Here is a generalissimo. The fate of the Brunswicks The overthrow of Biron and the coup

12.05.2022

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Anton Ulrich(German Anton Ulrich Herzog von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel ; August 17 (28), 1714, Bevern, Duchy of Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel - May 4 (15), 1774, Kholmogory, Arkhangelsk district, Arkhangelsk province, Russian empire), Duke of Brunswick-Bevern-Lüneburg - father of the Russian Emperor Ivan VI Antonovich, Generalissimo of the Russian troops on November 11, 1740-1741.

The second son of Duke Ferdinand Albrecht of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (until 1735 Brunswick-Bevernsky) and Antoinette Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, brother of the famous Prussian commander Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and Juliana Maria, the second wife of the Danish King Frederick V (in 1772-1784 the actual ruler of the country).

Marriage with Anna Leopoldovna

When Empress Anna Ioannovna was looking for a groom for her niece, Princess Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, under the influence of the Austrian court, she chose Anton. The latter arrived in Russia at the beginning of June 1733 as a very young man. Here he was introduced to Anna in the hope that a strong affection would be established between the young people, which over time would turn into a more tender feeling. These hopes were not justified. Anna at first sight disliked her betrothed, a young man of short stature, effeminate, stutterer, very limited, but modest, with a soft and supple character. Nevertheless, this marriage took place on July 14, 1739; On August 23, 1740, their first child, Ivan, was born. Soon the empress fell mortally ill and, at the insistence of Biron and Chancellor Bestuzhev, declared Ivan Antonovich heir to the throne, and Biron as regent.

Biron Regency

Prince Anton Ulrich was very unhappy with this will; he wanted to change the decree on the regency, but lacked the courage and ability to take advantage of a favorable moment. He turned to Osterman and Keyserling for advice, but they restrained him, although they did not blame him. At the same time, but apart from any participation of Prince Anton Ulrich, there was a ferment in the guard directed against Biron. The plot was discovered, the leaders of the movement - cabinet secretary Yakovlev, officer Pustoshkin and their comrades - were punished with a whip, and Prince Anton Ulrich, who also turned out to be compromised, was invited to an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers, senators and generals. Here, on October 23, on the very day when the decree was given on the annual issuance of 200,000 rubles to the parents of the young emperor, he was strictly inspired that at the slightest attempt to overthrow the established system, he would be treated like any other subject of the emperor. Following that, he was forced to sign a request for dismissal from his posts: Lieutenant Colonel Semyonovsky and Colonel of the Cuirassier Braunschweig regiments, and he was completely removed from the affairs of government.

Regency of Anna Leopoldovna

Biron treated the emperor's parents with disdain, openly insulted them and even threatened to take the young emperor away from his mother and then send Anton Ulrich and his wife out of Russia. The rumor about this made Anna Leopoldovna decide on a desperate step. She turned to Field Marshal Munnich for help, and the latter on November 8 put a quick end to Biron's reign. All this, apparently, took place without any participation and knowledge of Prince Anton Ulrich. The regency passed to Anna Leopoldovna, while Anton Ulrich was proclaimed Generalissimo of the Russian troops on November 11.

Link to the Arkhangelsk province

But the reign of Anna Leopoldovna did not last long. The palace coup, carried out on the night of December 5-6, 1741, elevated Elizaveta Petrovna to the throne. The latter at first limited itself to the decision to expel the Brunswick family from Russia; Anton's family was already on the way abroad, but was unexpectedly arrested, imprisoned in the Riga fortress, from there transferred to Dinamunde and Ranenburg, and finally, on November 9, 1744, imprisoned in Kholmogory Arkhangelsk province. In addition to the first-born Ivan, who was killed in 1764 in the Shlisselburg fortress, Anna had four more children: two daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth, and two sons, Peter and Alexei. The first of them was born even before exile on July 26, 1741, the second in Dynamünde, and Princes Peter and Alexei were born already in Kholmogory. The birth of the last of them cost Anna her life (February 28, 1746) - after giving birth, she died of puerperal fever.

