LANGERON, Louis Alexander Andrault (b. 24 January 1763, Paris — d. 16 July, 1831, Odessa) was born to a French noble family; his full name was Louis Alexander Andrault chevalier comte de Langéron, marquis de la Coss, baron de Cougny, de la Ferté Langéron et de Sassy. At an age of 15, he was “sous-lieutenant des gardes françaises.” He later served at Caracas and Saint-Domingue in 1782-1783. In 1786, he was promoted to assistant-colonel to the regiment of Médoc, and then colonel to the Armagnac Regiment in 1788. Langeron accompanied the Prince of Nassau to Russia in 1789, and the next year entered Russian service as a colonel in the Siberia Grenadier Regiment (7 May 1790). He distinguished himself in the campaigns against the Swedes, earning the Order of St. George (4th class, 19 September 1790) for actions at Bjork, and commanding the Russian left wing in the battle at Rochensalmi. In 1790-1791, he fought the Turks at Ismail (wounded, awarded a golden sword) and Macin.

With Catherine II’s permission, Langeron served in the Prince of Saxony-Teschen’s army against the French in Netherlands, and on his return to Russia, was sent as a military observer to the Austrian army in Northern France and Netherlands (1793-1794). In August 1795, Langeron transferred to the Malorossiisk [Little Russia] Grenadiers Regiment and rose to brigadier on 9 July 1796. He became major general and chef of the Ufa (Ufimsky) Musketeer Regiment on 2 June 1797. He was awarded the Order of St. Anna (2nd class) for effective maintenance of his regiment. Under Paul, Langeron also received the Commander Cross of Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and was conferred the title of count of the Russian Empire. He was given the rank of lieutenant general on 5 November 1798, and appointed chef of the Riga (Ryazhsky) Musketeer Regiment 24 May 1799. Langeron became the head of the Brest Inspection on 24 August 1800. Langeron took part in the 1805 Campaign against Napoleon and commanded Russian troops on the Allied left flank at Austerlitz. He was one of the two generals disgraced after the war and was sent to Odessa.

In 1806-1811, Langeron served in the Army of Moldavia against the Ottomans. He fought at Giurgiu, Silistra, Frasin (Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class), Derekoy (Order of St. George, 3rd class, 1 October 1810), and Ruse (Order of St. Alexander of Neva). Langeron took command of the 22nd Division on 19 August 1810, and temporarily led the Army of Moldavia after General Kamensky died. He participated in the decisive battle at Ruse in 1811, for which he was promoted to general of infantry on 3 September 1811, and awarded the Order of St. Vladimir (1st class). In 1812, Langeron commanded the 1st Corps of the Army of Danube and took part in the actions at Brest-Litovsk and on the Berezina.

In 1813, Langeron was in charge of the blockade of Thorn, for which he received the Order of St. George (2nd class, 23 March 1813), as well as both the Prussian Orders of Black and Red Eagles. Commanding a Russian corps, Langeron participated in the battles of Koenigswarte, Bautzen, Zibeneichen, Lowenberg, Holdberg, Katzbach, Hartau, Bischofsward, and Leipzig (received the diamond signs of Order of St. Alexander of Neva and the Swedish Order of the Sword). In 1814, he led his corps at Soissons, Craonne, Laon, Rheims, Le Fère Champenoise, and Paris for which he garnered the Russian Order of St. Andrew the First Called, the French Orders of St. Louis and Lily, and the Austrian Order of Maria Theresa. In late 1814, Langeron commanded the 4th and 6th Corps in Volhynia, and marched back to France during the Hundred Days. He reached the Rhine when Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo, and turned back to Russia.

After the war, Langeron was appointed the Military Governor of Kherson and Odessa, the Commander-in-Chief of the Bug and Black Sea Cossack Hosts, and the Governor of the Ekaterinoslavl, Kherson, and Tavrida gubernias on 28 November 1815. He contributed significantly to the development of the city of Odessa in 1816-1823. Langeron was relieved of his duties because of poor health on 26 May 1823, and traveled to France in 1824-1825.

