Service after the war
At the end of the war, until the autumn of 1881, Brusilov continued to serve in the Caucasus, and then was sent to study at the St. Petersburg Cavalry School. He studied cavalry science with pleasure, visited the best cavalry units of the Russian army. Brusilov graduated from the course with honors and was transferred as an adjutant to the permanent staff of the school.
1884 - Alexei Alekseevich married Anna Nikolaevna Gagenmeister, his uncle's cousin. Three years later, their son Alexei was born. While working in a cavalry school, Brusilov developed a vigorous energy in improving the organization of training for cavalry officers. His rank rises and positions are changed: adjutant, senior teacher of riding and horse dressage, head of the department of squadron and hundred commanders, assistant head of the school.
1900 - Brusilov received the rank of major general and was assigned to the staff of the Life Guards. This was facilitated by the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, who at that time was the chief inspector of the cavalry. Aleksey Alekseevich worked a lot, wrote articles about cavalry science, studied the experience of riding and the work of stud farms in France, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. After 2 years, he was appointed to the post of head of the St. Petersburg Cavalry School. Relying on the support of the Grand Duke, Brusilov did a lot to improve the business entrusted to him. The school under his leadership became a recognized training center for the command staff of the Russian cavalry.
1906 - Brusilov was appointed commander of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division, where he earned great respect from his subordinates. He paid much attention to training with officers on the map, offensive combat, and maneuver. In the summer, appropriate exercises were carried out. But at that time, things in the general's family deteriorated sharply: his wife was seriously ill and was slowly fading away. 1908 - she died. Brusilov was very upset by the loss. Personal drama, as well as the oppressive atmosphere of life in St. Petersburg after the revolution of 1905-1907. pushed him to the decision to leave the guard for the army. He achieved an appointment in the Warsaw Military District in Lublin as commander of the 14th Army Corps. Along with this, he was promoted to lieutenant general. The 14th Corps was a large military formation with more than 40 thousand soldiers and officers, so that under the tutelage of Brusilov was a huge and complex economy.
In Lublin, Aleksey Alekseevich met Nadezhda Vladimirovna Zhelikhovskaya, whom he knew from the Caucasus in the days of his youth and with whom he was secretly in love. With her half-brother, he took part in the Turkish campaign. Brusilov, who at that time was already 57 years old, offered his hand to 45-year-old Nadezhda. 1909, November - a wedding took place in the church of the dragoon regiment.
May 1912 - Brusilov is appointed assistant commander of the Warsaw Military District and promoted to general from the cavalry. But soon friction began with the Governor-General Skalon and other "Russian Germans" at the headquarters of the district, and he was forced to leave Warsaw and take up the post of commander of the 12th Army Corps in the Kiev military district. Meanwhile, peaceful life was coming to an end, a world war was brewing. In June 1914, the general mobilization of the Russian army was announced.
General A. A. Brusilov with staff officers of the 8th Army
World War I
The beginning of the war found A. Brusilov as commander of the 8th Army, which was part of the Southwestern Front. Under his command were the future leaders of the White movement: quartermaster general, commander of the 12th cavalry division A. Kaledin, commander of the 48th infantry division. In the very first days of hostilities, Brusilov's army participated in the Battle of Galicia. Acting jointly with the 3rd Army of General Ruzsky, units of the 8th Army advanced 130-150 km deep into Galicia in a week of fighting, and in mid-August, near the Zolotaya Linden and Rotten Linden rivers, during fierce battles, they were able to defeat the Austrians.
Galich and Lvov were taken, Galicia was cleared of the enemy. For these victories, Brusilov was awarded the Orders of George of the 4th and 3rd degrees. In the first half of 1915 fighting took on a positional character. Nevertheless, the 8th Army was able to maintain the blockade of the Przemysl fortress, which predetermined its fall. Visiting Galicia, he honored Brusilov with the rank of adjutant general.
However, in the summer of 1915, the position of the Southwestern Front worsened. As a result of the breakthrough of the German troops near Gorlitsa, the Russian armies left Galicia. March 1916 - Brusilov was appointed commander of the Southwestern Front. In April, at a meeting at the headquarters, Nicholas II decided to launch an offensive with the forces of three fronts: Northern, Western and Southwestern. Brusilov was assigned purely defensive tasks, but he insisted on an offensive.
"Brusilovsky breakthrough"
“The first shell, as indicated in the artillery plan, exploded exactly at 4 o’clock in the morning ... Every 6 minutes a heavy gun rumbled, sending a huge shell with an ominous whistle. The lighter guns fired in the same measured manner. Cannons fired even faster at the barbed wire. An hour later, the fire intensified. The roaring whirlwind of fire and steel grew...
Around 10 am, the artillery fire noticeably weakened ... By all indications, an attack by the Russian infantry was to begin. Tired and exhausted Austrians, Hungarians and Germans crawled out of their shelters, stood up to the surviving machine guns ... But the Russian army did not go on the attack. And again after 15 minutes. an avalanche of bombs and shells fell on the front line of the enemy. Shrapnel made terrible havoc among the enemy soldiers... The enemy soldiers had ceased to be an organized army. It was a gathering of mentally shocked people, thinking only about salvation.
This went on for more than an hour ... Exactly at noon, the Russian infantry rose from their trenches and launched a swift attack ... ”- this is how the writer J. Weber described the beginning of the famous Brusilov breakthrough - the only battle during the First World War, named after its developer and leader .
In those aremens, the Battle of Verdun unfolded in France, the Germans rushed to Paris. It was then, on May 22, that the offensive of the troops of the Southwestern Front began, which was called the “Brusilov Breakthrough”. After strong and effective artillery preparation, the Austro-Hungarian front was broken through over 550 km to a depth of 60 to 150 km. The enemy lost up to 1.5 million people killed, wounded and captured, a large number of weapons. Russian troops lost up to 500 thousand people. This victory was of great importance. The French commander-in-chief, General Joffre, wrote in a telegram to Emperor Nicholas:
“The entire French army rejoices over the victory of the valiant Russian army - a victory whose significance and results are felt every day ...” The Austro-Hungarian army was defeated, the Germans and Austrians stopped their offensive in Italy, German units were transferred from Verdun to the Russian front, France saved! For this victory Brusilov Aleksey Alekseevich was awarded the St. George weapon adorned with diamonds.
