The black baron of the white movement. General Wrangel Petr Nikolaevich. short biography

04/25/1928. - White general Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel died in Brussels (probably poisoned)

Wrangel:
“Preserve the honor of the Russian banner entrusted to the army”

Petr Nikolaevich Wrangel (15.8.1878–25.4.1928) was born in the city of Novo-Alexandrovsk, Kovno province, into a noble family of barons of an old Baltic family, in which military service was the main occupation. In Russian service, the Wrangels reached the highest military ranks during the reign. But his father, Nikolai Georgievich, did not choose a military career, but became the director of an insurance company in Rostov-on-Don. Peter spent his childhood and youth in this city.

Having graduated from the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg in 1900, young Wrangel was also very far from a military career. After graduating from the institute, he underwent compulsory military service as a volunteer of the 1st category in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. Having risen to the rank of estandard cadet and passing the test for the rank of cornet, he was enlisted in the guards cavalry reserve in 1902. Receiving his first officer rank and serving in one of the oldest guard regiments changed his attitude towards a military career.

For an overview of the main stages of the White movement and the reasons for its defeat, see the book.

Discussion: 33 comments

Thank you for your work!

Thank you! We must not forget our warriors of the Spirit! And our children will not forget....

A real Officer.....nowadays there would be more of them...

It is very important for our people not to forget their heroes. after all, there is no future for the people who do not know their past.....

The elite of the Russian people was educated and cultivated for centuries. The nobles cherished the honor of their family name and rarely in history can you find any clan where there were many scoundrels and traitors. For the most part, the nobility chose military service, and the concepts of Honor and Motherland were sacred to them. Civil Tragedy the war is that each side fought for its truth and its Russia. Baron Wrangel was a patriot and hero of his Russia

Thank you, this is exciting and we should never forget it, if it were done for our sake, for the sake of our future. So many people died for our freedom and we must remember this.

Thank you for helping me prepare the report!!!

Eternal memory and the Kingdom of Heaven to the Russian hero-military leader Baron Wrangel, who until the last defended the honor of his Motherland from desecration.

I really liked it, but not that (((But very interesting)))

I advise you to completely re-read the Memoirs of P.N. Wrangel!!!

I read it. There were more questions than answers. I read this topic after a short conversation with Father Alexander.

General Wrangel is a faithful son of Russia, and remained faithful to it to the end. His feat, his service to the Motherland, is to this day an example for all patriots of Russia. Lord rest the soul of your servant Peter, and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven!

Interesting, but they made the material too neglectfully, but +++++++

The article is certainly heart-warming, there is no information on issues of economics and finance, because any army requires huge supply costs, so it would be interesting to know how much and what was sold in absentia to the Entente for weapons and food supplies for the volunteer army? Even if Ukraine and the Caucasus were granted independence, I’m even afraid to imagine what the Western “allies” “grabbed”, I read somewhere that Wrangel sold Russian railways to some French bank, is this true?

But I read somewhere that all Marxists come from monkeys. Is it true?

One of the outstanding people in Russian history, whose family, like himself, put service to the fatherland above all else! His main character traits were valor, honor, pride, integrity and courage, which he shared with his soldiers! during the civil war he moved to the side white movement and did everything possible to ensure that Bolshevism was defeated! During the war years, I admire the feat of his wife, who looked after ordinary soldiers of the White Army, who was always next to her husband. Many people said about him that he was noble and could sit at the same table with ordinary soldiers and was like a father to them! during the time of the white occupation zone, in which Crimea was located, people there did not starve; under the control of Wrangel, white Crimea was prosperous, there was a real market economy and democracy in the most positive ways! but a tragedy happened and the Reds defeated the Whites, alas and ah, we were mired in terror and famine with the collective farms that the Bolshevik government arranged for us, claiming millions of lives and instilling fear in the people! if the whites had won, then it seems to me that Hitler would hardly have attacked us, since the white army is the heirs of the RIA and there would have been a strong, philanthropic government and smart military leaders like Suvorov, Kutuzov, Ushakov, Yudenich, Wrangel, Kolchak, Nakhimov, that is the great heirs of the imperial martial art, smart and strong in strategy and tactics!

In order not to say anything special, I will present a slightly different view of a famous scientist and historiographer, who also has admirers of his talent, like the respected MVN.
And to believe or not to believe in the “holy cause of the white movement” is everyone’s business.
Here interesting opinion(of course, if censorship allows):
"Strategically, the Reds, thanks to the cooperation of the former leaders of the Imperial Headquarters, were incomparably superior to the Whites."
“if we look at the composition of Wrangel’s government, we will see in it such personalities as the legal Marxist Freemason P. B. Struve, the former Minister of Agriculture, the great Freemason A. V. Krivoshein. Krivoshein was Wrangel’s head of government, and Struve was actually the Minister of Foreign Affairs Wrangel's Minister of Finance was the former Minister of Finance of the Provisional Government, freemason M. V. Bernatsky. Wrangel's confidant in Paris was N. A. Basili, one of the main executors of the conspiracy against Emperor Nicholas II. This was the “right-wing” government of Baron Wrangel. with whose name for some reason monarchism and right-wing radicalism are associated. V. A. Maklakov wrote on October 21, 1920 in a letter to B. A. Bakhmetyev that Wrangel has no ideology at all “and if skeptics, undermining Wrangel, reproach him for restoration plans, then they were deeply mistaken in essence."
“And these are Kornilov’s statements: “I believe that the revolution that took place in Russia is a sure guarantee of our victory over the enemy. Only a free Russia, which has thrown off the oppression of the old regime, can emerge victorious from the real world struggle.”
Author: Peter Multatuli

The name of Baron Wrangel is naturally associated with the events of the last period of the civil war, victorious for the Soviet regime - Perekop, Sivash, “the island of Crimea” - “the last inch of Russian land.” The eccentricity of Wrangel’s personality, the richness of his biography with stormy dramatic events repeatedly attracted the attention of historians, publicists, and writers, who sometimes gave directly opposite assessments of his role and place in these events. The controversy surrounding this person continues to this day.

Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel was born on August 28, 1878 (all dates according to the old style) in the city of Novo-Alexandrovsk, Kovno province, into a family of old Baltic nobles, dating back to the 13th century. Barons Wrangel (baronial dignity since 1653) owned lands in Livonia and Estland, granted by the masters of the Livonian Order and the Swedish monarchs. Military service was the main occupation, the purpose of life for most representatives of this family. 79 Barons Wrangel served in the army of Charles XII, of which 13 were killed in the Battle of Poltava and 7 died in Russian captivity. In Russian service, the Wrangels reached the highest military ranks during the reigns of Nicholas I and Alexander II. But his father, Nikolai Georgievich (who left very interesting memories and a remarkable essay about gardening art Russian estates) did not choose a military career, but became director of the Equitable insurance company in Rostov-on-Don. Peter spent his childhood and youth in this city. Family N.G. Wrangel was not distinguished by wealth and family ties, acquaintances that could provide children with quick career advancement. The future general had to “make a career” relying only on own strength and abilities. Unlike many officers of that time, Pyotr Wrangel did not graduate from the cadet corps or military school. Having primary education at home, he continued his studies at the Rostov Real School, and then at the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg. Having received the profession of a mining engineer in 1900, young Wrangel was very far from a military career. After graduating from the institute, he underwent compulsory military service as a volunteer of the 1st category in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. Having risen to the rank of estandard cadet and having passed the test for the rank of cornet, he was enlisted in the guards cavalry reserve in 1902. Receiving his first officer rank and serving in one of the oldest guard regiments gradually changed his attitude towards a military career. General A.A. Ignatiev, Wrangel’s colleague in the guards, described this period in the life of Pyotr Nikolaevich in his memoirs: “At high society balls, he stood out with the jacket of a student at the Mining Institute; he was, it seems, the only student of a technical institute accepted in high society. Then I met him already a dashing estandard cadet of the horse guards... Over the course of several months of military service, Wrangel transformed into an arrogant guardsman. I advised the young engineer to leave the regiment and go to work in Eastern Siberia, which I had known since childhood. Strange as it may seem, my arguments worked, and Wrangel did. went to pursue a career in Irkutsk."

