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Alexei Brussilov

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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"ALEXEI BRUSSILOV (1856-), Russian general, was born in 1856. His military career began in the Caucasus. His courage and capacities brought him to notice in the war with Turkey in 1877-8. The greater part of his military life was passed at the cavalry school for officers in St. Petersburg, of which he became director in 1900. Well acquainted with cavalry technique, of great erudition, he was very useful in this capacity. In 1905 General Brussilov commanded the second guard cavalry division, in 1909 an army corps, and somewhat later he was assistant to the commander-in-chief of the Warsaw military district. At the beginning of the World War he was nominated commander of the Russian VIII. Army, which acted with brilliant success in Galicia in 1914 and 1915. General Brussilov's reputation grew steadily, and in the winter of 1915-6 he was called to the command of the armies of the south-western front. During the summer of this year he conducted the great offensive in Galicia, which resulted in the capture of over 450,000 prisoners, with enormous booty and trophies, and the relief of the Italian army by the withdrawal of considerable enemy forces thence to meet the crisis of Lutsk. In May 1917 after the revolution he was appointed to the supreme command, but he did not hold the appointment long. Later, he accepted the Bolshevik regime, and was often, though erroneously, reported to be in supreme command of the Bolshevik armies during the wars of 1919-20.