Army commanders-in-chief at the 1914–1917 fronts: analysis of the military service record before the First World War outbreak

The paper considers the pre-war military service period of the army commanders-in-chief at the Russian army fronts during the First World War, namely M.V. Alekseev, A.A. Brusilov, Ya.G. Zhilinsky, N.I. Ivanov, A.N. Kuropatkin, P.A. Pleve, N.V. Ruzsky, V.V. Sakharov and A.E. Evert. It identifies the general patterns in military service, education, formation of the generals’ combat experience and analyzes using the comparative historical method their rank promotion rate to find deviations from the norm. Rapid career rises, or, conversely, the long periods of disfavor from the superiors would become the basis for biographical studies revealing intricacies in the career growth of each of the generals.

EDN KRYNQG

References
[1] Zaionchkovskiy P.A. Samoderzhavie i russkaya armiya na rubezhe XIX–XX stoletiy. 1881–1903 [Autocracy and Russian Army at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries. 1881–1903]. Moscow, Mysl Publ., 1973, 351 p.
[2] Volkov S.V. Russkiy ofitserskiy korpus [The Russian Officer Corps]. Moscow, Voenizdat Publ., 1993, 368 p.
[3] Rezhepo P.A. Statistika polkovnikov [Statistics of colonels]. St. Petersburg, “Stolichnaya Tipografiya” S.Kh. Zolotukhina Publ., 1905, 30 p.
[4] Rezhepo P.A. Statistika generalov [Statistics of generals]. St. Petersburg, Tipografiya Trenke i Fyusno, 1903, 30 p.
[5] Poroshin A.A. Polkovodcheskoe stanovlenie glavnokomanduyushchikh armiyami frontov Pervoy mirovoy voyny [Military leadership formation of the commanders-in-chief of the armies of the fronts of the First World War]. Saratov, Saratov State Technical University Publ., 2011, 318 p.
[6] Poroshin A.A. Proigravshie pobediteli. Russkie generaly [Losers are winners. Russian Generals]. Moscow, AST Publ., 2014, 443 p.
[7] Spisok generalam po starshinstvu. Sostavlen na 15-e aprelya 1914 g. [List of generals by seniority. Compiled on April 15, 1914]. Petrograd, Voennaya Tipografiya Imperatritsy Ekateriny Velikoy Publ., 1914, 980 p.