The undefined position of an official for assignments under the Irkutsk Governor-General, received by the young Wrangel, could hardly satisfy his ambitious and active nature. Therefore, immediately after the start of the war with Japan, he voluntarily joined the active army. As for A.I. Denikina, S.L. Markova, V.Z. Mai-Maevsky, A.P. Kutepov and other future generals of the White Army, the Russian-Japanese War became Wrangel’s first real combat experience. Participation in reconnaissance, daring raids and combat sorties as part of the detachment of General P.K. Rennenkampf strengthened his will, self-confidence, courage and determination. According to his closest ally, General P.N. Shatilov "during the Manchurian War, Wrangel instinctively felt that struggle was his element, and combat work was his calling." These character traits distinguished Wrangel at all subsequent stages of his military career. Another trait of his character that appeared in the first years of military service is mental restlessness, a constant desire for greater and greater success in life, and the desire to “make a career” and not stop at what has already been achieved. The Russo-Japanese War brought P.N. to the head of the Transbaikal Cossack army. Wrangel's first awards were the Order of St. Anne, 4th class, and St. Stanislav, 3rd class, with swords and bow.

Participation in the war finally convinced Wrangel that only military service should become his life’s work. In March 1907, he returned to the ranks of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment with the rank of lieutenant. The received “military qualification” and combat experience made it possible to hope for an advantage when entering the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff - cherished dream many officers. In 1909, Wrangel successfully graduated from the academy, and in 1910 from the cavalry officer school, and upon returning to his native regiment in 1912, he became the commander of His Majesty’s squadron. After this, his future was quite clear - gradual advancement from rank to rank along the career ladder, measured regimental life, social balls, meetings, military parades. Now it was no longer a lanky student in a jacket from the Mining Institute, but a brilliant officer - a horse guardsman who attracted attention in the high society salons of St. Petersburg, Gatchina and Krasnoye Selo. An excellent dancer and conductor at balls, an indispensable participant in officer meetings, witty, easy to talk to, an interesting conversationalist - this is how his friends remembered Wrangel. True, at the same time, according to Shatilov, he “usually did not refrain from expressing his opinions openly”, gave “accurate” assessments to the people around him, his fellow soldiers, because of which “even then he had ill-wishers.” His marriage to his maid of honor, the daughter of the Chamberlain of the Supreme Court, Olga Mikhailovna Ivanenko, was also successful. Two daughters were soon born into the family - Elena and Natalya and a son Peter (the second son, Alexey, was born in exile). At the beginning of their married life, there were some complications associated with the ongoing guards entertainment of Pyotr Nikolaevich, and Olga Mikhailovna needed a lot of mental strength and tact in order to direct family life back to normal, make it calm and strong. Mutual love and fidelity accompanied the spouses throughout their subsequent life together.

The officers of the Horse Guards were distinguished by their unconditional devotion to the monarchy. The commander of the “Chief Squadron,” Captain Baron Wrangel, fully shared these beliefs. “The army is out of politics”, “The Guard is on guard of the monarchy” - these commandments became the basis of his worldview.

August 1914 changed his fate: the Life Guards Horse Regiment went to the front and, during the fighting in East Prussia, acted as part of the army of General Rennenkampf. On August 6, 1914, a battle took place near the village of Kaushen, which became for Wrangel one of the most striking episodes of his military biography. Guards cuirassier regiments, dismounted, in full height attacked German artillery batteries, which shot them at point-blank range. The losses were enormous. Captain Wrangel's squadron, the last reserve of the cuirassier division, captured the German guns with a sudden and swift cavalry attack, and the commander himself was the first to break into the enemy's positions. At the same time, all the officers in the squadron were killed, 20 soldiers were killed and wounded, but the battle was won.

For Kaushen, Wrangel was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. His photograph appeared on the pages of the Chronicle of War, the most popular illustrated military magazine. And although Wrangel did not have many opportunities to distinguish himself in major battles during the war - in the conditions of “trench warfare”, cavalry units were used mainly in reconnaissance - Captain Wrangel’s career began to quickly move up. In December 1914, he received the rank of colonel and became an aide-de-camp of His Majesty's retinue, and from October 1915 he commanded the 1st Nerchinsk Regiment of the Transbaikal Cossack Army. In December 1916, Wrangel was appointed brigade commander of the Ussuri Cossack division, and in January 1917, at the age of 39, he was promoted to major general for “distinction in combat.”

The provisional government in the eyes of Wrangel did not have authority, especially after the publication of the famous order No. 1, which introduced control of army committees over the command staff. Undisciplined, dissolute soldiers and endless rallies irritated the former Horse Guardsman. In relations with his subordinates, and even more so with the “lower ranks,” even in the conditions of the “democratization” of the army in 1917, he continued to support exclusively statutory requirements, neglecting the newly introduced forms of addressing soldiers as “You,” “citizen soldiers,” “citizens Cossacks" etc. He believed that only firm, decisive measures could stop the “collapse of the front and rear.” However, during the August speech of General L.G. Kornilov, Wrangel was unable to send his cavalry corps to support him. Having come into conflict with the “committee members,” Wrangel submitted his resignation. There was no hope of continuing his military career. "Democratic" Minister of War General A.I. Verkhovsky considered it impossible to appoint Wrangel to any positions “due to the conditions of the political moment and in view of the political figure.”

In Wrangel’s opinion, after August 1917, the Provisional Government demonstrated “complete impotence,” “the daily increasing collapse in the army cannot be stopped,” so the events of October 1917 seemed to him a logical result of “eight months of deepening the revolution.” “It was not just the weak-willed and incompetent government that was to blame for this shame. Senior military leaders and the entire Russian people shared responsibility with it. These people replaced the great word “freedom” with arbitrariness and turned the resulting freedom into rioting, robbery and murder...”

Wrangel did not participate in the formation of the White movement. At a time when, in the cold, gloomy days of November 1917, the first detachments of the future Volunteer Army (then still the “organization of General M.V. Alekseev”) were formed in Rostov-on-Don, when generals Kornilov and Denikin made their way to the Don from Bykhov , Markov, Romanovsky, after his arrest for participation in the “Kornilov rebellion,” Wrangel went to Crimea. Here in Yalta, at the dacha, he lived with his family as a private person. Since he did not receive a pension or salary at that time, he had to live on income from the estate of his wife’s parents in Melitopol district and bank interest.

In Crimea, he survived both the Crimean Tatar government and the Tauride Soviet Republic and the German occupation. During Soviet rule in the Crimea, Wrangel almost died from the tyranny of the Sevastopol Cheka, but thanks to the happy support of his wife (the chairman of the revolutionary tribunal, “Comrade Vakula,” was amazed at the marital fidelity of Olga Mikhailovna, who wished to share the fate of captivity with her husband), he was released and went into hiding until the arrival of Germans, in Tatar villages.

After the beginning of the German occupation and Hetman Skoropadsky coming to power, Wrangel decides to return to military service and first tries to enlist in the ranks of the newly formed army of “independent Ukraine”, and then goes to Kuban, where by this time (summer 1918) fierce battles of the Volunteer Army had begun, set out on her 2nd Kuban campaign. By this time, a kind of hierarchy had developed in the White Army. It did not take into account past military merits, ranks, awards and titles. The main thing became participation in the fight against the Bolsheviks from the first days of the emergence of the White movement in the south of Russia. Generals, officers, participants in the 1st Kuban ("Ice") campaign - "pioneers", even in small ranks, as a rule, always enjoyed advantages when appointed to certain positions. In this situation, Wrangel did not have to count on receiving any significant rank. His fame as a cavalry commander helped. Thanks to his “past glory,” Wrangel was appointed commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, composed mainly of Kuban and Terek Cossacks. But serious problems awaited the general in this position.

The fact is that during the Civil War, Cossack units were very picky about their commanders. Cossack generals such as A.G. Shkuro, K.K. Mamantov, A.K. Guselshchikov, V.L. Pokrovsky were for the Cossacks the first among equals comrades in arms. The Cossacks did not accept the relationship between commanders and subordinates defined by the traditional charter. Obviously, Wrangel, who considered it necessary to restore statutory discipline in the Cossack regiments, caused alienation among some of his subordinates by his actions. And although alienation was later replaced by recognition from the majority of the ranks of the 1st Cavalry Division, and then the 1st Cavalry Corps, of which Wrangel became commander in mid-November 1918, relations with the Cossacks were not of the nature of “brotherly” trust. The white cavalry gradually learned to make flank attacks, regroup, quickly attack under enemy fire, and act independently, even without the support of infantry and artillery. This, of course, was the merit of Wrangel. His authority as a cavalry commander was confirmed during the October battles near Armavir, and in the battle for Stavropol, and during raids in the cold Stavropol and Nogai steppes.