General A. A. Brusilov - (1916)
Revolutionary years
During the February events of 1917, the front commander A.A. Brusilov was among those top military leaders of the Russian army who convinced Emperor Nicholas II Romanov to abdicate. By this, the Russian generals hoped to save Russia and the Russian army from destruction.
In February 1917, Brusilov became a military adviser to the Provisional Government. In May of the same year, he was appointed Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. But he did not manage to stay in this high post for a long time.
Responding to the greetings of the Mogilev Soviet, General A.A. Brusilov defined his role as Supreme Commander-in-Chief as follows: “I am the leader of the revolutionary army, appointed to my responsible post by the revolutionary people and the Provisional Government, in agreement with the Petrograd Soviet of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies. I was the first to go over to serve on the side of the people, I serve them, I will serve them and I will never be separated from them.”
But despite all the efforts, the new Supreme Commander-in-Chief did not manage to stop the revolutionary ferment in the army in the field and especially in the rear garrisons. A new revolutionary situation was brewing in Russia, against which the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army was powerless. In July of the same 1917, he was replaced by a much more decisive General L. Kornilov and recalled to Petrograd as a military adviser to the Provisional Government.
After the October Revolution of 1917, Brusilov remained in Soviet Russia, turning down an offer to become one of the military leaders of the white movement in the south of the country, where many of his recent colleagues ended up. He settled in Moscow. During the October battles between the Red Guards and the White Junkers, Brusilov was accidentally wounded.
On the side of the Bolsheviks
After the death of his son, who served in the Red Army and was shot by the Whites in 1919, the general sided with the Bolsheviks, where he held a number of high positions. But all of them did not belong to the category of command, and he did not take part in the Civil War directly. Former tsarist general was (successively) chairman of the Special Meeting under the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces - created on the initiative of Brusilov himself, inspector of the Red Army cavalry, chief military inspector of horse breeding and horse breeding. Since March 1924, he was at the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on especially important assignments.
Brusilov in world military history
Aleksey Alekseevich Brusilov died in Moscow on March 17, 1926 at the age of 73 and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery with full military honors.
Brusilov entered the world military history as the author of an offensive strategy of parallel strikes in several sections of the enemy front breakthrough, separated by non-attacked sections, but forming a single system. This required high military skill. In the First World War 1914-1918. such a strategic operation was only possible for one person - the commander of the Russian Southwestern Front.
These days, Russia is celebrating the centenary of the most successful and famous operation of the First World War, which went down in history as the Brusilovsky breakthrough. Lenta.ru already talked about their meaning a year ago. Next in line is a story about the fate of General Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov - a bright and tragic figure.
An outstanding commander is always a strong and bright personality, and such people are rarely unambiguous. So Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov left behind a complex and largely contradictory memory - some idolize him, others are skeptical. This was probably inevitable, because he had to live in an era that, like a bulldozer, broke the fate of people, overthrew idols, turned seemingly unshakable moral and moral values upside down.
Brusilov served Russia all his life, even when it practically ceased to exist. On this path, he reached the pinnacle of his military career - he became the Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. But it turned out that he took command of an already hopelessly sinking ship. New Russia did not want to continue great war, which became the life work of Brusilov, and entered into a fight with herself. For a real Russian general and patriot, this was a terrible tragedy. The last 10 years of Brusilov's life - between the triumphant offensive front-line operation and his departure from earthly life - became the most severe test for the old warrior, but they showed the height of his spirit and true love to the Fatherland, without which he could not imagine himself.
Born cavalryman
Brusilov's life path is just like a cavalry peak, although not as unambiguous as it might seem at first glance. He was born into a general's family, from childhood he chose the career of an officer and achieved the highest success along this path. And in terms of career advancement, and in the greatness of success, and in recognition, both bossy and popular. He tasted fame, honor and respect, by the way, well deserved. On the other hand, his life was by no means easy. His father died when Alexei was only six years old. And soon his mother passed away. Alexei, as well as his younger brothers Boris and Lev, were taken in by the family of their aunt and uncle, who lived in Kutaisi. There, in Georgia, the childhood of the future general passed.
Image: reproduction by Vladimir Boyko / Russian Look / Globallookpress.com
At the age of 14, Alexei went to St. Petersburg to the Corps of Pages, where he was enrolled at the request of his godfather, the royal governor in the Caucasus, Field Marshal Prince A.I. Baryatinsky. He did not study very diligently, but he graduated from this elite institution. True, he was released not into the guard, but into the usual 16th Tver Dragoon Regiment, stationed in the Caucasus. Aleksey Alekseevich himself in his memoirs explains this by the lack of funds for one hundred personal life, researchers tend to associate such a distribution with rather mediocre estimates. By the way, the Tver regiment was quartered very close to the young officer's native places, and, apparently, the desire to be close to the family also played a certain role.
Soon Brusilov had a chance to take part in hostilities, in which the young officer distinguished himself, having earned three military orders and a promotion for "deals with the Turks".
After the war, in 1881, a business trip to the training squadron of the officer cavalry school in St. Petersburg followed - a kind of advanced training course for promising officers. Brusilov showed himself to be an excellent specialist in the art of taking off and received an offer to join the permanent teaching staff of the school. The next quarter of a century of his life and career was connected precisely with the Cavalry Officer School, in which Brusilov made his way from a student to a chief and from a captain to a general. Only in 1906 did he return to field service, taking command of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division. Then there was the command of the field corps, the army at the beginning of the war, the front from March 1916 and the entire Russian army from May 1917.
The career is not quite typical - for most of it, Brusilov taught the officer elite the art of cavalry, and did not “pull the strap” in distant garrisons. He did not go through the usual squadron school and regimental commander, did not study tactics at the Academy of the General Staff. It seems that he was a practitioner, but very narrow - cavalry. This narrowness and lack of deep academic training was often blamed on him.