Langeron was appointed a member of the sentencing panel after the Decembrist Uprising in 1826, and was awarded the diamond signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First Called. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, he fought at Satunovo, Shumla, Giurgiu, Turno, and Silistra. Langeron became chef of the Riga Infantry Regiment on 23 February 1829, and left the Turkish front after the appointment of General Diebitsch. He spent the next two years in Odessa and traveled to St. Petersburg in early 1831, where he died during the cholera epidemic on 16 July 1831. Langeron was buried in the Catholic Church in Odessa in 1831.

O’ROURKE (O’Rourke I), Joseph Kornilovich (b. 1762 — d. 1849) was born to an Irish noble family; his father moved to Russia under Empress Elizabeth and served as a major general in the Russian army. O’Rourke enlisted as a sergeant in the Life Guard Izmailovsk Regiment in 1776, and fourteen years later, became a captain in the Pskov Dragoon Regiment. He fought in the Russo-Swedish War in 1789-1790, and participated in the 1794 Campaign in Poland. O’Rourke transferred to the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment in 1797, rising to major in 1798. In 1799, he served in General Rimsky-Korsakov’s corps in Switzerland, and for his actions at Zurich, was awarded the Order of St. George (4th class) and promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1800.

During the 1805 Campaign, O’Rourke served in the Russian rearguard and fought at Schöngrabern and Austerlitz. During the 1806- 1807 Campaigns in Poland, he took part in the battles at Golimyn and Eylau (awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class). In March 1807, he was sent to Volhynia to form the Volhynia Uhlan Regiment, and was appointed chef of this unit on 19 May 1807. In 1808-1811, he served in the Danube Valley and distinguished himself at Giurgiu.

Promoted to major general on 3 August 1810, O’Rourke was dispatched to Serbia, where he defeated the Turks at Palanka and Banya, earning the Order of St. George (3rd class) on 10 December 1810. He also fought at Jasika, Varvarino, and on the Morava River. He later joined the main Russian forces and fought the Turks at Kalafat. For his actions, O’Rourke was awarded the Order of St. Anna (1st class) with diamonds and the Order of St. Vladimir (2nd class). In early 1812, he commanded Russian troops on the border of Bosnia. During the 1812 Campaign, he was recalled to Volhynia, where he commanded a cavalry detachment and fought on the Bug and Berezina Rivers, and pursued the French from Molodechno to Kovno.

In 1813, O’Rourke took part in the rearguard actions on the Oder River and in the battles at Dresden, Magdeburg, and Kulm (Prussian Iron Cross). He was promoted to lieutenant general on 10 October 1813, with seniority dating from 16 August 1813. In October 1813, he fought at Dennewitz, Leipzig, and Kassel. During the 1814 Campaign in France, O’Rourke commanded a cavalry corps in the Army of North and fought at Craonne, St. Dizier, Bar sur Aube, Laon (awarded the Order of St. Alexander of Neva), and Paris. For his actions in 1813-1814, he was awarded the Prussian Order of Red Eagle, the Swedish Order of the Sword, and Hesse-Kassel Order of Military Merit.

In August 1814, O’Rourke took command of the 2nd Uhlan Division. The next year, he accompanied Alexander I to the Congress of Vienna. In 1816-1818, he led the Lithuanian Uhlan Division and took command of the 1st Hussar Division on 4 May 1819. Relieved of duty on 25 July 1819, he retired to his estate near Minsk. During the Polish Rebellion of 1830, O’Rourke mobilized reserves in the Minsk gubernia and was awarded the Order of St. Alexander of Neva with diamonds. He was promoted to general of cavalry on 22 April 1841. O’Rourke died at his estate at Vselube in the Grodno gubernia in April 1849. During his career, O’Rourke also received two golden swords (one with diamonds) for courage. His brother O’ROURKE (O’Rourke I) Patrice Kornilovich, rose to colonel and led the Volhynia Horse (later Uhlan) Regiment on 24 October 181, but sickened and died on 10 June 1812.