By the end of 1918, the entire North Caucasus was controlled by the Volunteer Army. 11th Soviet army was defeated, its remnants retreated to Astrakhan. The White Army also suffered heavy losses, but there was victory behind it, and there was hope for future military successes. Continued and military career Peter Nikolaevich. On November 22, 1918, for the battles near Stavropol, he was promoted to lieutenant general and began to command the Caucasian Volunteer Army. Now the former brilliant Horse Guardsman was distinguished by a black Circassian coat with the Order of St. George on the gazyrs, a black hat and a cloak. This is exactly how he remained in numerous photographs from the period of the Civil War and emigration. The name of the young army commander becomes known. A number of villages of the Kuban, Terek and Astrakhan troops accepted Wrangel as “honorary Cossacks”. On February 13, 1919, the Kuban Rada awarded him the Order of the Salvation of the Kuban, 1st degree.

But in January 1919, Pyotr Nikolaevich suddenly fell ill with typhus in a very severe form. On the fifteenth day of illness, doctors considered the situation hopeless. Denikin in “Essays on Russian Troubles” noted that Wrangel experienced his illness as “punishment for his ambition.” However, his biographers write that immediately after the arrival of the miraculous icon of the Mother of God, there was an improvement. Wrangel undoubtedly owes his recovery to the caring care of his wife, who shared with him military service- she was in charge of a hospital in Yekaterinodar. The serious illness, however, seriously undermined the health of Pyotr Nikolaevich, who by that time had already suffered two wounds and a concussion.

The first disagreements between Wrangel and the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the AFSR date back to the spring of 1919. In a report addressed to Denikin, he argued for the need to concentrate the main attack of the AFSR on Tsaritsyn, after the capture of which it would be possible to unite with the armies of Admiral A.V. advancing towards the Volga. Kolchak. Such an operation made it possible, according to Wrangel, to create a united anti-Bolshevik front in the south of Russia, and the united white armies could hit “red Moscow” with redoubled force. Of course, according to this plan, the main blow to the connection with Kolchak was to be delivered by Wrangel’s Caucasian Army. This report, according to Denikin, testified to the “ambitious plans” of the baron, who sought to “stand out” during the upcoming operation. Wrangel, in turn, condemned Denikin’s desire to advance on Moscow, “so as not to share the laurels of victory with Kolchak.” Wrangel saw the main reason for abandoning his plan in the personal antipathy toward himself on the part of the Commander-in-Chief. According to him, “the son of an army officer, who himself spent most of his service in the army, he (Denikin - V.Ts.), once at its top, retained many character traits its environment - provincial, petty-bourgeois, with a liberal tint. What remained from this environment was an unconscious prejudiced attitude towards the “aristocracy”, “court”, “guard”, a painfully developed scrupulousness, an involuntary desire to protect his dignity from illusory attacks. Fate unexpectedly dumped on his shoulders a huge government job that was alien to him and threw him into the very whirlpool of political passions and intrigues. In this work that was alien to him, he apparently got lost, afraid of making mistakes, did not trust anyone, and at the same time did not find in himself sufficient strength to be firm and with a confident hand to steer the ship of state through the stormy political sea..."

Denikin really did not have the elegant guards gloss, secular manners and subtle political “feeling”. In comparison with him, a tall guard dressed in a black Circassian coat, with a loud voice, confident, decisive and quick in character and actions, Pyotr Nikolaevich, of course, won. In the description of the Commander-in-Chief given by Wrangel, the aristocratic guardsman’s hostility to the “army man” - Denikin, of low, in his opinion, origin and upbringing, is clearly visible.

Alienation towards Wrangel, in turn, was also manifested on the part of Denikin. Therefore, for example, preference when appointed in the spring of 1919 to the post of commander of the Volunteer Army was given not to Wrangel, but to Mai-Maevsky, who, although not a “pioneer,” was absolutely loyal to Headquarters and the Commander-in-Chief himself.

Although the Headquarters rejected the plan to attack the Volga, the capture of Tsaritsyn was necessary for the White Army. They could not attack Ukraine with Red Tsaritsyn in their rear. The headquarters decided to break through the Red positions with a concentrated attack of all cavalry regiments united in a group under the command of Wrangel. The Tsaritsyn operation, which ended victoriously on June 18, 1919, made the name of the Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasus one of the most famous and authoritative generals of the White Army. “Hero of Tsaritsyn,” as General Wrangel’s newspapers were now called, became known and popular in the white south. Helpful officials of the Propaganda Department hung his photographs everywhere, tacky, popular print-style pictures in which the general was depicted in the pose " Bronze Horseman" - with a hand pointing to Moscow (a clear hint at the emergence of a new leader - "Peter IV"). The commander of the Caucasian Army was presented with the march "General Wrangel", composed by one of the officers. Such inept, and perhaps deliberate, propaganda was perceived by Peter himself Nikolaevich without proper understanding - he was convinced of his popularity, considering it well deserved. Representatives of the allies also paid attention to the young general. For the capture of Tsaritsyn, he was awarded the English Order of St. Michael and George.

On June 20, 1919, in occupied Tsaritsyn, Denikin signed the “Moscow Directive,” which proclaimed the beginning of a campaign for “the liberation of the capital from the Bolsheviks.” But while the Volunteer Army was approaching Kyiv, Kursk, Voronezh, the Caucasian Army was able to advance only to the city of Kamyshin (60 versts from Saratov). And after the thousand-mile front of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia, arched in the direction of Orel, Tula and Moscow, was broken in October 1919 and the troops began to retreat, Wrangel was appointed to command the Volunteer Army (instead of Mai-Maevsky). Denikin himself explained this appointment by the need to change tactics at the front. The created cavalry group under the command of Wrangel was supposed to stop the advance of the Red Army and defeat Budyonny’s corps. Politicians of the center-right Council of the State Unification of Russia (led by former tsarist minister A.V. Krivoshein, P.B. Struve, N.V. Savich, S.D. Tverskoy), who supported the general, were also interested in such an appointment. Volunteering could be the last step to the post of Commander-in-Chief, and in this case the above-mentioned politicians could get into the formed government.

This appointment was preceded by events in the Kuban, of which Wrangel was a direct participant. Since the beginning of 1919, the Kuban parliament - the Rada - sought to establish the Kuban Army as independent, separate state, with its own borders, a separate Kuban army, subordinate only to Cossack generals and officers. Speaking on behalf of the “independent Kuban” at the Paris Peace Conference, the Rada delegation entered into an alliance with the government of the Mountain Republic. This act became the reason for the “pacification” of the rebellious Rada, which was entrusted to Wrangel. On November 6, he gave the order for the arrest and transfer to a military court of 12 Rada deputies, and on November 7, one of them, A.I. Kalabukhov was publicly executed in Yekaterinodar. The “Kuban action,” carried out with the direct participation of Wrangel, of course, did not add sympathy to him from the Cossacks. In addition, the opposition in the Rada received a reason to accuse the Denikin government of “suppressing the interests of the Cossacks.”

However, a change of command in itself could not immediately improve the situation at the front; the new commander needed time to get his bearings in an unfamiliar theater of military operations. In conditions of weakness military units, lack of normal supplies and communications, lack of fortifications in the rear, carrying out a large offensive operation turned out to be impossible. At the end of 1919, units of the Volunteer Army were dismembered, the “white capitals” Novocherkassk and Rostov-on-Don were hastily evacuated, and the volunteer regiments, which had decreased by more than 10 times, retreated beyond the Don. The remnants of the Volunteer Army were consolidated into a corps under the command of General Kutepov, and Wrangel “due to the disbandment of the Army was placed at the disposal of the Commander-in-Chief.”