On the other hand, he was devoid of the narrow-mindedness and dogmatism that often characterizes both theoretical armchair generals and provincial garrison officers. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that thoughts about a completely unconventional, even revolutionary offensive tactics arose in Brusilov's head, which at first frightened his colleagues so much, and then turned out to be victorious.
Was pedantic and demanded the utmost precision
The character of the future famous commander was not easy. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, he was very direct and stern in his assessments, often offending his colleagues with harsh reviews and judgments. He was pedantic and demanded the utmost precision and concreteness from others. Gentleness and delicacy were not among his virtues, at least as far as service was concerned. Brusilov did not hesitate to report the miscalculations of his direct commanders to higher authorities, for which he was repeatedly accused (indirectly) of intrigue and careerism. With the authorities, especially from the royal family, he was courteous, according to some, even obsequious. Sometimes he allowed himself unexpected actions.
Sitting: A.A. Brusilov. Standing, from left to right: Lieutenant Colonel D.V. Khabaev (adjutant A.A. Brusilova), Colonel R.N. Yakhontov (headquarters officer for assignments), staff captain A.A. Brusilov Jr. (son of A.A. Brusilov), Captain E.N. Baidak (adjutant A.A. Brusilova). August 1914.
For example, here is what the protopresbyter of the Russian imperial army G.I. Shavelsky: “When Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, who had just smashed Brusilov (then head of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division) at breakfast, turned to him with an affectionate word, Brusilov grabbed the hand of the Grand Duke and kissed her. He did the same when, in April 1916, near Przemysl, the Sovereign congratulated him as adjutant general.
Two warriors
Many of Brusilov's actions and behaviors evoke involuntary associations with his great predecessor, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. He was also a hereditary military man and also did not think of a different career. They even look alike - both are short, thin and fit, sinewy and hardy. Both Suvorov and Brusilov were extremely demanding of their subordinates, did not shy away from harsh disciplinary measures, at the same time they were loved by the soldiers who went through fire and water for them. Both innovators in military affairs did not hesitate to boldly “break stereotypes” and take responsibility. They had an abundance of ambition, which is characteristic of all real career officers. And ridiculous at first glance actions were also inherent in both.
After all, contemporaries perceived Suvorov very ambiguously, almost like a “pea jester”. Later, over time, the generally accepted biography of the great commander was cleared of some particularly odious stories, acquiring a heroic and even somewhat idealized appearance. Brusilov also had enough ill-wishers, therefore, the interpretations of his acts were different. Moreover, the personality of the commander was not subjected to official canonization, and they did not try to make propaganda out of him national hero. After all, he turned out to be at home among strangers and a stranger among his own - neither white, nor red, neither a monarchist, nor a revolutionary. And this explains a lot in a variety of interpretations.
The commander of the 8th Army, Cavalry General Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov (without a headdress) stands in front of Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich (sitting in a Benz car). Late May - July 1915. The place is not indicated (the prince came to Brusilov at the headquarters of the 8th Russian army). Probably Sambir.
For the Fatherland without a king
Brusilov was loyal to the tsarist government, at least ideologically. From childhood, he absorbed the motto "For the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland", did not think of any other way for Russia and was faithful to him. Perhaps this explains his reverence for the imperial family, as the sacred rulers of the country. Although the commander had a difficult personal relationship with Nicholas II, especially from the moment the emperor led the army. Brusilov was annoyed by the indecision of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, because of which the fronts acted in discord - when the South-Western advanced, the Western and Northern stood still. Nikolai could not organize joint actions, force the commanders to put common tasks above local ones. He asked, persuaded, the generals argued and bargained with him, and precious time was running out. The softness of the Commander-in-Chief cost his army dearly.
By the way, Brusilov was not alone in this attitude towards the last emperor. It is no coincidence that in February 1917, no one from the high command supported the reeling power. Almost simultaneously, telegrams from all the front commanders (Sakharov, Brusilov, Evert, Ruzsky) arrived in the staff car of Nikolai with a request to peacefully abdicate the throne, after which he realized the futility of resistance. Even the chief of staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev, and Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich saw no other way out. So can they all be considered traitors? Maybe there really was no other option?
Image: World History Archive / Globallookpress.com
Brusilov accepted February Revolution if not enthusiastically, then, in any case, with great optimism. From his point of view, the changes were supposed to contribute to the speedy victorious end of the war, but he did not particularly think about politics, believing that this issue could be postponed. At least that's what he writes in his memoirs.
General Alekseev was appointed commander in chief, the army began to prepare for the summer offensive, which was supposed to be victorious. At that time, no one understood how destructive the impact of the revolution on the army would be, what a terrible disaster politicization would become, and how lightning-fast the combat effectiveness of the agitated units would drop to zero. Separated from the capital, the generals and officers did not really understand the intricacies of the political struggle, they did not understand which of the representatives of the new authorities wanted to help the front, and which, on the contrary, sought to destroy it. When they figured it out, it was already too late - the soldiers actually got out of control. Power passed to the regimental committees, in which those who called for an immediate end to the war enjoyed the greatest authority. The unpunished killings of officers seeking to restore order have become commonplace.
It cannot be said that the generals did not understand what was happening. But the hands of the military leaders were tied by the politicking of the civil authorities, who, for populist purposes, tried to play democracy with the soldiers. Disciplinary and corporal punishments were abolished, and officers were severely punished for them. The only legal counterbalance that the command could afford was the creation of shock battalions, or death battalions. They voluntarily recruited the most persistent and, most importantly, willing to follow the orders of the soldiers. Brusilov was one of the initiators of this movement. But, of course, this was not enough.
In May, Alekseev was forced to leave Headquarters due to illness. There were no special discussions about who would replace him - the most popular and famous military leader for everyone was General Brusilov. He accepted the appointment with enthusiasm and hope for success. But the offensive was thwarted. The soldiers did not want to fight, rallied or openly sabotaged orders. Desertion has taken on monstrous proportions.
