Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden

For other members of Buxhoeveden family, see Buxhoeveden.
Count
Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden
Portrait by Vladimir Borovikovsky, c. 1809
Governor General of Livonia
In office
1808–1809
Preceded byCount Alexander Tormasov
Succeeded byPrince Dmitry Lobanov-Rostovsky
In office
1803–1806
Preceded byPrince Sergei Golitsyn
Succeeded byCount Alexander Tormasov
Governor General of Saint Petersburg
In office
1797–1798
Preceded byNikolai Arkharov
Succeeded byPeter Ludwig von der Pahlen
Personal details
Born(1750-09-13)September 13, 1750
Muhu, Governate of Riga, Russian Empire
DiedSeptember 4, 1811(1811-09-04) (aged 60)
Lode Castle, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
EducationSecond Cadet Corps
Military service
Allegiance Russia
Branch/service Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Austrian Army[2]
Years of service1770–1798, 1802–1810
RankGeneral of Infantry
UnitKexholm Life Guards Regiment[ru] (1783–1787)[1]
CommandsArmy of Volhynia (1805)
Finland Corps (1808)[1]
Battles/wars

Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Buxhoeveden[a] (Russian: Фёдор Фёдорович Буксгевден, romanized: Fyodor Fyodorovich Buksgevden; September 13 [O.S. September 2] 1750 – September 4 [O.S. August 23] 1811) was a Russian general of the infantry and government official. Buxhoeveden commanded the Russian armies during the Finnish War.[3]

Family

The Buxhoevedens, a Baltic German family from Estonia, traced their roots to Bexhövede in Lower Saxony.

Buxhoevden's wife, countess Natalia Alexeyeva, was the illegitimate daughter of Grigory Orlov (1734–1783) by a lady of the court, but her mother – contrary to some claims – was not the Empress Catherine, but a member of the Apraksin family. Buxhoeveden's granddaughter Varvara Nelidova was a mistress of Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855) for 17 years (1832–1855).

Career

In 1805, Buxhoevden took part in the Battle of Austerlitz as a commander of the left wing of the allied Russo-Austrian army, contributing to the Third Coalition's failure to defeat Napoleon by being drunk during the battle. Nevertheless, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st Class.[4][1]

On 9 October [O.S. 27 September] 1806, in the course of the Russo-Prusso-French War, Buxhoeveden was entrusted with a corps of 4 divisions, assigned to the second line. Considering himself left in reserve and offended by the preference shown to Leonty Bennigsen, Buxhoeveden from the very first steps showed a hostile attitude towards him. Taking advantage of the departure of Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Kamensky, who handed over command of the army to Bennigsen as the senior officer, he tried to subordinate Bennigsen. The rebuff he met from the latter further exacerbated their relations, and when Bennigsen's army fought with the French at Pultusk and Golymin, Buxhoeveden was inactive, standing near Maków Mazowiecki, 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) from the battlefield.[1]

In 1808, he served as Commander-in-Chief in the Russian conquest of Swedish Finland, and led Russian troops during the initial battles of the Finnish War (1808–1809).

Estates

Buxhoevden received the castle and lands of Koluvere in western Estonia after Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel had died there in 1788 in suspicious circumstances. He also owned the villa and manor of Ligovo near Saint Petersburg.

Awards

Russian Empire awards:

Foreign state awards:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Other spellings include Feodor Buxhoevden, Buxhœwden, and Buxhöwden.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Novitsky 1911.
  2. ^ Battle of Austerlitz order of battle
  3. ^ "Fredrik Vilhelm von Buxhoevden". Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (in Swedish). Helsingfors: Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. urn:NBN:fi:sls-4129-1416928956735.
  4. ^ Todd Fisher & Gregory Fremont-Barnes, The Napoleonic Wars: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. p. 52

Sources

allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fyodor_Buksgevden