Winter 1919/20 Wrangel's conflict with Headquarters and the Commander-in-Chief himself turned into open confrontation. In the South Russian White movement, after the impressive successes of the summer-autumn of 1919, the sharp change in military happiness and the subsequent abandonment of a vast territory in just two months was perceived very painfully. To the question "Who is to blame?" it would seem that the orders for the army and Wrangel’s reports to Headquarters clearly answered. His correspondence with the Commander-in-Chief very soon became known at the front and in the rear.
Wrangel’s greatest dissatisfaction was caused by the “vices” of the white south, sharply outlined in the report dated December 9, 1919. Written clearly in non-statutory language, the report gave an eloquent assessment of the reasons for the defeat of the “march on Moscow”: “Continuously moving forward, the army was stretched, units were upset, the rear grew enormously... The war turned into a means of profit, and contentment with local means - into robbery and speculation... The population, who greeted the army as it advanced with sincere delight, who had suffered from the Bolsheviks and longed for peace, soon began to experience the horrors of robbery and violence and arbitrariness. As a result, the collapse of the front and the uprising in the rear... There is no army as a fighting force."

In January 1920, Wrangel left for Crimea. The personification of the “criminal rear” for Wrangel and his entourage was now the Commander-in-Chief of New Russia, General N.N. Shilling. The officers of the Black Sea Fleet, the chairman of the Special Meeting, General Lukomsky, telegraphed to Headquarters: “there is great excitement against Schilling. There is only one way out - the immediate appointment of Wrangel in Schilling’s place.” Finally " public figures“The Crimeans appealed to Headquarters with a demand to place “at the head of power in Crimea... a person who, through his personal qualities and military merits, has earned the trust of both the army and the population” (that is, Wrangel - V.Ts.). The appeal was signed by A.I. Guchkov, Prince B.V. Gagarin, N.V. Savich, the future head of the Wrangel Agriculture Department G.V. Glinka, etc. The pressure on Headquarters came in several directions and Denikin had to get the impression that the front and rear were fully supported. Wrangel. It is noteworthy that in this “march for power” main role It was no longer Wrangel who played, but those political groups and circles (primarily the aforementioned Council of the State Unification of Russia) that supported him, based on purely practical calculations - having replaced the Commander-in-Chief, they themselves would come to power. Of course, it was assumed that not only a change of leadership would be carried out, but also a change political course South Russian White movement.

Wrangel was sincerely convinced that both the army and the rear wanted a change in the leadership of the white movement, only based on the need for more effective fight with Soviet power. The predominance of personal ambition in the relationship between the Commander-in-Chief and Wrangel is also evidenced by the words of General B.A. Shteifon: “In terms of their mentality, character and their worldviews, Denikin and Wrangel were completely different people. And fate wanted such different natures to internalize, each quite independently, the same conviction. General Denikin and General Wrangel suspected each other of that their differences... are explained not by ideological considerations, but solely by personal motives. This tragic, but completely conscientious error entailed many sad and serious consequences..."

The final act of this conflict was the dismissal of Wrangel by order of the Commander-in-Chief of February 8, 1920.

In the last days of February, the Wrangel family left Crimea, going to Constantinople with the intention of going further to Serbia. Together with them, Krivoshein, Struve, and Savich left the white south. The armed struggle in the Crimea and the North Caucasus seemed to them hopelessly lost, and Denikin’s position was doomed. Unexpectedly, news came from Sevastopol about the upcoming Military Council, at which it was supposed to decide the issue of appointing a new Commander-in-Chief.

The outcome of the Military Council held on March 21-22, 1920 was essentially a foregone conclusion. And on March 22, 1920, Denikin issued the last order, transferring the powers of the Commander-in-Chief to Lieutenant General Baron Wrangel. Thus ended the “Denikin period” in the history of the white movement in southern Russia. The new Commander-in-Chief had to resolve the problems left over from the past.

Many people in White Crimea were oppressed by the realization of the futility of the struggle against Soviet power. If the “march against Moscow” ended in defeat, can we hope for the possibility of a successful defense of Crimea? A clear, definite word was required from Wrangel about what awaited the white Crimea next. And this “word” was pronounced on March 25, 1920 during a solemn parade and prayer service on Nakhimovskaya Square in Sevastopol. “I believe,” said the last Commander-in-Chief of the white south, “that the Lord will not allow the destruction of a just cause, that He will give me the intelligence and strength to lead the army out of a difficult situation. Knowing the immeasurable valor of the troops, I unshakably believe that they will help me fulfill my duty to homeland and I believe that we will wait for the bright day of the resurrection of Russia." Wrangel said that only the continuation of the armed struggle against Soviet power was the only possible thing for the white movement. But this required the restoration of the white front and rear, now on the territory of the “island of Crimea” alone.

The principle of a one-man military dictatorship, established in the white south since the time of the first Kuban campaigns, was strictly observed by Wrangel in 1920. Not a single significant law or order could be put into effect without his sanction. “We are in a besieged fortress,” Wrangel argued, “and only a single, firm government can save the situation. We must defeat the enemy first of all, now is not the place for party struggle, ... all parties must unite into one, doing non-party business work. A significantly simplified apparatus My government is not built from people of any party, but from people of action. For me there are neither monarchists nor republicans, but only people of knowledge and labor.”

Wrangel defined the main task of his government as follows: “...It is not by a triumphal march from Crimea to Moscow that Russia can be liberated, but by the creation, at least on a piece of Russian land, of such an order and such living conditions that would attract all the thoughts and forces of those groaning under the red yoke of the people." This declared a refusal main goal the southern Russian White movement - the occupation of Moscow, an attempt was made to create a kind of springboard from Crimea on which a new political program could be implemented, to create a “model of White Russia”, an alternative to “Bolshevik Russia”.

Similar considerations were expressed by Wrangel in a conversation with V.V. Shulgin: “The policy of conquest of Russia must be abandoned... I am trying to make life possible in the Crimea, even on this piece of land... to show the rest of Russia...; there you have communism, famine and the emergency, but here land reform is underway, order and possible freedom are being established... Then it will be possible to move forward, slowly, not as we moved under Denikin, slowly, securing for ourselves what was captured. Then the provinces taken from the Bolsheviks will be the source of our strength, not weakness, as it was before..." But create an "experimental field" from Crimea for future Russia turned out to be impossible. Nevertheless, the experience of state building in 1920 is very indicative from the point of view of the evolution of the White movement in the south of Russia.

Thus, in national policy and relations with the Cossacks, the Government of the South of Russia defined its actions as a rejection of the principles of “one, indivisible Russia.” On July 22, in Sevastopol, an agreement was solemnly concluded with representatives of the Don, Kuban, Terek and Astrakhan (generals Bogaevsky, Vdovenko and Lyakhov), according to which the Cossack troops were guaranteed “complete independence in their internal structure and management.” In September - October, attempts were made to conclude an alliance with representatives of the Union of Mountain People of the North Caucasus; with the sanction of Wrangel, contacts were established with the grandson of Imam Shamil, an officer of the French service Said-bek, on the basis of recognition of the mountain federation. The attempt to establish an alliance with Makhno was also indicative. Emphasizing the “democraticism” of its policy, Wrangel’s government proposed that Makhno’s army become part of the White Army. And although the “father” himself demonstratively refused any contacts with the “counter-revolutionaries”, a number of smaller rebel detachments (atamans of Khmara, Chaly, Savchenko) supported Wrangel, publishing appeals calling for an alliance with the whites, and ataman Volodin even formed a “special partisan” in the Crimea detachment." All such actions were dictated by the calculation of creating a common front with everyone who, to one degree or another, expressed dissatisfaction with the Soviet regime. So in public policy White Crimea embodied the slogan proclaimed by Wrangel “with whomever you want - but for Russia,” that is, “against the Bolsheviks.”

But the main part of it all inner life White Crimea in 1920 was a land reform designed to create a new social base for the White movement, a wealthy and middle peasantry capable of supplying the army and rear, supporting the white power. This “reliance on the peasants” would ensure, in Wrangel’s opinion, “victory over Bolshevism.” On May 25, 1920, on the eve of the White Army’s offensive in Northern Tavria, the “Order on Land” was promulgated. “The army must carry the earth on bayonets” - that was main meaning agrarian policy of white Crimea. All land, including that “seized” by peasants from landowners during the “black redistribution” of 1917-1918. remained with the peasants. No one had the right to deprive them of it. But, in contrast to the demagoguery of the Bolshevik “decrees,” the “Order on Land” assigned the land to the peasants, albeit for a small ransom, and guaranteed them freedom of local self-government (the creation of volost and district land councils - here Wrangel was not afraid to use even the “revolutionary "the term is councils), and the former landowners did not even have the right to return to their estates.