“Parts of the 28th Infantry Division approached to occupy their starting position only 4 hours before the attack, and only two and a half companies with 4 machine guns and 30 officers reached from the 109th regiment; The 110th regiment reached half strength; two battalions of the 111th regiment, which occupied the cracks, abandoned the offensive; in the 112th regiment, dozens of soldiers went to the rear (...).
Parts of the 29th division did not have time to take initial position, as the soldiers, due to the changed mood, were reluctantly forward. A quarter of an hour before the scheduled start of the attack, the right-flank 114th regiment refused to advance; I had to move in its place the Erivan regiment from the corps reserve. For reasons still unclear, the 116th and 113th regiments also did not move in time (...). After the failure, the drain of soldiers began to increase, and by nightfall it had reached enormous proportions. The soldiers, tired, nervous, not accustomed to fighting and the roar of guns after so many months of calm, inactivity, fraternization and rallies, left the trenches in droves, abandoning machine guns, weapons and went to the rear (...).
The cowardice and indiscipline of some units reached the point that the commanding officers were forced to ask our artillery not to fire, since the firing of their guns caused panic among the soldiers.
(...) In some regiments, the battle line is occupied only by the regiment commander, with his headquarters and several soldiers ”(A.I. Denikin. “Essays on Russian Troubles”).
The offensive failed. Brusilov traveled around the regiments, agitated, persuaded, but all was in vain. The army actually ceased to exist.
Then Brusilov turned to the Duma with a demand to allow the use of detachments and the use of weapons against deserters, as was the case during the "great retreat" of 1915. In response, Brusilov received a telegram stating that he was being recalled to Petrograd, and Lavr Georgievich Kornilov was appointed commander-in-chief.
Image: RIA Novosti
Prisoners captured by Russian troops during the offensive operation on the Southwestern Front (Brusilovsky breakthrough) during the First World War
This decision had purely political reasons. By mid-summer, the scales in the capital began to tilt in favor of radical forces seeking to destabilize the situation. Populist slogans such as "peace to the peoples", "land to the peasants" or "factories to the workers", for all their unrealizability, captured the uneducated masses. The only way to counter them was the forceful intervention of the army, because the police no longer existed, and the Petrograd garrison was on the side of the Bolshevik City Council. Kerensky talked about this with Brusilov, but the old general flatly refused to fight his people. Therefore, it was decided to remove him from command. Soon Kornilov made an attempt to deploy the army inland, but ... was betrayed by Kerensky himself, who was afraid for his power. The rebellion was suppressed, Kornilov was arrested.
Neither red nor white
Brusilov asked permission to leave for Moscow, where his family lived. There, in Mansurovsky lane in the Ostozhenka area, he met October revolution. The very next day, street fighting began in Moscow - the officers who were in the city, as well as the junkers of the Alekseevsky and Alexander schools, did not reconcile themselves to the violent seizure of power by the Bolsheviks. A delegation of the "Committee of Public Security" came to General Brusilov with a request to lead the troops of the rebels, but he refused. The Reds also tried to win him over to their side, but also to no avail. To fight against his own seemed unworthy to the general.
As a result, the red units shamelessly shot the opponents with cannons. They beat with a large caliber from Sparrow Hills across the squares, not particularly caring about civilians. One of the shells hit the house of Brusilov, who was seriously wounded in the leg in several places. Brusilov was urgently taken to the hospital by S.M. Rudnev, where he had to be treated for a long eight months. Surprisingly: neither the Turkish scimitar, nor the German bullet of General Brusilov did not get it, but he suffered from a shell fired by his own gunners!
While Brusilov was recovering, he continued to be bombarded with offers. Old colleagues called him to the Don, where a volunteer army was being formed. Its origins were Brusilov's recent subordinates - Generals Alekseev, Kornilov, Denikin, Kaledin. The last three served on the Southwestern Front, participated in the famous Brusilov breakthrough. Brusilov was also called to the Volga, where the remnants of the Provisional Government and Komuch gathered with forces. But Brusilov again refused to fight against his own.
As soon as the general left the hospital, he was arrested. The Chekists intercepted several letters from the English diplomat and intelligence officer Lockhart, which spoke of plans to make Brusilov the leader of the anti-Bolshevik forces. Also arrested were the son of the general (Aleksey Alekseevich Brusilov, Jr.), who had returned from the front with the rank of captain, and his brother Boris, a former active state councilor. He soon died in custody.
Brusilov spent several months in the Kremlin guardhouse, then was transferred under house arrest. Perhaps the most terrible time began for the Brusilov family, who, like the rest of Muscovites, had to know the pangs of cold and hunger. The general had no sources of income, he was saved by the help of former colleagues - the St. George Knights. Someone brought potatoes and lard from the village, someone helped with canned food. Somehow they survived.
Alexei Jr. was mobilized into the Red Army. How much of this was his voluntary decision remains a mystery, but he was entrusted with the command of a cavalry regiment. In 1919, he died under unclear circumstances. According to the official version, he was captured by the Drozdovites and was hanged, but there is evidence that he joined the white movement as a private, and later either died or died of typhus. It is terrible to think what was going on in the soul of the old warrior. He lost absolutely everything: the Fatherland, the army, to which he gave his whole life, only son. All his merits and victories were stolen from him, because the new government did not need them. In a few years, from a victorious commander, commander-in-chief of the Russian army, he turned into an unfortunate starving old man with poor health.
In the inexorable millstones of history
The situation changed in 1920, when Soviet-Polish war. Under the new conditions, Brusilov considered it possible for himself to return to the service, because now it was not about the civil war, but about the defense of the Motherland. On May 30, Pravda published the famous appeal “To all former officers, wherever they may be”, under which Brusilov was the first to sign, and then several others. former generals. About 14,000 officers who joined the Red Army responded to this call.