The imprisonment of Anton Ulrich's family in Kholmogory was full of hardships; often she needed the bare necessities. A staff officer with a team was assigned to supervise them; several men and women from a simple rank served them. Any communication with outsiders was strictly forbidden to them; only the Arkhangelsk governor had an order to visit them from time to time to inquire about their condition. Brought up with the commoners, the children of Anton Ulrich knew no other language than Russian. For the maintenance of the Braunschweig family, for the salaries of the people assigned to them, and for the repair of the house they occupied, no definite amount was assigned; but released from the Arkhangelsk treasury from 10 to 15 thousand rubles annually.

Death

Following the accession to the throne of Catherine II, Anton Ulrich was asked to leave Russia, leaving only children in Kholmogory; but he preferred bondage with children to lonely freedom. Having lost his sight, he died on May 4, 1774. The place of his burial is unknown. Archival documents testify that on the night of the 5th to the 6th, his body was carried out in a coffin, upholstered in black cloth with a silver braid, and quietly buried in the nearest cemetery inside the fence of the house, where he was kept in the presence of only guard soldiers, who it was strictly forbidden to talk about the place of burial.

In 2007, information appeared in the media about the discovery of remains in Kholmogory, which, presumably, could belong to Anton Ulrich.

Brunswick family in Denmark

Main article: Brunswick family

Finally, in 1780, at the request of the Danish Queen Juliana Maria, sister of Anton Ulrich, Catherine II decided to alleviate the plight of his children by deporting them to Danish possessions, where they were assigned to live in the town of Horsens in Jutland. On the night of June 27, 1780, they were transported to the Novodvinsk fortress, and on the night of July 30, the princes and princesses set sail from the shores of Russia on the frigate Polar Star, generously provided with clothes, dishes and other necessary things.

Marriage and children

Wife: from July 14 (25), 1739, St. Petersburg, Anna Leopoldovna(December 7 (18), 1718 - March 7 (18), 1746), regent in 1740-1741, daughter of Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Ekaterina Ioannovna Romanova

Ivan VI(12 (23) August 1740 - 5 (16) July 1764), emperor in 1740-1741
Catherine(July 26 (August 6), 1741 - April 9 (21), 1807)
Elizabeth(16 (27) September 1743 - 9 (20) October 1782)
Peter(19 (30) March 1745 - 19 (30) January 1798)
Alexey Antonovich(February 27 (March 10), 1746 - October 12 (23), 1787)

Notes

Remains of Generalissimo Anton Ulrich of Brunswick found // Pravda.Ru, 07/17/2007

Literature

Levin L.I. Russian Generalissimo Duke Anton Ulrich (History of the "Brunswick family in Russia"). - St. Petersburg. : Russian-Baltic Information Center "Blits", 2000. - ISBN 5-86789-120-8.
The burial of Princess Anna Leopoldovna and her husband, Duke Anton Ulrich. 1746 and 1776/ Message M. A. Korf // Russian archive, 1870. - T. 1. - Ed. 3rd. - St. Petersburg, 1875. - S. 417-419.
Savvaitov I. About the ancestor of the Vologda Bishop Ambrose (Yushkevich) for the wedding of Princess Anna Leopoldovna with Duke Anton Ulrich on July 3, 1739 // Russian Archive, 1871. - Issue. 2. - Stb. 193-200.

Partially used materials from the site http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Duke of Brunswick-Bevern-Lüneburg - father of the Russian Emperor Ivan VI Antonovich, Generalissimo of the Russian troops November 11, 1740-1741

The second son of Duke Ferdinand Albrecht of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (until 1735 Brunswick-Bevernsky) and Antoinette Amalia of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, brother of the famous Prussian commander Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and Juliana Maria, the second wife of the Danish king Frederick V (in 1772-1784 the actual ruler of the country).

MARRIAGE WITH ANNA LEOPOLDOVNA

When Empress Anna Ioannovna was looking for a groom for her niece, Princess Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, then under the influence of the Austrian court, she chose Anton. The latter arrived in Russia in early June 1733 as a boy. Here he was brought up with Anna in the hope that a strong attachment would be established between young people, which over time would turn into a more necessary feeling. These hopes were not justified. Anna at first sight disliked her betrothed, a young man of short stature, effeminate, stutterer, very limited, but modest, with a soft and supple character. Nevertheless, this marriage took place on July 14, 1739; On August 23, 1740, their first child, Ivan, was born. Soon the empress fell mortally ill and, at the insistence of Biron and Chancellor Bestuzhev, declared Ivan Antonovich heir to the throne, and Biron as regent.