The last pages of the history of the civil war in the south of Russia became in Wrangel’s life a time of the highest tension of forces and energy in organizing the struggle to retain the “last inch of Russian land” - the white Crimea. Eyewitnesses noted a constant state of enormous internal excitement in the Commander-in-Chief. Shulgin recalled that “a high voltage current was felt in this man. His psychic energy saturated environment,... faith in his cause and the ease with which he bore the weight of power, power that did not oppress him, but, on the contrary, inspired him - they did this job of retaining Taurida, a thing bordering on miraculous." Trying in good faith to delve into all the circumstances of the issues under consideration, Wrangel did not consider himself to have the right to leave any case or petition without consideration. Not having sufficient knowledge of many civil issues, he entrusted their consideration to his assistants. He himself spoke about this: “The trouble is that. They come to me with various questions about the state structure, about all sorts of economic and trade issues - what can I tell them? I have to believe those who tell me. I don't like it. Give me a cavalry corps and I’ll show you!”

Wrangel personally conducted military reviews, awarded distinguished soldiers and officers, and presented banners. One of the participants in the last review of the Kornilov shock division (September 1, 1920) recalled: “The arrival of the Commander-in-Chief, his fiery speech and his inimitable cry (there is no other way to express it) - “Eagles Kornilovites!” - were accompanied by me with continuous nervous trembling and internal sobbing that almost reached the point of explosion... The powerful, hoarse voice of the Commander-in-Chief seemed strained and seemed to express the strained Volunteer Army.”
The army gradually became imbued with confidence that the Commander-in-Chief would be able to get it out of any difficult situation.

His wife in Crimea continued to engage in charitable activities. With her funds, a hospital was organized in Sevastopol, charity evenings and concerts were repeatedly held, the proceeds from which went to help wounded soldiers and civilian refugees.

The continuation of the armed struggle in White Tavria in 1920 was impossible without a well-organized, disciplined army. During April - May, about 50 different headquarters and departments, “regiments”, “divisions” and “detachments” were liquidated, the entire composition of which did not exceed several dozen fighters. The Armed Forces of southern Russia were renamed the Russian Army, thereby emphasizing the continuity from regular army Russia before 1917. The reward system was revived. Now, for military distinctions, they were not promoted to the next rank, as was done under Denikin (25-year-old generals were already serving in the army), but were awarded the Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the status of which, developed by Wrangel, was close to the status of the Order of St. George.

By the beginning of the offensive in Northern Taurida, the Russian army was fully prepared, the units had replenished their ranks, received new uniforms and weapons. The battles that unfolded in the vast Tauride steppes were distinguished by great tenacity and fierceness. In June, as a result of an operation prepared by Wrangel’s headquarters, one of the best red cavalry corps under the command of D.P. was defeated. Rednecks. At the same time, the red troops managed to cross the Dnieper and in the Kakhovka region seize a bridgehead, which over the next months, until October, would constantly threaten the rear of the white army with a blow towards Perekop and its encirclement in Northern Tavria. July and August passed in continuous battles, during which the strength of the army was reduced by more than half, and the reinforcements that arrived from the Russian units interned in Poland, mobilized Tauride residents, in their fighting qualities were lower than the first volunteer cadres tested in the battles. Even Red Army prisoners of war were placed in the ranks of the white regiments, often surrendering again in the first battle. In September, during the offensive on Donbass, the Russian army achieved its greatest success. In a raid, the Cossacks of the Don Corps captured one of the centers of Donbass - Yuzovka, and Soviet institutions were hastily evacuated from Yekaterinoslav. But here Wrangel faced the same failure that a year earlier had nullified all the successes of Denikin’s armies. The front stretched again, and the few regiments of the Russian army were unable to hold it.

The counteroffensive of the Red Army, which began in mid-October, was so strong and rapid that the weakened units of the Russian Army were unable to hold the front. Budyonny's corps broke through to Perekop, threatening to cut off the escape route to Crimea. Only the steadfastness and courage of the regiments of the 1st Corps of General Kutepov and the Don Cossacks saved the situation of the White Army, and most of it went to the Crimea. The defeat in Northern Tavria became obvious. After leaving for Crimea she remained last hope on the possibility of successful defense on the “impregnable” fortifications at Perekop and Chongar, as was constantly announced in the white press. All official statements spoke about the possibility of “wintering” in the Crimea, that by the spring of 1921. Soviet authority will be undermined by the discontent of peasants and workers and the new “exit from Crimea” will be much more successful than in 1920.

But the Soviet command was not going to wait for spring. On the third anniversary of October 1917, the assault on the Perekop fortifications began. The regroupings of troops undertaken on Wrangel's initiative were not completed by the time of the assault and the white regiments had to launch counterattacks without the necessary preparation and rest. By the evening of October 28, on the third day of the assault, General Kutepov telegraphed to Headquarters that the Perekop fortifications had been broken through. The unexpectedly rapid fall of Perekop required Wrangel to make immediate decisions that could save the army and the rear. “A thunderstorm was approaching, our fate hung in the balance, it was necessary to exert all our spiritual and mental forces. The slightest hesitation or oversight could ruin everything.” In the current situation, Wrangel was able to quickly implement the developed evacuation plan.

On October 29, the Ruler of the South of Russia and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army issued an order to abandon Crimea. Noting the heroism of the troops and calling for restraint on the civilian population, the order, at the same time, warned those who were going to share it with the white army future fate: “To fulfill our duty to the army and the population, everything within the limits of human power has been done. Our further paths are full of uncertainty. We have no other land except Crimea. There is also no state treasury. Frankly, as always, I warn everyone that awaits them." The government of Southern Russia "advised all those who were not in immediate danger from enemy violence to remain in Crimea." According to eyewitnesses, everyone who decided to leave Crimea could do so without hindrance. In all ports, with the exception of Feodosia, loading took place in an orderly and calm manner. The troops broke away from the pursuit of the Reds for several passages and boarded the ships without any particular difficulties. Wrangel was one of the last to leave the Sevastopol pier. Having made a speech to the guard of cadets, the Commander-in-Chief on the afternoon of November 1, 1920 boarded the cruiser General Kornilov. On November 3, the cruiser approached Feodosia, where Wrangel supervised the loading of the Cossacks. After this, a squadron of 126 ships (the majority of warships and transports of the Black Sea Fleet) entered the open sea. Last period The “white struggle” in the south of Russia ended, and with it the peak of General Wrangel’s military and state activities went into history.

More than 145 thousand people left White Crimea. Almost half of them were military. Now Wrangel was faced with the task of settling a huge number of military and civilian refugees, doomed to a half-starved existence. The Commander-in-Chief was convinced of the need to use the army to continue the “fight against Bolshevism” in the near future. On March 22, 1921, on the anniversary of taking command of the White Army, Wrangel addressed his comrades with an order in which he wrote: “With unshakable faith, like a year ago, I promise you to emerge from new trials with honor. All the strength of mind and will I dedicate to the service of the army. Officers and soldiers, the army and Cossack corps are equally dear to me... Like a year ago, I urge you to rally tightly around me, remembering that our strength is in unity.” Back on February 15, 1921, during a review, Wrangel declared: “just as the sun broke through the dark clouds, so it will illuminate our Russia... in less than three months... and I will lead you forward to Russia.”

