Alexander Mikhailovich Krymov - Major General, an active participant in the First World War and the Russo-Japanese War. One of the members of the conspiracy against Nicholas II. After the February Revolution, he received the post of commander of the Petrograd army, which was created to eliminate popular unrest. Alexander Mikhailovich, who supported the Kornilov uprising at that difficult time, already had unquestioned authority in the army. Moreover, Krymov was admired not only among Russian officers, but also in army regiments, as well as in the Provisional Government. His death has the right to be imprinted in the memory of posterity a hundred years after those events.
Study and service
The future General Krymov (photo presented in the article) was born into a noble family in 1871. After graduating from the Pskov Cadet Corps and the Pavlovsk School, the young officer was assigned the rank of second lieutenant.to the 6th Artillery Brigade. By 1898, Alexander had risen to the rank of staff captain and decided to continue his education by enrolling in the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. In 1902 he successfully graduated from it. General M. D. Bonch-Bruevich gave Krymov the following characterization: “This artillery officer was a courteous and pleasant conversationalist. He compares favorably with his intelligence and education from other foot soldiers.”
The overthrow of the king
On the way to the rank of major general, Krymov managed to go through the First World War and the Russo-Japanese War, as well as the Revolutionary events. Alexander Mikhailovich took an active part in the overthrow of Nicholas II, whom he considered a bad ruler. Krymov, together with his associates, wanted the accession of the direct heir and successor to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei. At the same time, Mikhail Alexandrovich (brother of Nicholas II) was to become regent. This approach distinguished Krymov from the Bolsheviks and other anti-monarchists.
Provisional Government
Unfortunately, the officer's party lost, and power passed into the hands of the Provisional Government. And it was headed by a manic-paranoid and power-hungry character named Alexander Fedorovich Kerensky. After the overthrow of the king, he served as head of state. Kerensky was terrified of losing power and saw the enemy in everyone who did not agree with his opinion. And one of these enemies for him was General Kornilov, who was Krymov's staunch ally. Subsequently, Kerensky will take terrible revenge for this, humiliating the officer's honor.
Loy alty to the Commander
But no denigration of Krymov's personality will erase a number of documentary evidence of his compatriots, who considered the general a noble officer. According to them, he honorably defended the interests of the Empire. Although General Krymov had a quick temper, the mountain and Cossack units treated the commander with devotion and warmth.
Alexander Mikhailovich, even when communicating with higher authorities, never neglected strong expressions, defending the interests of his own army units. Everything that was useful to the soldier was useful to Krymov himself. No wonder his Cossack troops were so loyal.
Characteristic
This is how General Shkuro, who often had to be near Alexander Mikhailovich, described Krymov: “He looks rude and harsh in words. He smashed his subordinates without choosing expressions, and bullied himself with his superiors on every occasion. Despite this, General Krymov enjoyed ardent love and unlimited respect for the entire composition of his subordinates. On his orders, the soldiers followed without hesitation into the water and the fire. He was a man of intrepid courage, indomitable energy and iron will. Even in the most intricate and complex military situation, General Krymov could quickly orient himself and make the best decision. He perfectly studied the shortcomings and strengths of his wards in order to use them as effectively as possible in battle. For example, the Cossacks were inclined to keep horses close to them, so that in the event of a retreat they would quickly change their location. SoAlexander Mikhailovich kept grooms 50 miles from the battlefield. Thanks to this, his Cossacks were stronger in foot combat than any staunch infantry. Knowing the firing area, Krymov with his Transbaikalian hunters used the following method of dealing with the attacking enemy: the general occupied all the mountain peaks with several platoons of Cossacks. Neither artillery fire nor Bavaria attacks were able to smoke the Cossacks out of the mountain cracks. I did not work with the general for long, but I learned many valuable lessons and keep the bright memory of this honest man and valiant soldier who could not survive the shame of Russia. Eternal memory to him!”
Support for Kornilov's idea
We have already mentioned above that General Krymov actively supported Lavr Georgievich's idea of holding the front during the war (World War I), as well as suppressing rebellions in the rear until the end of hostilities. In addition, Alexander Mikhailovich shared Kornilov's opinion that the Provisional Government should be removed from power. Krymov was frankly disgusted with the positions of the Bolsheviks, who undermined both the front and society. And this threatened the complete defeat of the Russian army.