After some time, Brusilov, at the request of L.D. Trotsky issued an appeal to the officers of the army of Baron Wrangel. The general was promised that those who surrendered voluntarily would be granted life and freedom. Some believed the authority of the commander and surrendered. Almost all of them were killed without trial. Brusilov was depressed, he was very upset by this tragedy.
Brusilov did not serve in the active Red Army, did not fight against his own. This was his condition. He lectured at the Academy of the Red Army and conducted theoretical classes at the cavalry school. In 1923, the 70-year-old Brusilov was appointed Inspector of the Red Army Cavalry, but a year later he asked to be released for treatment in Czechoslovakia, where he spent the last years of his life. Aleksey Alekseevich died in 1926 and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery with full military honors. Exactly 10 years have passed since the famous breakthrough, and it's scary to think how much the old warrior had to endure over the years.
Brusilov did not become his own in the Red Army, but at first the attitude towards him was quite respectful. It was his name that was most often used when speaking about the experience of the World War. It is clear, because the names of Alekseev, Denikin, Kornilov, Keller, Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak and many others could not even be mentioned, they were associated exclusively with the white movement. Attitude towards Brusilov changed after Patriotic War, when it became known about the existence of the second volume of Brusilov's memoirs, in which he spoke rather impartially about Soviet power and its leaders. It became clear that the old general never accepted the new orders, but served only because he had no other way to survive. And this is also the great tragedy of this great man.
There is not much to remember the military operations that were named after the military leader. The Brusilovsky breakthrough, which is written about in almost all history textbooks, not to mention special, military literature on the preparation and conduct of strategic operations, is an example of such perpetuation of the commander's name. Pronouncing by heart the name of this famous operation, we know practically nothing about its author - Russian General Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov.
Biography of General Brusilov briefly
Alexey Alekseevich was born on August 31, 1853 in Tiflis, in a family of hereditary military men. His father Alexei Nikolaevich had the rank of general. Alexei, like his two brothers, was expected by a military career. Therefore, at the age of 4, he was recorded as a page to the highest court. The early death of their parents forced the brothers to spend their childhood in the family of their aunts. All of them received a good education and made an excellent military career. At the age of 14, Alexei entered the Corps of Pages and, having graduated from it in 1872, was sent to the dragoon regiment. He took part in the Russian-Turkish company of 1877-1878. For bravery he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav 2nd and 3rd degree, as well as the Order of St. Anna 3rd degree. Thanks to his excellent abilities, he successfully advanced in the service and by 1900 was already in the position of head of the Cavalry Officer School.
His name as a connoisseur of cavalry riding and sports was known not only in Russia but also abroad. The future Finnish military leader Gustav Mannerheim honed his skills under the leadership of Brusilov. In his memoirs, he notes him as an attentive, strict and demanding leader, who was an excellent teacher. His development of war games and field exercises were exemplary and very interesting. In his personal life, Alexey Alekseevich preferred to act clearly, in an organized manner and adhering to his goals. He first married in 1884. It cannot be said that there was a great feeling at the heart of this marriage; rather, it can be called a marriage of convenience. Although for almost a quarter of a century, until the death of his wife in 1908, Brusilov had every reason to call himself a happy family man. He was very upset by the death of his wife and transferred to the service in Lublin, in the position of a corps general. Two years later, at the age of 57, he marries a second time. This time, his chosen one was the woman he was in love with. youth. Renewal of acquaintance, absentee matchmaking - everything is swift, decisive, but by no means thoughtless or reckless. This act testifies to the character of a person - direct, knowing what he wants and how this can be achieved.
Similar to actions in his personal life, the general also acts in the conduct of military operations that he is assigned to conduct. The unconventionality of the plans in carrying out the assigned task, the thoughtful thoroughness of their preparation, the indisputable determination in the execution of plans in a real situation - all this can be seen in the operations that were carried out under the command of Brusilov. Successfully acting as commander of the 8th Russian Army, he was able to hold back the onslaught of the enemy, avoid encirclement and heavy losses. He was appointed commander-in-chief of the Southwestern Front, developed and carried out an operation called the Brusilovsky breakthrough and brought the Russian army the most significant success in the World War, which did not receive further strategic development. Due to the inability or unwillingness to use repressive measures to improve discipline in the troops, he was removed. He was among those Russian generals and officers who refused to join the White movement.
Since 1920, he was in the service of the Red Army and headed the Special Conference created on his initiative under the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. During the critical situation of the Red Army on the Polish front, he wrote an appeal “To all former officers, wherever they are” with a call to forget past grievances in the face of danger from an external enemy and stand up for the Fatherland. Almost 14 thousand of the former officers and generals responded to this call and voluntarily joined the Red Army.General Brusilov died in March 1926 in Moscow.
(1853-1926) Russian military leader
General Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich came from a family of hereditary military men. His great-grandfather, grandfather and father were generals of the Russian army. Therefore, the father enrolled his four-year-old son Alexei in the Corps of Pages.
But less than two years later, the life of Alexei and his two younger brothers changed dramatically. The father died suddenly, and four months later the mother died of transient consumption.
The children were taken in by the mother's sister. She was married to the famous military engineer K. Hagenmeister. They had no children of their own and immediately adopted three boys. Uncle and aunt became the closest people to Alexei and his brothers. He retained an affection for them throughout his life.
By the time of adoption, Gagenmeister served in Kutaisi. In his house, the children received an excellent home education, and when ten years later, in the summer of 1867, Alexei took exams in the Corps of Pages, then, unlike his peers, he was not enrolled in the first, but immediately in the third class.
However, he did not study well. The first four years he was considered the best student, but the nervous overload made itself felt. He had to interrupt his studies for a whole year and go to be treated first in Mineral water and then to Kutaisi.
In the summer of 1872 Brusilov Aleksey Alekseevich graduated from the Corps of Pages and was promoted to ensign. But since he did not have the fortune to serve in guards units, he was sent to the Tver Dragoon Regiment, stationed near Tiflis.
In the regiment, Alexei Brusilov immediately established himself as a neat and efficient officer. Six months later he was appointed adjutant of the regiment and promoted to lieutenant. Brusilov served in the regiment for about three years. When did it start Russian-Turkish war 1877 - 1878, the regiment was immediately sent to the war zone.