REGENCY OF BIRON

REGENCY OF ANNA LEOPOLDOVNA

LINK TO THE ARKHANGELSK PROVINCE

But the reign of Anna Leopoldovna did not last long. The palace coup, carried out on the night of December 5-6, 1741, elevated Elizabeth Petrovna to the throne. The latter at first limited itself to the decision to expel the Brunswick family from Russia; Anton's family was already on the way abroad, but was unexpectedly arrested, imprisoned in the Riga fortress, from there transferred to Dinamunde and Ranenburg, and finally, on November 9, 1744, imprisoned in Kholmogory, Arkhangelsk province. In addition to the first-born Ivan, who was killed in 1764 in the Shlisselburg fortress, Anna had four more children: two daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth, and two sons, Peter and Alexei. The first of them was born even before exile on July 26, 1741, the second in Dynamünde, and Princes Peter and Alexei were born already in Kholmogory. The birth of the last of them cost Anna her life (February 28, 1746). The imprisonment of Anton Ulrich's family in Kholmogory was full of hardships; often she needed the bare necessities. A staff officer with a team was assigned to supervise them; several men and women from a simple rank served them. Any communication with outsiders was strictly forbidden to them; only the Arkhangelsk governor had an order to visit them from time to time to inquire about their condition. Brought up with the commoners, the children of Anton Ulrich knew no other language than Russian. For the maintenance of the Braunschweig family, for the salaries of the people assigned to them, and for the repair of the house they occupied, no definite amount was assigned; but released from the Arkhangelsk treasury from 10 to 15 thousand rubles annually.

DEATH

BRUNCHWEIG FAMILY IN DENMARK

Finally, in 1780, at the request of the Danish Queen Juliana-Maria, sister of Anton Ulrich, Catherine II decided to alleviate the plight of his children by deporting them to Danish possessions, where they were assigned a town

One of the most tragic figures in Russian history became the young emperor Ivan Antonovich of Brunswick, who formally occupied the throne from October 17, 1740 to November 25, 1741. He was born on August 12, 1740 in the family of Anna Leopoldovna, the native niece of Empress Anna Ioannovna, and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick and died on July 5, 1764 in the Shliselburg fortress, where he was in custody. John Antonovich became emperor under a ban. He and his family were sacrificed to what is commonly called the well-being of the state, as well as the tranquility of those persons who were in power throughout the life of the unfortunate emperor.
Peter the Great made continuous attempts to bring Russia into the big European politics, not limited only by economic and military means, he began to strengthen the threads political interests states by bonds of dynastic marriages connecting the Romanovs with the houses of foreign rulers from Western Europe. The result of this policy was the marriage of the daughter of his older brother, Ekaterina Ivanovna, and the Duke of Mecklenburg, Karl Leopold, concluded in 1716. The fruit of this marriage was the birth of a girl on December 7/18, 1718 in Rostock, who was baptized according to Lutheran custom and named Elizabeth Catherine Christina. The marriage was unsuccessful, and in the summer of 1722, Ekaterina Ivanovna, at the invitation of her mother Praskovya Fedorovna, came to Russia and never returned to her husband.
In 1730, the childless Anna Ioannovna, the aunt of Elizabeth Catherine Christina, occupied the imperial throne. From now on, they began to look at the little princess as a possible heir to the empress. The princess remained so far in the Lutheran religion and did not officially change her name, but they began to call her Anna. Anna Ioannovna herself did not initially express any definite intentions at the expense of her niece, however, in 1731 she confirmed the right of the monarch declared by Peter I to appoint the heir to the throne of his own free will.

I. G. VEDEKIND. Portrait of Anna Leopoldovna

Later, the project of Vice-Chancellor Andrei Ivanovich Osterman and Ober-Stalmeister Carl Gustav Levenwolde arose, according to which Anna should have been married off to one of the foreign princes, and her child, at the choice of the empress and regardless of the birthright, would inherit the throne. So Levenwolde was sent to Germany to find an acceptable candidate for the groom. He completed the mission and chose two candidates - Prince Karl of Brandenburg-Bayreuth and Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Bevernsky. Anna Ioannovna decided to opt for the second choice and invite Anton Ulrich to be appointed colonel of the cuirassier regiment, having determined his financial allowance.

