Mikhail Miloradovich

Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich
Portrait by George Dawe, c. 1820s
Governor General of Saint Petersburg
In office 31 August 1818 – 15 December 1825
Preceded by	Sergey Vyazmitinov
Succeeded by	Pavel Golenishchev-Kutuzov
Personal details
Born	12 October [O.S. 1 October] 1771 Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Died	27 December 1825(1825-12-27) (aged 54) Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Alma mater	University of Göttingen University of Königsberg
Military service
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Branch/service	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1787–1825
Rank	General of the Infantry
Unit	Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment
Commands	81st Apsheron Infantry Regiment, Imperial Guard
Battles/wars	Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790) Italian and Swiss expedition Combat of Lecco Battle of the Trebbia Battle of Novi Battle of the Gotthard Pass Battle of Muottental War of the Third Coalition Battle of Amstetten Battle of Dürenstein Battle of Austerlitz Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812) Battle of Turbat (1807) Battle of Obileşti Patriotic War of 1812 Battle of Borodino Battle of Tarutino Battle of Maloyaroslavets Battle of Vyazma Battle of Krasnoi War of the Sixth Coalition Battle of Lützen Battle of Bautzen Battle of Kulm Battle of Leipzig Battle of Arcis-sur-Aube Battle of Brienne Battle of Fère-Champenoise Decembrist Revolt †
Awards	Order of St. George 2nd class, Order of St. Andrew, Order of St. Vladimir 1st class, Order of St. Anna 1st class, Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, Order of the Red Eagle, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Iron Cross, Golden Weapon "For Bravery" (For the taking of Bucharest, 1806)

Count Mikhail Andreyevich Miloradovich (Russian: Граф Михаил Андреевич Милорадович, Serbian Cyrillic: Гроф Михаил Андрејевић Милорадовић Grof Mihail Andrejević Miloradović; October 12 [O.S. October 1] 1771 – December 27 [O.S. December 15] 1825^[1]), spelled Miloradovitch in contemporary English sources, was a Russian general prominent during the Napoleonic Wars, who, on his father side, descended from Serb noble family and the katun clan of Miloradović from Hum, later part of Sanjak of Herzegovina, in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. He entered military service on the eve of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790 and his career advanced rapidly during the reign (1796-1801) of Emperor Paul I. He served under Alexander Suvorov during Italian and Swiss campaigns of 1799; Miloradovich was, along with Pyotr Bagration, a brilliant pupil of Suvorov, and became one of the outstanding figures in the military history of Russia.^[2]

Miloradovich served in wars against France and the Ottoman Empire, earning distinction in the Battle of Amstetten (1805), the capture of Bucharest (1806), the Battle of Borodino (September 1812), the Battle of Tarutino (October 1812) and the Battle of Vyazma (November 1812). He led the reserves into the Battle of Kulm (August 1813), the Battle of Leipzig (October 1813) and the Battle of Paris (1814). Miloradovich attained the rank of General of the Infantry in 1809 and the title of count in 1813. His reputation as a daring battlefield commander (contemporaries called him "the Russian Murat" and "the Russian Bayard"^[3]) rivalled that of his bitter personal enemy Bagration, but Miloradovich also had a reputation for good luck. He boasted that he had fought fifty battles but had never been wounded nor even scratched by the enemy.^[4]

By 1818, when Miloradovich was appointed Governor General of Saint Petersburg, the retirement or death of other senior generals made him the most highly-decorated active officer of the Russian army, holding the Order of St. George 2nd class, the Order of St. Andrew, the Order of St. Vladimir 1st class, the Order of St. Anna 1st class, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky with diamonds.^[5] A chivalrous man of boastful and flamboyant character, Miloradovich was a poor fit for the governorship. Vladimir Nabokov called him "a gallant soldier, bon vivant and a somewhat bizarre administrator";^[6] Alexander Herzen wrote that he was "one of those military men who occupied the most senior positions in civilian life with not the slightest idea about public affairs".^[7]

When news of the death of Alexander I reached Saint Petersburg, Miloradovich prevented the heir, the future Emperor Nicholas I, from acceding to the throne. From December 9 [O.S. November 27] to December 25 [O.S. December 13] 1825, Miloradovich exercised de facto dictatorial authority, but he ultimately recognised Nicholas as his sovereign after the Romanovs had sorted out their confusion over the succession. Miloradovich had sufficient evidence of the mounting Decembrist revolt, but did not take any action until the rebels took over the Senate Square on December 26 [O.S. December 14] 1825. He rode into the rows of rebel troops and tried to talk them into obedience, but was fatally shot by Pyotr Kakhovsky and stabbed by Yevgeny Obolensky.