Alexei Brusilov was included in the First Cavalry Division and sent to storm the Turkish fortress of Kare. But the situation changed so quickly that when he reached Kars, the fortress was already besieged by the Russian army.
The regiment was transferred again, this time to storm the Ardagan fortress. There Brusilov first got into a real battle. For courage, courage, as well as skillful leadership of the unit during the capture of the fortress, he was awarded the Order of Stanislav of the third degree. Alexey will show his military skill in the future.
After the end of the war, the regiment of Alexei Brusilov was transferred to winter quarters, and the young officer was sent for treatment to Mineralnye Vody. Returning to the regiment, he learned that he was promoted to staff captain ahead of schedule and was awarded the Order of Anna with swords and the Order of Stanislav of the second degree. And a year later, as one of the most distinguished officers during the war, he was sent to St. Petersburg to study at the Cavalry Officer School.
In the capital, Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov settled not in an apartment, like many officers, but in a barracks. This allowed him to establish trusting relationships with soldiers and junior officers.
But he also found time for his personal life. In his second year of study, Alexei became engaged to his uncle's niece, Anna von Hagenmeister. After graduating from school and being promoted to the rank of captain, Brusilov got married. He finished his studies first in his graduation and was awarded the Order of Anna of the second degree out of turn for excellent success.
Alexei Brusilov assumed that he would have to return to his regiment, but he was left at school as a teacher.
Together with his wife, he settled in St. Petersburg on Shpalernaya Street. True, family happiness was overshadowed by the death of the firstborn. But in 1887, another son was born to the Brusilovs, named after his grandfather Alexei.
While working at the school, Alexei Brusilov began to reform the system of military education. His immediate superior, General V. Sukhomlinov, gave the young captain complete freedom of action. Using his support, Brusilov turned the school into one of the best educational institutions in Russia in just a year.
A year after the start of work, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed head of the faculty of squadron and hundred commanders created at the school.
The successes of Alexei Brusilov were noticed by higher authorities. A year after the school was checked by Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, the talented officer and teacher was promoted to colonel ahead of schedule and transferred to the Life Guards. So he celebrated his fortieth birthday.
By this time, Brusilov was already the author of several dozen scientific works. He first described the scientific basis for the training of a cavalry soldier and a special system for training horses. To get acquainted with the experience gained in the armies of other countries, Brusilov made a trip to educational institutions in France and Germany.
However, he worked at a time when any reforms were perceived with hostility by the leadership. Therefore, the higher command did not accept his developments. However, the authority of Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov was so high that he was not prevented from implementing his methodology in his own classes. In 1898, Brusilov was appointed assistant chief, and soon the chief of the Cavalry Officer School.
Now he could put into practice most of his developments. Accordingly, the popularity of the school has also increased. All cavalry officers dreamed of getting into it. In the army, the St. Petersburg school was called the Horse Academy.
Then the authorities hurried at the first opportunity to transfer Alexei Brusilov to practical work. In the spring of 1906, he was promoted to major general and appointed head of the Second Guards Cavalry Division stationed in Tsarskoe Selo.
Although service in the guard was considered privileged, Brusilov considered the years spent in the division to be wasted time. Most of the commanders who served under him were the offspring of the best aristocratic families and had little interest in the service. Therefore, he could only clearly and competently fulfill his duties.
By that time, his wife was seriously ill, she was diagnosed with cancer, and in Last year She never got out of bed in her life. In the spring of 1908, Anna died, and Brusilov was left alone. The son left his home, as he was enlisted as a cornet in the equestrian grenadier regiment.
Life in St. Petersburg became unbearable for Brusilov, and he turned to his superiors with a request for a transfer. Soon he was expelled from the guard and appointed commander of the 14th Army Corps, stationed in Poland near the city of Lublin.
True, just before leaving, Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov was invited to the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, who announced to him that he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. But despite the location of the reigning person, Brusilov was nevertheless sent to the outback, to the outskirts of the Russian Empire.
In Lublin, he plunged headlong into service, trying to drown out his grief and loneliness with work.
By nature, he was a family man and now he was completely alone. His leisure was brightened up only by correspondence with N. Zhelikhovskaya, the niece of the famous theosophist E. Blavatsky. Relations between them turned from friendship to love, and Nadezhda became Brusilov's wife. In this marriage, he had two more children.
The First World War caught him in the post of assistant commander of the Warsaw Military District. Shortly before the outbreak of hostilities, he became a full general of the cavalry.
Immediately after the announcement of mobilization, Alexei Brusilov was appointed commander of the Eighth Army. He immediately established himself as a skilled and at the same time tough military leader. Although at that time the advantage was on the side of the enemy, Brusilov led the troops so accurately that almost all Russian victories at the front began to be associated with his name.
On April 10, 1915, Nicholas II awarded the general with one of the highest Russian orders - the Order of the White Eagle, at the same time promoting him to adjutant general.
Alexey Alekseevich Brusilov believed that Russian troops should conduct offensive operations. And where he managed to realize his plan, the advantage necessarily passed to the Russian army.
On March 17, 1916, Brusilov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Southwestern Front. He immediately began preparing for the offensive. The talented commander wanted to break through the enemy's defenses simultaneously along the entire length of the front and personally developed plans for the future offensive.
On May 22, 1916, the famous operation was carried out, which went down in the history of military art under the name of the Brusilov breakthrough. For two days, Russian artillery broke into the enemy defenses. Then the troops were raised on the offensive. In a month, they managed to capture most of Western Ukraine. During the operation, almost 400 thousand German and Austrian soldiers were captured. Later, historians found that the enemy lost more than one and a half million soldiers and officers. The losses of the Russian troops were three times less.