Return to the capital
In August 1917, in Petrograd, Soviets and Bolsheviks were preparing for the action of the Soviets and Bolsheviks in order to overthrow the Provisional Government and seize power in their own hands. General Kornilov could not allow such a turn of events, so he sent Krymov's unit to the capital. Alexander Mikhailovich was supposed to control the city and brutally suppress if necessaryappearances by enemy elements. But practically all the main authorities in the country were seized by a rebellious mood. The saddest thing is that they were imbued with the railway workers, who put many obstacles in the way of the advance of the troops. As a result, all parts of the general's army were scattered along the road from Mogilev, where the General Staff of the Russian troops was located, to Petrograd itself. There was no question of meeting the deadline. The plan was immediately changed - they waited for the concentration of all units under the capital and only then spoke. If unrest begins in the city by their arrival, they will immediately suppress them and clear the capital of rebels.
Negotiations with Kerensky
And in Petrograd, the head of the Provisional Government, Kerensky, had another tilt in his mind. Morally, he was on the side of his former Soviets, comrades, and even supported their actions. And here we are not talking about some kind of ideological solidarity, but about the desire to save one's own life in advance and not fall under the vanes of repression later. For this purpose, Alexander Fedorovich called Krymov for negotiations, because he was very afraid of his "Wild Division" and the Cossacks. Alexander Mikhailovich could not stand Kerensky, but he realized that in the current situation it was necessary to keep the power of the Provisional Government with all his might. Therefore, he considered him an ally in the common cause. But in life everything turned out differently.
Filing charges
Alexander Fedorovich began to express his impartial opinions to Krymov about the untimely arrival of his army units in the city. Like an armythreatened the balance of power in Petrograd, which could lead to a rebellion. Alexander Mikhailovich was indignant and shouted at all the corridors. Krymov could not believe that he had been so cynically and vilely betrayed. He was completely in the hands of Kerensky, who hinted that the general had become a rebel, who led his army to seize power and further transfer it to Kornilov. This could mean only one thing - very soon the hero of this article will be subjected to humiliating interrogations, followed by arrest.
Suicide
Alexander Mikhailovich never experienced such humiliation, even after rare defeats at the front. And here he lost in diplomatic tricks, hoping for the honor and conscience of politicians. After long curses and awareness of his own unenviable position, General Krymov shot himself: after leaving Kerensky's office, Alexander Mikhailovich pointed the barrel of a pistol at his chest. He could still be saved, but in the hospital the military man fell into the hands of haters of Russian officers, who began to mock this worthy man. As a result, General Alexander Krymov died from his own wound, and Kornilov lost his most devoted associate, ready to do anything to achieve a common goal. But there is another version of the death of the military.
Or murder
According to her, during a skirmish with Kerensky, General Krymov, whose biography is known to all lovers of military history, could not resist in a fit of anger and raised his hand to him. The "adjutants" of Alexander Fedorovich immediately reacted and shot the general. ChapterThe Provisional Government banned public funerals. Soon, Krymov's widow wrote a petition to Kerensky, and he nevertheless allowed the general to be buried according to the Christian rite, "but not later than six in the morning and in the presence of only nine people, including representatives of the clergy."
Beginning of repressions
After the death of Krymov, repressive actions began against Russian officers. A whole series of arrests of army officials who did not want to cooperate with Kerensky followed. In fact, the head of the Provisional Government, with his own hands, set fire to the future Civil War, which turned the tide of the history of the Russian state.
Confusion
Very often the hero of this article is confused with General Krymov, who is currently working at the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service. This is because they have the same first and last name. Our contemporary Krymov has the same rank as Kornilov's colleague - major general. But people who confuse the generals somehow don't pay attention to the differences.
A whole era separates the two military men. General Krymov, head of the Academy of the Federal Penitentiary Service in Ryazan, was born in 1968. And his namesake - in 1871. In addition, they have different last names. A participant in the First World War has Mikhailovich, and a modern major general has Aleksandrovich.