Alexander Mikaberidze is the author of The Russian Officer Corps in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, 1792-1815 (ISBN 1-932714-02-2; 820 biographies, 440 b&w portraits, 38 charts, tables, and graphs, 534 pages, hardcover, dust jacket, 7 x 10). The book contains more than 800 biographical sketches of Russian officers and is based upon years of research in a variety of Russian and European archives. Mikaberidze sat down recently with Sarah Stephan of Savas Beatie LLC to share his passion for the Napoleonic period and what he hopes readers will gain from his work.

Q: What draws you to Napoleon and this particular period in Russian history?

A: For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with Napoleon’s personality. The first two books I read on Napoleon, by Eugene Tarle and Albert Manfred were so well written, I found myself immersed in a new world. I grew up in Georgia (formerly part of the Soviet Union) which was torn by civil wars. I searched for books written in Georgian, my native language, but only found one: Napoleon’s memoirs. Because of this, I started working on a book in Georgian that described Napoleon’s rise to power.

Q: How did your research lead to writing The Russian Officer Corps?

A: During research for my first book, I met scholars at Tbilisi State University in Georgia who were also interested in Napoleon. In 1999, a group of us established the Napoleonic Society of Georgia and conducted a few seminars. The next year, we even convened an International Napoleonic Congress in Georgia! Although my first degree was in international law and I served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Georgia, my interest in Napoleon soon changed my life.

Q: How so?

A: While presenting a paper at Napoleonic Congress in Israel, I met two people who were students at the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution at Florida State University. At the time I was living in Georgia with a salary of $17 and never imagined actually moving to Florida, but in 2000, I received a full scholarship to study at the Institute from the director, Professor Donald D. Horward. It was a dream come true for me.

Q: I can imagine it was! Can you describe for our readers your experience moving to the United States?

A: Well, I arrived in Florida on August 15, 2000, Napoleon’s 231st birthday!

Q: That sounds like a good start!

A: Yes. It was a decisive move that not only led to me writing The Russian Officer Corps, but also impacted my entire life. Thanks to Horward’s invitation, I met my wife in the United States. Studying the Napoleonic period at the Institute was a great experience, in part because of the work I did with other students. We held Napoleon seminars where we discussed every aspect of Napoleonic Europe in great detail. My decision to write The Russian Officer Corps emerged out of these discussions.

Q: The book contains biographical sketches of some 800 Russian officers who commanded troops in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Has this type of book ever been written before?

A: Surprisingly, no. The book is long overdue. Two centuries have passed since this time period and the names of the Russian officers, who constantly fought Napoleon, are still largely unknown. If most people are asked about Russian generals of the Napoleonic Wars, they might recall Kutuzov’s name or perhaps Bagration, but that’s about it. Many more officers served and faced the best European army led by one of the best commanders. Yet, there weren’t any books on Russian officers comparable to George Six’s Dictionary of French Generals. I hope my book will be the first step in filling this gap.

Q: This is a magnificent reference work. What was the most interesting part for you—researching it or writing it?

A: I have to say the highlight for me was researching this study. It was fascinating to trace an officer’s personality from the start of his service to the end and see his successes or his failures. I was also fortunate enough to find portraits of many officers. Instead of just seeing an officer’s name, readers can see (in many cases) his face and imagine him living, riding, fighting, commanding. It makes history more alive and vivid.

Q: Was writing it difficult?

A: With some 800 entries in the dictionary, the most challenging part was keeping track of so many Russian officers! I had to check facts for each, analyze the information to verify the tables, and finally combine all this into a readable fashion.

Q: Will people who study Napoleon’s campaigns other than his 1812 invasion of Russia find this book useful?

A: Anyone interested in European history between 1792 and 1815 will find this book useful. Russia was involved in virtually all the wars fought against France between 1799 and 1815. In addition, Russia waged expansion wars in Finland, the Danubian Principalities, and Caucasus. Many officers described in the dictionary served in all these conflicts. Peter Bagration fought the French from 1805 to 1807, served in Finland from 1808 to 1809, fought the Turks for the next two years, and again served against Napoleon in 1812. Another general, Matvei Platov, served in two Russo-Turkish Wars (1769-1771), an aborted expedition to India from 1800 to 1801, and two campaigns against Napoleon, the first from 1806 to 1807 and the second from 1812 to1814.