However, the victories of Alexei Brusilov could not change the situation at the front, since the German troops still had powerful equipment and had fresh reserves at their disposal. The Russian army no longer possessed all this. True, thanks to Brusilov, it was possible to stabilize the front line, but even such a talented commander as he could not change the course of events. The successes of the Russian army gave way to failures, and Brusilov was again blamed for them. By the decision of the Provisional Government, he was removed from all posts and sent on vacation. After leaving the front, Alexei Alekseevich Brusilov went to Moscow, where his wife was.
Relations with the Bolsheviks were not easy for him. As a patriot, he could not accept the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. At the same time, Brusilov refused to go over to the side of the White Army. It is difficult to say how his fate would have developed if it were not for a serious illness that allowed him to evade direct participation in military events. Only in 1920 did he finally enter the service of the new Russian government.
In 1922, Brusilov was appointed chief military inspector of horse breeding and horse breeding. He stayed in this position for only six months and was suspended from work among other former military specialists.
The famous military leader spent the rest of his days working on his memoirs. They were published only many decades later.
In St. Petersburg on November 14, 2007, a monument to General Alexei Brusilov was unveiled in the square at the intersection of Shpalernaya and Tavricheskaya streets. His military merits are well known. In wars, there are not many strategic operations named after the commander, one of them is the Brusilovsky breakthrough. But Brusilov's activities after October 1917 still cause heated debate. After all, he was the most authoritative of tsarist generals transferred to the service of the Soviet government. So who was Brusilov during this period - a patriot or a traitor? To understand this, one must look at how life path general.
Alexei Brusilov was born on August 19, 1853 in the family of a hereditary military man. He was barely 6 years old when his father, a lieutenant general, head of the military judicial service in the Caucasus, died. Alexei and his two brothers were brought up by their uncle, military engineer Gagemeister, who served in Kutaisi. “The most vivid impressions of my youth were, undoubtedly, stories about the heroes of the Caucasian War. Many of them were still living at that time and visiting my relatives,” Brusilov later recalled.
In 1867, having successfully passed the exams, Alexei was enrolled immediately in the fourth class of the Corps of Pages - the most privileged military educational institution Russia. At the end of the corps, he did not dare to join the guards due to lack of funds, but was assigned to the 15th Tver Dragoon Regiment.
From August 1872 began for cornet Brusilov military service. The first serious test of officer maturity was for him the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78, in which the Tver dragoons were at the forefront of the Russian troops. The future commander fully knew the heavy battles on the defensive and the furious assault on fortresses, swift cavalry attacks and the aching bitterness of farewell to dead friends. During the seven months of the war, he earned three military orders and was promoted to staff captain.
In 1881 Brusilov again came to St. Petersburg. As one of the best riders in the regiment, he won the right to enter the St. Petersburg officer cavalry school. Two years of intense study flew by unnoticed, and another entry appeared in the track record: “He graduated from the course of sciences of the department of squadron and hundreds of commanders in the category of“ excellent ”. In August 1883, he was enrolled in it as an adjutant and tied his fate with it for a quarter of a century.Over the years, he became a major general, the head of the school, created his own system for training cavalrymen, won wide fame and appreciation in the army.The school he led became recognized center for the training of senior officers for the cavalry.
In 1906, an unexpected and honorable appointment followed as head of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Division, which included regiments that had become famous even in battles with Napoleon. Old glory is good for parades. Given the sad results of the war on Far East, Brusilov seriously engaged in the combat training of his subordinates. Concluding that " modern combat requires from each officer a broad outlook and the ability to independently, without prompting, make his own decision, "he Special attention devoted to the training of commanders.
Analyzing the results of the war, he put forward the bold idea of creating cavalry corps and armies. But his thoughts were fully embodied only in the years civil war, having passed the test in the rapid raids of the cavalry armies of Budyonny and Dumenko.
By secular standards, Brusilov's career was developing successfully: he was promoted to lieutenant general, and entered the palace. But Aleksey Alekseevich was burdened by service in the stuffy atmosphere of capital intrigues, he left the guard (an infrequent case at that time) and in 1909 was transferred to the Warsaw District as the commander of the 14th Army Corps. The corps stood near Lublin near the border with Austria-Hungary, but was very poorly prepared for hostilities. “I was sadly convinced,” Brusilov wrote, “that many gentlemen officers are technically extremely inadequately trained. In infantry units, tactical exercises were conducted concisely, and partly ineptly.” reinforced combat training, organized and tightly controlled by Brusilov, has borne fruit. A year later, the corps stood out noticeably in terms of the level of combat readiness among the troops of the district.
In the spring of 1912, Brusilov was appointed assistant commander of the Warsaw district. Governor-General Skalon and his entourage met the appointment of Alexei Alekseevich very wary. And he, a delicate and restrained person by nature, did not hide his attitude to the money-grubbing that flourished in the district, and even wrote about this to the Minister of War. Brusilov, who by this time had been promoted to the rank of full general, was a prominent figure in the Russian army, they did not quarrel with him, but simply granted his request to be transferred to the Kiev district as a corps commander. It was a demotion, but Aleksey Alekseevich accepted it with joy. He again plunged into the usual commander's worries. And he got a big "farm": the 12th Army Corps consisted of 4 divisions, a brigade, and several separate units.
Widespread fame Brusilov was brought by the 1st World War. Having taken command of the 8th Army, located on the left flank of the Russian front, on August 7 he launched an offensive deep into Galicia. The fighting impulse of the 8th Army was supported by the entire Southwestern Front. One of the largest strategic operations of the war began - the Battle of Galicia.
In two months of hostilities, Russian troops liberated a vast territory, took Lvov, Galich, Nikolaev and reached the Carpathians. The Austro-Hungarian army lost more than 400 thousand people. The main contribution to this success was made by the 8th Army. The official recognition of the merits of the army commander was the awarding of General Brusilov with the most revered military orders - St. George 4th and 3rd degrees. During these months, Brusilov finally took shape as a commander, developed his own style of leading large masses of troops.
At the end of September, in order to develop an offensive on the left flank of the front and capture the strong fortress of Przemysl under the command of Brusilov, a Galician group consisting of three armies was created. It was not possible to immediately take the fortress, but, having securely blocked it, Brusilov's troops reached the Carpathians by winter and drove the enemy out of the passes.