I. G. VEDEKIND. Portrait of Anton-Ulrich (?)

Anton Ulrich was born on August 28, 1714 in the family of the Duke of Brunswick-Bevern Ferdinand Albrecht II and his wife Antoinette Amalia. He was the second son, the family's funds were small, so a trip to Russia and the opportunity to marry the Empress's niece were perceived as a smile of Fortune. The official reason for the trip was admission to the Russian military service. The prince arrived in St. Petersburg on February 3/14, 1733. For residence, Anton Ulrich was prepared located near the royal palace of Chernyshev. The Empress, Duchess of Mecklenburg Ekaterina Ivanovna and even Elizabeth Ekaterina Khristina herself received him quite favorably. The prince studied the Russian language and other sciences he needed, one of his teachers is the poet Trediakovsky. Soon he converted to Orthodoxy. But the matter of marriage for various reasons did not go well. And the prospective bride herself did not have tender feelings for Anton Ulrich and in 1735 was carried away by the Saxon envoy Count Moritz Linar. In order to avoid a major scandal, the empress expelled from Russia the tutor of the princess, Madame d'Adercas, who patronized this hobby. Linar was also recalled from Petersburg.
In 1737, the prince went on his first military campaign against the Turks as a simple volunteer under the command of Field Marshal Munnich. In his report on the capture of Ochakov, Minich wrote that Anton Ulrich showed extraordinary courage and was in the very center of the battle. After that, the prince gained a reputation as a fearless warrior. In 1738, the Empress granted him the highest order of the empire - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and he was also promoted to prime major of the Semenovsky Guards Regiment. In the same year, the prince went on a new campaign, and the famous Karl Hieronymus von Munchausen rode in his retinue. The prince again participated in the battles, and in the battle near the Biloch River, his regiments covered the right flank of the Russian artillery, which did not have time to take up a combat position.
However, Princess Anna remained cold to Anton Ulrich, and the matter of marriage did not go well. The impetus for the denouement was given by an attempt by Empress Biron's favorite to marry Anna to his eldest son Peter, who, moreover, was younger than her.

Insulted by the refusal of the princess, Biron convinced Anna Ioannovna to finally resolve the matter with the marriage of Anton Ulrich. Preparations for the wedding have begun. On July 2, 1739, the engagement took place in the Great Hall of the Winter Palace. The next day, the wedding ceremony took place in the Kazan Church. The festivities continued for a week, all days and evenings of which were filled with banquets, fireworks, illuminations, balls, masquerades.
Anna Leopoldovna was not immediately able to get pregnant, which caused discontent of the Empress, kindled by Biron. For some time, everyone's attention switched to the Holstein Prince Karl Peter, the grandson of Peter I, the son of his daughter Anna. However, on August 12, 1740, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth to such a long-awaited son, named after his great-grandfather Ivan.
At the same time, more and more rumors appeared about the discord between the young spouses, as well as about the serious illness of the empress. Anna Ioannovna immediately published a manifesto in which she named John Antonovich as the heir to the throne, and, in the event of his death, any other senior prince born in the family of Anna Leopoldovna and Anton Ulrich. This manifesto played a tragic role in the fate of other children in the Brunswick family, making them rivals of those who occupied the throne. Almost at the bedside of the dying empress, a struggle broke out over the regency under the infant emperor. Anton Ulrich was also named among the possible candidates, but the empress decided the case in favor of her favorite Biron.
The regent gave Anton Ulrich and Anna Leopoldovna a salary of 200,000 rubles a year, but the prince of Brunswick himself wanted to be the ruler with his son. Biron heard rumors about a conspiracy, the leader of which could be the father of John Antonovich. A conversation took place between Biron and the prince and princess, during which the regent threatened to expel the entire family from Russia, and Anna Leopoldovna was forced to beg forgiveness for herself and her husband. The matter did not come to expulsion, but all those close to the prince were arrested, Anton Ulrich himself was summoned to explain before a convened meeting of senators, cabinet ministers and generals, and Ushakov led the interrogation, where the prince confessed in an attempt to remove Biron, and was also forced to refuse all military officials.

