13 Facts About Eduard Totleben

Eduard Totleben was in charge of fortification and sapping work during a number of important Russian military campaigns.

Eduard Totleben's parents were of Thuringian descent and originated in Tottleben, belonging to the Baltic German noble Tottleben family, but had since become merchants.

Eduard Totleben himself was intended for commerce, but instead sought a career as a military engineer.

Eduard Totleben entered the school of engineers at Saint Petersburg.

Eduard Totleben saw active service as captain of engineers in the campaigns against Imam Shamil in the Caucasus, beginning in 1848 for two years.

At the outbreak of war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1853, Eduard Totleben took part in the siege of Silistria, and after the siege was raised was transferred to the Crimea.

Eduard Totleben originated the idea that a fortress should be considered not a walled town but an entrenched position, intimately connected with the offensive and defensive capacities of an army and as susceptible to alteration as the formation of troops in battle or manoeuvre.

Until 20 June 1855, Eduard Totleben conducted operations for the defense at Sevastopol in person; he was then wounded in the foot and was not present at the operations which immediately preceded the fall of the fortress.

On 24 March 1854, Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote to Eduard Totleben asking for his help in returning to European Russia.

In 1860 Eduard Totleben was appointed assistant to Grand Duke Nicholas, and he subsequently became head of the department of engineers with the full rank of general.

Eduard Totleben received no command when another war against the Ottoman Empire began in 1877.

Eduard Totleben saw that it would be necessary to draw engineering works around Osman Pasha and cut him off from communication with the other Turkish commanders.

Eduard Totleben died in 1884 at Bad Soden near Frankfurt am Main, and is buried in Sevastopol.