Winter 1914-15 passed in continuous battles. The enemy sought to oust the Russian troops from the Carpathians and unblock Przemysl. Brusilov, despite the lack of reserves and an acute shortage of ammunition, constantly counterattacked along the entire front. It was in these battles that he began to mature the basic principles of offensive operations, brilliantly embodied by him later in the famous breakthrough.
By spring, the situation at the front had changed. The Austro-Hungarian troops, reinforced by German divisions, bypassed the left flank of the Russian troops, Brusilov's army was forced to leave the foothills of the Carpathians and retreat to the Dniester. In heavy fighting, she stopped all enemy attempts to break through to Przemysl, and on March 9 the fortress surrendered. This was a major success, which the Entente troops did not yet know. 9 generals, 2500 officers, 120 thousand soldiers surrendered, more than 900 guns were taken prisoner.
Unfortunately, the Russian army did not have more major successes in 1915, and by the summer the troops were retreating along the entire front. Brusilov's army left Galicia. By the autumn of 1915, the front had stabilized, and the armies spent the winter in positional defense, preparing for new battles. In March 1916, Adjutant General Brusilov was appointed commander in chief of the Southwestern Front.
The Stavka plan for 1916 provided for the main attack by the forces of the Western Front in the Berlin strategic direction, the armies of the Northern and Southwestern Fronts were to deliver private pinching blows.
The role of an extra in the general offensive did not suit Brusilov, and he began to prepare the troops of the front for decisive battles. Lacking superiority in strength, the commander-in-chief decided to succeed by moving away from patterns and carefully preparing the offensive.
The main blow was delivered by the 8th Army in the direction of Lutsk, for which almost all reserves and artillery were involved. Breakthrough areas were also determined for each army and many corps. Brusilov assigned artillery a special role in breaking through the enemy defenses. He subordinated part of the light batteries to the commanders of the infantry regiments of the first line. When carrying out artillery preparation, instead of firing at areas, he introduced fire at specific targets. The infantry attack was planned to be carried out by waves of chains, reinforcing them with machine guns with artillery escort. To gain air supremacy, he formed a front-line fighter aviation group.
On May 22, Brusilov began a powerful artillery preparation, after which the infantry went on the attack. During the first three days, the front in the Lutsk direction was broken through for 80 miles, there was success in the areas of breakthrough of a number of armies and corps. It would seem that the Headquarters should support the emerging operational success. But the inexplicable happens. The start of the offensive of the Western Front is postponed until June 4, while Brusilov is denied the allocation of reserves and ordered to continue to fetter the enemy with demonstrative battles. Only ten days later, the Headquarters began to transfer reserves to the Southwestern Front, giving it the right to deliver the main blow. But the time had already passed. Heavy fighting, either fading or flaring up again, continued until September. Without the support of neighbors, Brusilov's army defeated the Austro-Hungarian and German troops in Galicia and Bukovina, inflicting huge losses on them - up to 1.5 million people, captured about 600 guns, 1800 machine guns, and large trophies.
Analyzing the Brusilovsky breakthrough, military historians often use the word "for the first time": for the first time a strategic offensive was carried out in conditions of positional warfare; for the first time, a defense in depth was broken through by simultaneous crushing blows in a number of sectors of the front; for the first time, infantry escort batteries were allocated and successive concentrations of fire were used to support the attack - such a list could be continued for a long time.
The war continued, but significant changes were brewing in the country. Following the fall of the autocracy, the process of decomposition of the army began rapidly. From the end of May, Brusilov served as commander-in-chief for two months, but he could no longer stop the collapse of the army.
Leaving the army, Brusilov settled in Moscow. In November, he was seriously wounded by fragments of a shell that accidentally hit the house and until July 1918 he was treated in a hospital. During this period, representatives of the White movement visited him, trying to win over to their side. This did not go unnoticed, and Brusilov was arrested. For two months he was in the Kremlin guardhouse, but was released due to lack of evidence of connection with the anti-Soviet movement. At the same time, his brother, who died in custody, and his son, former captain Alexei, were arrested. The son was soon released, and in 1919 he voluntarily joined the Red Army and commanded a cavalry regiment. In one of the battles he was taken prisoner. According to one version, he was shot, according to another, he joined the Volunteer Army and died of typhus.
Until 1920, Brusilov eschewed active cooperation with the Bolsheviks. But with the beginning of the war with Poland, he proposed to organize "a meeting of people of combat and life experience for a detailed discussion of the current situation in Russia and the most appropriate measures to get rid of foreign invasion." A few days later, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, a Special Meeting was formed under the Commander-in-Chief, whose chairman was Brusilov. Soon Pravda published an appeal "To all former officers, wherever they are." The first under the appeal was the signature of A.A. Brusilov, then other former generals - members of the meeting. Several thousand former generals and officers responded to the appeal, who joined the Red Army and were sent to the Polish front.
During the fighting for the Crimea, Brusilov was offered to write an appeal to the Wrangelites to end resistance. Trusting the assurances that all those who voluntarily laid down would be allowed to go home, he wrote such an appeal. Many white officers, believing the general, laid down their arms. Most of them were shot. Brusilov was very upset by his involvement in their death, but he continued to serve in the Red Army. He was appointed a member of the Military Legislative Conference under the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, as well as the chief inspector of the Main Directorate of Horse Breeding and Horse Breeding of the RSFSR. Thanks to the great authority of Brusilov in the military environment, he was willingly appointed to other positions related to the cavalry, attracted to lecture at the Academy of the Red Army. And when Brusilov retired, he was left at the disposal of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR "for especially important assignments."
Alexei Brusilov died on March 17, 1926 in Moscow at the age of 73. He was buried with full military honors on the territory of the Novodevichy Convent.
Time puts everything in its place. The memory of General Brusilov lives on. And it’s not his fault, but the trouble is that, accustomed to living according to the laws of honor, he could not understand in time that in new Russia, which he tried to honestly serve, these laws are not available to everyone.