Portrait of Anton-Ulrich (?) by an unknown artist

However, Biron was removed, and this was done by Field Marshal Count Buchard-Christopher Munnich, his longtime opponent. The coup took place on the night of November 7-8, 1740, the regent and his entire family were sent into exile in Pelym. Anna Leopoldovna was proclaimed ruler under the young emperor, and Anton Ulrich received the rank of Generalissimo of the Russian army. All persons who contributed and sympathized with the coup were generously rewarded.
The reign of Anna Leopoldovna cannot be called successful. Quarrels and strife broke out between the rival courtiers from the very first days. There was practically no concern for the little emperor, although all decrees were issued on his behalf. Minich was not satisfied and sought to concentrate all power in his hands.
There was no agreement between the spouses, especially since soon Linar again arrived at the court, and Anna Leopoldovna was going to marry him to her beloved maid of honor Juliana Mengden in order to forever bind him to the Russian court. On April 14, 1741, Minich was resigned, and the affairs of the empire passed to Osterman, since the ruler herself was not interested in them. Her close and permanent entourage was made up of people who were dear to her, but absolutely useless in matters of government: Juliana Mengden, Minister of the Vienna Court Botta d’Adorno, Chief Chamberlain Ernst Minich, Field Marshal’s son, Linar. After a few months of ruling, Anna Leopoldovna practically stepped aside from state affairs, limiting herself to imposing a resolution on the documents submitted to her.

Portrait of Juliana Mengden with Ivan Antonovich in her arms Unknown artist

Anton Ulrich was more active. He attended meetings of the military board, made proposals for discussion in the Senate, personally selected soldiers and officers. For the first time, regimental hospitals were created in the guards regiments. He inspected the construction of new barracks, increased his political experience by daily long conversations with Osterman. But he did not have real power, primarily because there was no warm relationship between him and his wife, the ruler.
Thus, Anna Leopoldovna was unable to foresee the dangers from the side of Tsarina Elizaveta Petrovna, who, with the help of the French envoy Chétardie, managed to plot, leading it herself. On the night of November 24-25, 1741, the reign of the infant Emperor John III, as he was called at that time, counting from Ivan the Terrible, was overthrown.
The further fate of the Braunschweig family is tragic. At first, it was decided to expel the young emperor, his parents and little sister Catherine from Russia. The carriages with the Braunschweig family set off on the road, but a new order from the empress followed, according to which they should be kept in custody in Riga. At the end of 1742, the royal prisoners were transferred to Ranenburg, where they were kept until 1744, when, by order of Elizabeth, John Antonovich was separated from his parents. However, both the former emperor and his family were kept in Kholmogory at different ends of the vast bishop's house. From now on, Emperor John began to be called Gregory.
Anna Leopoldovna died in Kholmogory in 1746, never knowing anything about the fate of her eldest son. She left four more children in the care of her husband: Catherine, Elizabeth, Alexei and Peter. The body of the former ruler of Russia was transported to St. Petersburg and buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

L. Caravacc. Portrait of Anna Leopoldovna

After the death of his mother, John Antonovich stayed in Kholmogory for another 6 years, after which he was transferred to Shlisselburg. Here, on the night of July 4-5, 1764, he was killed by his guards in order to prevent the so-called Mirovich plot from being carried out. The body of the unfortunate prisoner was lost ...
The remaining members of the Braunschweig family continued to be kept in Kholmogory, deprived of the opportunity to communicate with outside world. Some time after the Shlisselburg disaster, Empress Catherine intended to release Prince Anton Ulrich and send him to Germany, considering him not dangerous, but he refused freedom for the sake of his children. In 1776 he went blind and died, and his children remained imprisoned until 1780, when Catherine decided to grant them freedom. This news frightened rather than delighted the prisoners, who had spent their entire lives within the walls of the Bishop's house. However, on the ship "Polar Star" they were delivered to the city of Bergen, from where they were transported on the Danish ship "Mars" to the city of Gorzens, in Jutland, in Danish possessions. Here they lived quietly and calmly. Elizabeth died in 1782, Alexei died in 1787, Peter died in 1798, and Catherine died in 1807.

None of them left offspring. They were buried in the Lutheran church in Gorzens, their tombs have survived to this day, unlike the graves of their father and elder crowned brother.

According to materials:
1. Librovich S.F. Emperor under ban: Twenty-four years of Russian history. M. 2001
2. Levin L. Russian Generalissimo Duke Anton Ulrich (history of the "Brunswick family in Russia"). SPb., 2000

A list of which you will see below, more often received this rank as recognition of military merit. Finding a position was often an episode political career and associated with military victories.

