Pyotr Vannovsky

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Pyotr Vannovsky
Пётр Ванновский
Adjutant-General Pyotr Vannovsky, c. 1902.
Russian Minister of War
In office 3 June [O.S. 22 May] 1881 (Manager of the Ministry of War until 13 January [O.S. 1] 1882) – 13 January [O.S. 1] 1898
Monarchs	Alexander III Nicholas II
Preceded by	Dmitry Milyutin
Succeeded by	Aleksey Kuropatkin
Minister of National Education
In office 6 April [O.S. 24 March] 1901 – 24 April [O.S. 11] 1902
Monarch	Nicholas II
Preceded by	Nikolay Bogolepov
Succeeded by	Grigori Zenger
Personal details
Born	6 December [O.S. 24 November] 1822 Kiev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	1 March [O.S. 17 February] 1904 (aged 81) Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Resting place	Nikolskoe Cemetery, Alexander Nevsky Lavra
Children	Sergei Petrovich Boris Petrovich Anna Petrovna
Military service
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Branch/service	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1840–1898
Rank	General of the Infantry
Commands	12th Infantry Division 33rd Infantry Division 12th Army Corps Ruschuk Detachment
Battles/wars	Hungarian Campaign Crimean War Siege of Silistra Russo-Turkish War Siege of Plevna Battle of Shipka Pass
Awards	Russian: Foreign:

Pyotr Semyonovich Vannovsky (Russian: Пётр Семёнович Ванновский;^[a] Belarusian: Пётр Сямёнавіч Ванновскі, romanized: Pyotr Syamyonavich Vannovski; 6 December [O.S. 24 November] 1822 – 1 March [O.S. 17 February] 1904)^[1] was a Russian statesman and military leader of Belarusian extraction, who served in the Imperial Russian Army. He was also an honorary member of the Academy of Military Medical, the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, the Mykolaiv Engineering School, the Imperial Academy of Sciences,^[2] and a full knight of the Order of St. Vladimir.

Born in Kiev into a family of Belarusian landed gentry, Vannovsky chose his career early on in his life and began military schooling. After a few years, he participated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Crimean War as part of the Life Guards Finnish Regiment, distinguishing himself at the Siege of Silistra, he was highly decorated after the war, becoming the head of his own regiment, and several military schools. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, he took the prominent role as the chief of staff of the Ruschuk Detachment, under the Tsesarevich, future emperor Alexander III. Taking part in many minor but important campaigns, especially a campaign for breaking the Siege of Plevna and the battle between Trastenik and Mechka. For his and Alexander's achievements, they were both awarded the Order of St. George of the 3rd and 2nd degree respectively. A few years after the war, Alexander ascended to the throne, and Vannnovsky was subsequently appointed Minister of War.

Vannovsky was one of the most successful Minister of War during the course of the Russian Empire, he was in office during most of the reign of Emperor Alexander III and the early reign of Emperor Nicholas II from 1881 to 1898, he was credited with maintaining order, preventing corruption and reforming the Russian military during his role as the Minister of War. But after Vannovsky resigned, he had warned the military about modern war tactics, should the general's warning be remembered by the generals of the next generation (those who served in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War), the Russian performance in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War would have been completely different. He also briefly served as the Minister of National Education from 1901 to 1902. After which he retired and died suddenly in 1904 following the Russo-Japanese War, perhaps dying upon learning of the disastrous war with Japan.

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