War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy [819]
Apraksin, Count Stepan Stepanovich (1747–1827): Descended from a distinguished noble family, he entered military service early, took part in the Turkish wars under Catherine II, was promoted to lieutenant general, and in 1803 became military governor of Smolensk. He retired to his estate in 1809.
Arakcheev, Count Alexei Andreevich (1769–1834): General and statesman under the emperors Paul I and Alexander I. First served in the artillery, where he became known for his iron discipline and was generally detested. In 1808 he became minister of war and in 1810 was appointed to the first State Council. In the later years of Alexander’s reign, he became the emperor’s chief counselor and closest friend.
Arcole: A village in the north of Italy on the Alpone River, a tributary of the Adige, where, on 17 November 1796, the bridge was hotly contested by the French, who were besieging Mantua, and the Austrian allies who were coming to relieve the city. The French under Napoleon eventually drove back the superior Austrian forces.
Armfelt, Count Gustaf Mauritz (1757–1814): A Swedish courtier and soldier of Finnish origin, who participated at the highest levels in the complex military and political events of the time. Eventually banished from Sweden, he went to Russia and swore allegiance to the young Alexander I, on whom he had great influence as an adviser and from whom he won independence for the grand duchy of Finland.
Auerstädt: Town in Saxony where Marshal Davout won a brilliant victory over the Prussians in 1806, on the same day that Napoleon defeated them at Jena. Napoleon rewarded Davout by making him “duke of Auerstädt.”
Augustin (in the world, A. V. Vinogradsky, 1776–1819): Bishop Augustin was known as a spiritual writer and brilliant preacher; he also wrote verses in Latin. In 1812 he was virtually the head of the archdiocese of Moscow in place of Metropolitan Platon, who was seventy-five years old.
Austerlitz: Town in Moravia where Napoleon, in what was perhaps his greatest victory, defeated the combined forces of Austria and Russia on 2 December 1805. The battle is known as “the battle of the three emperors,” because it pitted Napoleon against Alexander I and Franz I of Austria.
Bagovut, Karl (1761–1812): Russian general, fought in the Turkish wars and in the wars of 1806–1808; in 1812 commanded the second corps of infantry in the army of Barclay de Tolly. Killed at the battle of Tarutino.
Bagration, Prince Pyotr Ivanovich (1765–1812): Russian general of Georgian descent. Served with Suvorov in northern Italy, took part in all the campaigns of 1805–1807, was general in chief of the Russian army in the renewed hostilities with the Turks in 1809, and commanded one of the three Russian armies during the Napoleonic invasion. Mortally wounded at Borodino.
Balashov, Alexander Dmitrievich (1770–1837): Russian general and statesman. In 1804 he became chief of police of Moscow, and in 1808 of Petersburg. Alexander I raised him to the rank of adjutant general and made him military governor of Petersburg. In 1810 he became a member of the newly created State Council and minister of police. He accompanied the emperor to Vilno in 1812 and carried his letter to Napoleon.
Barclay de Tolly, Prince Mikhail Bogdanovich (1761–1818): Russian general of Scottish descent, born in Livonia. Commander in chief of the Russian army during the Swedish war, minister of war in 1810, commander in chief of the Russian army at the beginning of the 1812 campaign, before he was replaced by Kutuzov.
Beauharnais, Eugène de (1781–1824): Son of the viscount Alexandre de Beauharnais and Marie-Joseph (Josephine) Tascher de La Pagerie. His father was guillotined in 1794; in 1796 his mother married Napoleon, who adopted him officially in 1806 and later made him viceroy of Italy, prince of Venice, grand duke of Frankfurt, and prince of Eichstatt. Took part in a number of campaigns; in Russia commanded a corps of Italian, French, and Bavarian troops known as “the army of Italy.”
Beauharnais, Josephine de