Q: Although the title of the book centers on the critical years 1792 to 1815, does the dictionary include information about these officers from other parts of their lives?

A: Yes, it also covers officer’s careers at least two decades following the Napoleonic Wars. Ivan Paskevich went on to become a field marshal and one of the most influential men in the Russian empire, while Alexander Chernishev served as the Minister of War from 1832 to 1852.

Q: This may be an unfair question, but do you have a favorite officer you enjoyed researching?

A: Well, my favorite has to be Peter Bagration. I wrote a dissertation on him at the Institute, so he feels like a member of my family by now! [Alex’s dissertation will soon be published as Lion of the Russian Army: Life and Career of General Peter Bagration .] As for the others, some do stick in my mind. Alexander Albrecht survived horrible injuries at Austerlitz, Peter Dolgorukov achieved immense power by the age of 25, and Barclay de Tolly persevered through many ordeals during the 1812 Campaign.

Q: Speaking of Bagration and Barclay de Tolly, your accounts of these men--and your Introduction--discusses in detail their difference of opinion during the 1812 Campaign . . .

A: Yes, they are very interesting men. I greatly enjoyed researching the passionate strategic arguments that took place among officers led by Bagration and Barclay. It was a remarkable archival journey to trace their quarrel on the backdrop of and during the massive French invasion when the stakes were so high.

Q: They are indeed fascinating men. I guess the list could go on and on.

A: Yes . . . Aleksey Ermolov is described by contemporaries as “the Sphinx of modern times” for his craftiness. Mikhail Miloradovich was a fearless commander, but a passionate gambler and womanizer. And many, many others . . .

Q: Were the Russian generals as competent as their French counterparts?

A: Some Russians were as capable as French officers. The first to come to mind are Barclay de Tolly, Ermolov, and Bistrom. Unfortunately, many were inexperienced and incompetent officers and poor officer education haunted the Russians throughout the Napoleonic Wars. Contemporary memoirs and letters often attest to this problem. However, if you look at this period, the Russian army was very successful on all other fronts. It defeated the Swedish army in Finland and crushed the Turks in Danubian Principalities and the Persian forces in the Caucasus.

Q: How do you think Russian officers compare to Prussian or Austrian officers?

A: They were equally capable in some regards, but there are always exceptions. Russian officers themselves considered both Prussian and Austrian officers incompetent. However, one must remember that many German officers were in the Russian service. The Russian Officer Corps contains biographies on men such as Phull, Wallmoden, Wolzogen, Wurrtemberg, and Tettenborn who left Prussia or Austria after they suffered defeats at the hand of Napoleon and served in the Russian army in 1812-1814 Campaigns.

Q: Were you surprised by anything you discovered in your research?

A: I was very surprised by the poverty of the officers. People often assume officers enjoyed the best quarters and food. In reality, many of them suffered as much as common soldiers. Only a few had large estates or large numbers of serfs. In fact, the majority had no property at all.

Q: What about their literacy rate?

A: That is an interesting question. I discovered there was a high level of illiteracy among the Russian officers--especially compared to the French army.

Q: The introduction is packed with this sort of information, as well as material on the development of the Russian officer corps, military school education, and officer promotions. How do you hope this information will help readers before they delve into the biographical sketches?

A: The introduction provides readers with background knowledge on how officers were trained and prepared for the army. It also gives a general overview of the officer corps that helped to bring down the Napoleonic Empire and highlights some specifics, such as social status and education. This information is scarce in Western historiography. My hope is this book will be of use to anyone interested in the Age of Napoleon and the Russian army.

Q: Serious students of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars will certainly need to consult your study . . .

A: Well, thank you for saying that. I hope others think the same way.

Q: Thanks for sharing this interesting background Dr. Mikaberidze. I hope the book does well for you.

A: Thank you so much.