In Gallipoli, where the regimented units of the former Volunteer Army were located, the position of the troops was especially difficult. The camp was built literally on bare ground. Unfortunately, the army rarely saw its commander in chief. The French command, which controlled the presence of the White army in Turkey, vigilantly ensured that the Commander-in-Chief's communication with his army was as rare as possible. But even in isolated cases (Wrangel visited Gallipoli on December 18, 1920 and February 15, 1921) of military reviews and parades, the army felt the former strength and authority of its last commander. For most fighters, Wrangel remained the leader, or rather, the symbol of the white movement for the revival of Russia. One of the officers described the reason for such admiration for the Commander-in-Chief: “We believed in General Wrangel. We believed unconsciously... It was faith in man..., in his high qualities and admiration for the bearer of the White idea, for which thousands of our brothers laid down their lives The visits of the Commander-in-Chief acquired a very special meaning - holidays for the entire mass, who sought... to express their deep faith in him... The army lived and realized itself..., a close bond appeared again, the personal began to dissolve in the powerful consciousness of a single collective, and this team was again embodied in one dear and beloved person...".

Wrangel's intransigence disturbed many. October 15, 1921 The floating headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief - the yacht "Lucullus", which was stationed in the Bosporus roadstead, was rammed by the Italian transport "Adria" and sank a few minutes later. The blow fell precisely on that part of the ship where the Commander-in-Chief's cabin was located. Wrangel and his family were saved by chance - at that time they were on the shore. The investigation into the accident was never completed, but at that time it was quite possible to assume the intentional nature of the incident.

No longer counting on French support, Wrangel began negotiating with Balkan countries on providing asylum to units of the Russian army. Proceeding with great difficulty, they were successfully completed at the end of April 1921. Bulgaria agreed to station 9, and Serbia - 7,000 troops on its territory. At the end of 1921, the bulk of the army was taken to these countries, and on May 5, 1923, the last soldier left Gallipoli.
Began new stage in the life of the White Army and the last in the life of its Commander-in-Chief. After the evacuation from Gallipoli, Wrangel moved with his family to Belgrade. Here, in Yugoslavia, he found himself at the center of the political passions that tore apart the Russian emigration. Former representatives of the left parties continued to demand that Wrangel cease supporting the army as an organized military force, while the right, the monarchists, intended to liberate Russia only if the army openly accepted the slogan of the revival of the monarchy. It largely depended on Pyotr Nikolayevich whether this slogan would be openly proclaimed in the military environment, or whether it would remain true to the traditional principle of “the army is out of politics.”

Wrangel responded to this by issuing “Order No. 82” on September 8, 1923. It clearly stated: “Now, after three and a half years of exile, the Army is alive; it has retained its independence, it is not bound by any treaties or obligations with states or parties...” The order prohibited army officers from joining the ranks of any political organizations, engage in any political activity. Moreover, an officer who preferred army politics had to leave its ranks. Wrangel’s own attitude to the idea of ​​​​restoring the monarchy is very well characterized by his words: “The Tsar should appear only when the Bolsheviks are finished... when the bloody struggle that lies ahead with their overthrow has subsided. The Tsar must not only enter Moscow” but “white horse,” he himself should not have the blood of civil war on him - and he should be a symbol of reconciliation and supreme mercy.” The appearance of the “Tsar” in exile, without power and authority, was absurd for Wrangel.

After the army ceased to exist as a separate military structure, it was necessary to maintain its unity. The created and existing military alliances and regimental cells were to become the basis for the organization of the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS). On September 1, 1924, an order was issued to create it. Its first chairman was Wrangel, who subjugated all military alliances from South America to Asia.

But while formally continuing to retain the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, Wrangel had actually already moved away from its everyday problems. Last years Wrangel's life was spent in Brussels. According to the memoirs of General Shatilov, “he was no longer attracted to society, he avoided it at all costs. He found pleasure only in conversations with people close to him... Not a trace remained of the habit of wealth, of the material comforts of life. The former harshness in judgments about people was replaced by tolerance and condescension... When you remember this time of his life, you can’t help but think that although he was still seemingly completely healthy, he already had a presentiment that his death was near.” Pyotr Nikolaevich again returned to the specialty with which he began his life path- profession of mining engineer. He paid a lot of attention to preparing for the publication of his memoirs. However, both volumes were able to see the light of day after his death. In February 1928, two months before his death, materials, an important role in the preparation of which for publication were played by his personal secretary N.M. Kotlyarevsky, were transferred to A.A. von Lampe - editor of the multi-volume publication "White Business". Refusing any fee for publication, Wrangel set the condition “that army units, military unions and their individual ranks should enjoy the greatest possible discount when purchasing books.”

The last days of Pyotr Nikolaevich’s life were spent surrounded only by his family and friends. His mother Maria Dmitrievna, wife Olga Mikhailovna and children were with him until the last minute. Wrangel's disease was difficult, with painful exacerbations and attacks. His once powerful body was weakened by previously suffered wounds and concussion, typhus, and constant nervous tension. His health was finally undermined by influenza, which turned into a severe form of tuberculosis and worsened nervous breakdown. The rapid, terrible development of the disease became the basis for a later version of poisoning. Professor of Medicine I.P. Aleksinsky recalled that General Wrangel complained of strong nervous excitement, which tormented him terribly: “My brain is tormenting me... I cannot rest from obsessive, bright thoughts... My brain is working feverishly against my desire, my head is always busy with calculations, calculations , drawing up dispositions... Pictures of war are always in front of me and I write orders, orders, orders all the time...". Even during some improvement (ten days before his death), he “had a severe nervous attack. From some terrible internal excitement, he screamed for about forty minutes..., no efforts of those around him could calm him down.”

On April 12, 1928, at the age of 50, Lieutenant General Baron Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel died in Brussels. “God save the army...” - these, according to eyewitnesses, were his last words. Later, his body was transported to Belgrade, and here on October 6, 1928 it was buried in a Russian Orthodox church, in a sarcophagus, under the shadow of bowed banners of Russian regiments. The burial of the last Commander-in-Chief became a kind of demonstration of the army’s loyalty to its leader. The funeral ceremony took place in a solemn atmosphere. The general's body was carried on an artillery carriage along the soldiers and officers of the White Army lined up in a guard of honor.

General Wrangel, his personality and his whole military biography became for the White Army the personification of an irreconcilable struggle, in the name of which it was impossible to yield, to move away from the original traditions of the White movement. Despite the fact that the civil war had already ended, for those who shared their fate with the white army, finding themselves far from their homeland, Wrangel seemed to be a leader, a leader, under whose leadership one could hope for the success of the white struggle, for a quick return to Russia. It is precisely because of this that the personality of the last white Commander-in-Chief for a long time remained among the military emigration “beyond criticism.” The mistakes he made during the civil war were forgotten and forgiven, in particular, his conflict with Denikin, failures, and miscalculations during the struggle in White Tavria in 1920. Wrangel became an indisputable authority, and such an assessment of his activities became predominant in most works by authors of military emigration who wrote about the events of the civil war in southern Russia.

And for the former allies, Wrangel remained the leader of the White movement, an extraordinary personality; after his death wax figure his was in the Gervin Museum in Paris, and at his funeral, along with the Russians, Serbian troops paid him their last respects.

Materials from his personal archive are stored at the Hoover Institution of War, Revolution and Peace (USA). Many of these documents were collected, systematized and preserved by Wrangel’s daughters, Elena and Natalya, and son Peter. It is also noteworthy that his youngest son Alexei became a historian and dedicated his scientific work studying the activities of his father, as well as researching the past of the Russian cavalry.

Leading the White movement in the south of Russia at the last stage of the armed struggle, Wrangel showed himself as a military leader and statesman, thanks to which the political and ideological program of the white cause was finally formed. "White ideology" seemed to him not a simple antipode of communist ideology, but an ideology necessary for the future " National Russia", in which there should be a unification of the interests of all classes and estates Russian society. In his opinion, the white cause, which had deep political foundations, was unable to develop its social base only due to the lack of sufficient time during the civil war.

Death was on his heels. But he was brave, successful and courageous, he endlessly loved his homeland and served it honestly. It is no coincidence that he bore the title " The Last Knight Russian Empire».

"Black Baron"

This nickname was given to the person we want to talk about. This is Wrangel Petr Nikolaevich. A brief biography of him will be presented in the article.

He is actually a baron by birth. Born in the Kovno province of Russia, in the city of Novoaleksandrovsk (now Kaunas). The family is from a noble, very ancient family. It is from the 13th century. From Henrikus de Wrangel - a knight of the Teutonic Order - he traces his genealogy.

And the general was nicknamed “black” because since 1918 he constantly wore a Cossack Circassian coat of this color. And even decorated with gazirs. These are small cylinders made of bone or silver, where powder charges were placed. Gazyrs were usually attached to breast pockets.

