25 Facts About Aleksey Kuropatkin

Aleksey Nikolayevich Kuropatkin was a Russian politician and military officer who served as the Russian Imperial Minister of War from January 1898 to February 1904 and as a field commander subsequently.

From 1872 to 1874, Aleksey Kuropatkin studied at the Nicholas General Staff Academy, after which he was dispatched as a military attache to Berlin and Paris, completing his military studies, and with the French troops in French Algeria, accompanying a French expedition to Sahara.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was awarded the Order of St George for his role in the Russian conquest of Kokand.

Aleksey Kuropatkin led the main assault at the Battle of Geok Tepe on January 24,1881.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was awarded the Order of St George for his victory in the battle.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was promoted to major general on January 29,1882.

Aleksey Kuropatkin joined the General Staff the following year, and was promoted to lieutenant general in 1890.

From 1890 to 1898, Aleksey Kuropatkin was governor of the Transcaspian Region in Central Asia, based in Askhabad.

Aleksey Kuropatkin established a local judicial and school system, and encouraged the settlement of colonists from the interior provinces of the Russian Empire.

In 1895 on Aleksey Kuropatkin was bestowed the extraordinary Russian mission, called the Extraordinary Embassy to Persia in order to proclaim the ascension to the throne of Nicholas II.

In 1898, Aleksey Kuropatkin was recalled to St Petersburg and appointed War Minister.

Aleksey Kuropatkin's reforms included measures to rejuvenate the army by setting age limits for line officers and candidates for higher office, and by increasing the period of secondment of officers from the General Staff to combat units.

Aleksey Kuropatkin attempted to improve the quality of officers by raising the two-year cadet training program to three years, and by opening seven new cadet schools.

However, with respect to the lower ranks, Aleksey Kuropatkin's reforms fell short.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was involved in the negotiations with the Empire of Japan before the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

Aleksey Kuropatkin did not support an armed conflict with Japan and opposed the Bezobrazov Circle.

Aleksey Kuropatkin's views became firmer after a visit to Japan in June 1903.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was heavily involved in the fiasco of the Russian land forces during the war.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was influenced by his racism against Asians, reportedly telling the Tsar that he would only need two Russian soldiers for every three Japanese soldiers.

In 1906, following the end of the Russo-Japanese War, Aleksey Kuropatkin served as a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia.

At the start of World War I, Aleksey Kuropatkin requested to be reinstated and to be sent to the front; however, his requests were blocked by Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich.

Aleksey Kuropatkin planned a night attack which included setting up batteries of searchlights to blind the German defenders, a tactic which had worked in 1904 against Japanese troops.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was relieved of command on July 22,1916, and reassigned to Turkestan, where the Russian involvement in World War I, especially against the Ottoman Empire was extremely unpopular among the indigenous peoples and which had led to the Central Asian revolt of 1916.

Aleksey Kuropatkin served as Governor-General of the Turkestan Military District as well as ataman of the Semirechye Cossacks and led the brutal suppression of the revolt.

Aleksey Kuropatkin was confirmed in his post as commander of the Turkestan Military District by Provisional Government War Minister Alexander Guchkov.