the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

Highly gifted by nature, with “a shrewd and flexible mind,” 15 Prince Peter Bagration was
a proponent of Suvorov’s principles of tactics and strategy. While the outdated Prussian
strategy often dominated the Russian military, Bagration opposed it and attempted to
introduce new tactical insights into the army. He introduced new “Manual for Infantry
Officers on the Day of Battle” to the 2 nd Western Army in July 1812 that was inspired by
these principles. 16 Bagration always pursued aggressive tactics, preferring offensive
warfare to defensive. Suvorov admired Bagration’s skills and effectively exploited them
during the Italian Campaign of 1799.
Bagration’s legacy survived in many forms and places. His spirit of aggressive
attack seemed to come alive as the Soviet Red Army launched a massive offensive
codenamed “Operation Bagration” in Byelorussia on 22 June 1944. Five weeks later, the
Nazi army was crushed and the Red Army was at the gates of Warsaw. 17 Numerous
streets and subway stations were named after him throughout Russia, Georgia and
Byelorussia. A tiny asteroid “Bagration” (No. 3127) shines on nightly sky, while
seamount “Bagration” in the South Atlantic still ‘guards’ Napoleon’s shadow on the St.
Helena. The City of Preussisch Eylau in Poland, that witnessed Bagration’s exploits in
one of bloodiest battles of the century, still bears his name, Bagrationovsk. Probably, the
greatest recommendation for Bagration and his abilities is that Napoleon, the greatest
man of his time, considered Prince Peter the finest general of the Russian army. 18
15 Ibid., 150.
16 P. Simakovsky, “Dva nastavlenia” [Two Manuals], Russkii Invalid, 1912, No. 176.
17 The Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre was routed, some 17 Wehrmacht divisions were
destroyed and over 50 other German divisions were shattered. It was one of the most calamitous
defeats of the German armed forces in World War II, costing the Wehrmacht more men and
material than the cataclysm at Stalingrad.
18 Napoléon to Alexander Balashov, 30 June 1812, Vilna. Balashov’s Notes on the Meeting
with the Emperor Napoleon, Dubrovin, Patriotic War in Letters of Contemporaries, 31; Thiers,
Consulate and the Empire, VIII, 26.
838