Pyotr Nikolaevich was a very popular figure. Mayakovsky, for example, wrote: “He walked with a sharp step in a black Circassian coat.”

Descendant of glorious military men

He is an engineer by training. Graduated from the Mining Institute. His father, Nikolai Egorovich Wrangel, was an art critic and also a writer. Also a big collector of antiques.

This is probably why my son never thought of becoming a professional soldier. But the genes apparently did their job. But the fact is that General P.N. Wrangel is a direct branch from Herman the Elder. There was such a field marshal in Sweden (XVII century). And his great-grandson named George Gustav served as a colonel under Charles XII himself. And already the son of the latter, whose name was Georg Hans, became a major, only in the Russian army. Not only grandfathers and fathers, but also uncles and nephews were military men and fought in those battles that Russia often waged. Their family gave Europe seven field marshals, the same number of admirals, and more than thirty generals.

Therefore, young Peter knew all this, understood, and could follow the example of his ancestors. The same Russian officer, whose name is inscribed not just anywhere, but on the wall of one famous temple in Moscow. He is listed among those who suffered in the war of 1812. Another brave relative captured Shamil, the elusive leader of the highlanders. The Arctic explorer and also an admiral are also famous. The island is named after him. And Pushkin is a relative of the “black baron” through his grandfather Hannibal, an arap

It is very difficult to briefly present an interesting, voluminous topic dedicated to such an outstanding personality as Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel. It contains many facts that most fully convey the image of this exceptional person. Take just one motto of this kind - “I’m dying, but I’m not giving up!” But the hero of our essay followed him all his life.

War with Japan

So, the newly minted engineer Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel did not see any connection between himself and the army in the future. True, I studied for another year in the Horse Regiment. But the new cornet was recorded... as a reserve. And he went far away to work - to Irkutsk. And not at all a military man, but a civilian official.

All the cards were mixed up by the outbreak of war. Wrangel volunteered for it. And at the front he showed his innate military qualities for the first time. This became his real calling.

By the end of 1904 he was promoted to centurion. Two orders were awarded: St. Anne and St. Stanislav. They became the first “instances” in his large collection of awards.

When the end of the war came, the engineer could no longer imagine himself without the army. Even Imperial Academy He graduated from the General Staff in 1910.

Cavalry squadron

Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich met the First World War with the rank of captain. Commanded a unit

He already had a wife and 3 children. I might not have gone to the front. But I didn’t allow myself to do that. And in reports from the front, the authorities again wrote about the outstanding courage of Captain Wrangel.

Only three weeks have passed since the beginning of this massacre, and his detachment managed to distinguish itself. The cavalrymen dashed forward. The enemy battery was captured. And Wrangel was noted for such a feat (among the first). Received the Order of St. George. Soon he rose to the rank of colonel. In 1917, in January, he became a major general. He is valued as a very promising military man. In the description they wrote that Wrangel had “outstanding courage.” He deals with any situation quickly, especially in a serious one. And also extremely resourceful.

In the summer of the same year - the next step. Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich is now the commander of a large cavalry corps. But again it dramatically changed the trajectory of his life.

Gather into a fist

Her hereditary baron and important general could not accept her for obvious reasons. Left the army. He moved to Yalta and lived with his family at his dacha. Here he was arrested by local Bolsheviks. But what could they show him? Noble origins? Military merits? Therefore, he was soon released, but hid until the German army entered Crimea.

He left for Kyiv. I decided to enter the service of Hetman Pavel Skoropadsky. However, he was soon disappointed. The Ukrainian government (new) turned out to be weak. It held on only thanks to the bayonets of the Germans.

Wrangel goes to the city of Ekaterinodar. As a commander (1st Cavalry Division) he joins the volunteer army. Thus began the baron’s new service in the White Army.

Experts still say that its successes are largely the merit of Wrangel and his cavalry. After all, he always has his own tactics. For example, he was against fighting along the entire front. He preferred to gather cavalrymen into a “fist” and throw them into breaking through one sector. The blow was always so powerful that the enemy simply ran away. These brilliant operations, which were developed and carried out by the “black baron”, ensured the victories of the army both in the Kuban and in the North Caucasus.

Out of favor with Denikin

The city of Tsaritsyn was captured by Wrangel’s cavalry in June 1919. And just like that, it happens! After such success, the baron fell into disgrace. Anton Denikin, commander in chief of the volunteer army, was angry with him. Why? The fact is that both of them - major military men - had opposing views on further measures. Denikin aimed to go to Moscow, while Wrangel - to unite with Kolchak (in the east).

The biography of Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel shows that he was one hundred percent right. For the campaign against the capital was a failure. But the rightness of his opponent infuriated Denikin even more. And he removed the general from business.

Wrangel retired (February 1920). Left for Constantinople.

New Hope

Well, is a brilliant career over? No, heaven decreed otherwise. A few months later Denikin left. He himself resigned. A military council was convened in Sevastopol. Wrangel was elected commander in chief.

But what did he hope for? After all, the situation of the “whites” - and this is very clear - was simply sad. The army kept retreating. Complete destruction was already looming on the horizon.

However, having nevertheless accepted the army, Wrangel performed an incredible miracle. He stopped the advance of the “red” fighters. The White Guards settled firmly in Crimea.

King for a day

During these six months, the last Russian knight did a lot. Given the mistakes, he made incredible compromises. I wanted to make my supporters people from all walks of life. He developed a plan for agrarian reform, which involved allocating land to peasants. Also adopted draft socio-economic measures. They had to “defeat” Russia, but not with weapons at all, but with their successes.

The baron also envisioned countries, proposed recognizing the independence of both the highlanders and also of Ukraine.

But by the time he came to power, the White Guard movement had been lost - both internationally (the West refused to help them) and domestically. The Bolsheviks controlled most of Russia with far greater resources.

In the spring of 1920, Wrangel again had to raise troops to repel the attack of the “Reds”. This was successful in the summer. The "Whites" entered the territory of Northern Tavria. They needed to stock up on food. However, then there were no more successes.

The main thing is that we wasted time. IN Soviet Russia people have not even heard about Wrangel’s proposed reforms. For them, he is always just a “black baron” who strives to return the “royal throne.”

Yes, the general did not hide his sympathies. Being politically flexible and smart, he did not focus on this in his program. And he definitely didn’t insist at all, which, unfortunately, no longer mattered.

Emigration

It is impossible to tell everything about the life of Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel in one article. Volumes could be devoted to the period of his stay abroad alone.

In November 1920, the Red Army broke into Crimea. And in this situation, General Wrangel again showed himself to be excellent. He managed to organize the evacuation of the White Army and civilians abroad in such a way that there was no confusion or chaos. Everyone who wanted to left left. Wrangel personally controlled this when he toured the ports on a destroyer.

It was simply a feat. Only Wrangel can do it. After all, the general took out from Crimea (in November 1920), no less than 132 ships, loaded to the very limit! Refugees sailed on them - 145 thousand 693 people, as well as ship crews.

The organizer himself also left. There, far from his homeland, he founded the Russian All-Military Union (1924), which was ready at any moment to enter into an armed struggle against Bolshevism. And he was able to do it. The entire backbone was made up of former officers. It was the largest and most powerful organization of white emigrants. There were more than one hundred thousand members registered.

The Bolsheviks treated them with great caution. It is no coincidence that many leaders were either kidnapped or killed by the Soviet secret services.

In the fall of 1927, the baron, who really dreamed of revenge, had to remember that he had a large family on his hands. Need to feed. From Constantinople he moved with his family to Brussels. How an engineer got a job at a company.

On the battlefield

Every day of military everyday life, of which the military general turned out to be a lot, he was very brave. The story alone, which happened back in the First World War, is worth it. The commander of the cavalry squadron was, as always, brave and impetuous. In one place in what is now the Kaliningrad region, Captain Wrangel, having obtained permission to attack an enemy battery, carried out the attack with lightning speed. And captured two guns. Moreover, they managed to fire the last shot from one of them. He killed the horse on which the commander was sitting...

While in Constantinople, Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich lived on a yacht. One day it was rammed. It was an Italian ship, but it came from our Batumi. The yacht sank before our eyes. None of the Wrangel family was on board at the time. And three crew members died. The strange circumstances of this incident raised suspicions of a deliberate collision with the yacht. They have been confirmed today by researchers of the work of the Soviet special services. Olga Golubovskaya, an emigrant and agent of the Soviet authorities, is involved in this.

And one more fact. Just six months after arriving in Brussels, Pyotr Nikolaevich unexpectedly died (from tuberculosis infection). However, his relatives suggested that he was poisoned by the brother of a servant who was assigned to the baron. He was also an NKVD agent. This version is confirmed today by other sources.

Fast paced life! Interesting fate. There is a book, the preface to which was written by the prose writer Nikolai Starikov, “Memoirs of Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel.” It's worth reading. Provokes deep thought.

The personality of this person is strongly connected with the White movement and the island of Crimea - the last stronghold and fragment of the Russian Empire.

Biography and activities of Peter Wrangel

Baron Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel, born on August 15, 1878 in the city of Novoaleksandrovsk. Wrangel's ancestors were Swedes. Over several centuries, the Wrangel family has produced many famous military leaders, navigators and polar explorers. Peter's father was an exception, choosing a career as an entrepreneur over a military career. He saw his eldest son the same way.

Peter Wrangel spent his childhood and youth in Rostov-on-Don. There he graduated from a real school. In 1900 - Golden medal Mining Institute in St. Petersburg. In 1901, mining engineer Wrangel was called up to undergo compulsory one-year military service. He serves as a volunteer in the prestigious Life Guards cavalry regiment. However, Wrangel does not like serving in peacetime. He prefers to become an official of special assignments under the Irkutsk Governor-General and retires with only the rank of cornet. This continues until .

Then Wrangel returns to the army, actively participates in hostilities, and is awarded the Annin weapon for bravery. Wrangel's long letters home from the battlefields, revised by his mother, were published in the Historical Bulletin magazine. In 1907, Wrangel was presented to the emperor and transferred to his native regiment. He continues his education at the Nikolaev General Staff Academy. In 1910 he completed his studies, but did not remain with the General Staff.

In August 1907, Olga Ivanenko, the daughter of a chamberlain and maid of honor of the Empress's court, became Wrangel's wife. By 1914, the family already had three children. Wrangel became the first Knight of St. George in the outbreak of the World War. His wife accompanied Wrangel on the war fronts and worked as a nurse. Wrangel often and for a long time talked with. Baron commands Cossack units. Wrangel did not climb the career ladder quickly, but it was completely deserved.

Unlike many liberal intellectuals and colleagues - and Denikin, Wrangel met with hostility the February Revolution and the decrees of the Provisional Government, which undermined the very foundation of the army. His then insignificant rank and position made him an outsider to the big political game among the highest ranks of the army. Wrangel, as best he could, actively opposed the elected soldiers' committees and fought to maintain discipline. Kerensky made an attempt to involve Wrangel in the defense of Petrograd from the Bolsheviks, but he pointedly resigned.

After October Revolution Wrangel was reunited with his family who were in Crimea. In February 1918, revolutionary sailors of the Black Sea Fleet arrested the baron, and only the intercession of his wife saved him from imminent execution. German troops occupy Ukraine. Wrangel meets with the Ukrainian Hetman Skoropadsky, his former colleague. In 1919, Commander-in-Chief Denikin appointed Wrangel commander of the so-called. Volunteer Army. However, their personal relationship is hopelessly damaged.

In April 1920, Denikin was deposed and Wrangel was elected as the new commander. Wrangel was in charge of the last piece of Russian land still free from the Bolsheviks for only seven months. Perekop defense covered the evacuation civilian population. In November 1920, the remnants of the White Army left Russia forever through Kerch, Sevastopol, and Evpatoria. Wrangel died of transient consumption on April 25, 1928 in Brussels. According to one version of modern historians, it was provoked by OGPU agents.

• The legendary white Circassian woman of Wrangel from the pen of Makovsky in the poem “Good!” turned into black - for the sake of sound expressiveness.

Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich (nickname “Black Baron”) was born on August 15, 1878 in the Russian Empire in Novo-Alexandrovsk (now the city of Zarasai in Lithuania). The Wrangel family had German roots.

Vocation

Pyotr Nikolaevich graduated with a gold medal (becoming the first student) from the Mining Institute in 1900 in St. Petersburg. In 1901 he was called up for military service and served in the Cavalry Regiment of the Emperor's Life Guards, and in 1902 he retired.

In 1904, during the Russian-Japanese War, P.N. Wrangel returned to military service as a volunteer. He was awarded orders for his bravery. The war ended in 1905, but Wrangel could no longer imagine himself without the army.

Family life

In 1907, he married the daughter of the chamberlain of the imperial court, Olga Ivanenko, which did not prevent him from graduating from the General Staff Academy in 1910 and receiving the rank of captain. By 1914, the baron was already a happy father of 3 children. Refused service in the General Staff and returned to the Cavalry Regiment.

World War I

The baron fought bravely on the fronts of the First World War. In 1917, Wrangel was awarded the rank of major general. After the October Revolution, the staunch monarchist Baron Wrangel resigned.

Civil War

For some time he lived in Crimea at the dacha with his family. He was under arrest by the Bolsheviks. However, due to lack of charges, he was released.

When the German army appeared in Crimea, he left for Kyiv, where Hetman P.P. Skoropadsky, a former colleague of Wrangel, ruled. Seeing the weakness of the hetman, behind whom the Germans stood, Wrangel left for Ekaterinodar (Krasnodar) and joined the Volunteer Army in 1918, formed by generals Alekseev, Kornilov and.

In the Volunteer Army, Wrangel was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. At the same time, he headed the 1st Cavalry Corps. In 1918-1919 he successfully fought against the Red Army. Rostov was captured, and later Tsaritsyn.

During this period, he had disagreements with Denikin. In February 1920, Wrangel resigned and left for Istanbul.

In Crimea

The departure was short-lived. After Denikin's resignation from the post of commander-in-chief of the Volunteer Army, Baron Wrangel became the new commander-in-chief in April 1920. During these difficult times for the White Army, Wrangel became the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army and the Ruler of the South of Russia. The remnants of the Russian army crossed to Crimea. Wrangel tried to gather strength, attracting new allies to his side, proposing social and political reforms.

In November 1920, the Red Army stormed Perekop and broke into Crimea. The baron, along with the remnants of the army, was evacuated to Istanbul.

Emigration

While in exile, Wrangel took over the leadership of the white movement.

From Istanbul in 1922 he moved with his family to Belgrade. Here in 1922 the baron’s 4th child was born.

In 1924, he transferred leadership of the white movement to one of the grand dukes.

In 1927 he moved to Brussels, where he died in 1928, presumably from tuberculosis. The family believed that the baron had been poisoned. The funeral took place in Brussels. In 1929, Baron Wrangel was reburied in Belgrade.

Interesting Facts

• In his youth, Pyotr Nikolaevich was sometimes distinguished by his unbridled temper and repeatedly got into unpleasant situations. For example, he threw a man out of a window who had quarreled with his mother.
• Among his friends he received the nickname Piper for his love for the brand of champagne of the same name.
• Wrangel's ancestor in the 13th century was the knight of the Teutonic Order, Henricus de Wrangel.
• Wrangel was a direct descendant of the Swedish field marshal Herman the Elder. 79 Wrangels served in the Swedish army.
• Baron Karl Wrangel, while in Russian service, captured Turkish fortress Bayazet.
• A relative of the baron, Alexander Wrangel, captured Imam Shamil.
• An island in the Arctic Ocean was named after the navigator Ferdinand Wrangel.
• Baron's uncle A.E. Wrangel was a close friend of F.M. Dostoevsky.
• P.N. Wrangel has to distant relative A.S. Pushkin through the “blackamoor Peter the Great” Hannibal.
• Marshal of the USSR B.M. Shaposhnikov was a classmate of P.N. Wrangel at the Academy of the General Staff. The son of Pyotr Nikolaevich believes that Shaposhnikov slandered his father in his memoirs, deliberately distorting the facts.
• Wrangel's mother, who bore the surname Dementieva-Maikova, lived in Petrograd during the Civil War, working in the Soviet museum.