Generalissimo of Russian history

The word generalissimo can be translated from Latin as "the most important" or "the most important." In many countries of Europe and later Asia, this title was used as the highest military rank. The generalissimo was far from always a great commander, and the best of them won their greatest victories before gaining a high-profile position.

In the history of Russia, five commanders were awarded this highest military rank:

Alexey Semenovich Shein (1696).
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov (1727).
Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740).
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov (1799).
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (1945).

Who was first?

Aleksey Semenovich Shein in the historical literature is most often called the first generalissimo in the history of our country. This man lived a short life and was one of the associates of Peter I at the beginning of his accomplishments.

Alexey Shein came from a well-born boyar family. His great-grandfather, Mikhail Shein, was a hero of the defense of Smolensk in Time of Troubles, and his father died during the war with Poland in 1657. Alexei Semenovich began his service in the Kremlin. He was a steward under Tsarevich Alexei Alekseevich, then - a sleeping bag of the king himself.

In 1679-1681 A.S. Shein was a governor in Tobolsk. Under his leadership, the city, which burned down in a fire, was restored anew. In 1682, Alexei Semenovich received the boyar rank. In 1687, the boyar took part in the Crimean campaign, and in 1695 - the first campaign against Azov.

In 1696, he led the Russian troops during the second campaign against the fortress of Azov. It was then that A.S. Shein received the title of "generalissimo", unusual for Russia. However, the researchers of his biography N.N. Sakhnovsky and V.N. Tomenko questioned this fact. In their opinion, the tsar ordered Shein to be called generalissimo only during the campaign, and the name indicated only the powers of Alexei Semenovich as commander-in-chief of the ground forces. After the end of the campaign against Azov, A.S. Shein did not retain the title of generalissimo given to him for the duration of the hostilities. If we accept this point of view, A.D. Menshikov.

Alexander Menshikov went down in history as the closest associate of the first emperor of Russia and one of the greatest generals of his time. He was directly involved in the military reforms of Peter I, starting with the amusing troops. And in 1706 he defeated the Swedes in the battle of Kalisz, participated as one commander in the victorious battles of Lesnaya and Poltava. For his military merits, Alexander Menshikov rose to the rank of President of the Military Collegium and Field Marshal.

For the first time, the commander tried to claim the highest military rank in the reign of Catherine I, when he had exclusive power. He was able to receive the rank of generalissimo under her successor Peter II, when he still had influence on the tsar.

The Saxon ambassador Lefort recalled the staging of this action. The young emperor entered the chambers of the Most Serene Prince and with the words "I destroyed the field marshal" handed him a decree on the appointment of a generalissimo. At this time, the Russian Empire did not wage wars, and the prince did not have a chance to command the armies in his new capacity.

The bestowal of a military rank was one of a whole series of awards that rained down on the Most Serene Prince and his family that year. The most important was the betrothal of his daughter to the emperor. But already in September 1727, Menshikov lost the fight for the favor of the monarch and lost all awards and ranks, including the title of generalissimo. The following year, an associate of Peter I was exiled to Berezovo, where he died in November 1729.

Anton Ulrich was the second son of the Duke of Brunswick and nephew of the famous King Frederick II. In 1733 he was summoned to Russia, and a few years later became the husband of Anna Leopoldovna, the niece of the Empress of Russia.

In 1740, after the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the young son of Anton Ulrich became emperor. The temporary worker of the last reign, Biron, became regent under the baby ruler, and Anton Ulrich was actually removed from making serious government decisions.

Biron feared for his position and, fearing a conspiracy, subjected the emperor's father to an interrogation in public. Anton Ulrich was forced to admit that he wanted to remove the temporary worker from power. Then Biron defiantly offered the highest dignitaries a choice between the prince and himself, and they preferred the acting regent. Head of the Secret Chancellery A.I. Ushakov threatened the emperor's father that, if necessary, he would treat him like any other subject. After that, Anton Ulrich lost all military posts.

On November 7, 1740, Field Marshal Munnich organized a coup and arrested Biron. Contemporaries wrote that Minich, who had previously supported the regent, hoped to receive the rank of generalissimo. But under the new regime, the best Russian commander of his time again did not receive the highest military rank.

Two days later, on November 9, a new manifesto was issued on behalf of Ivan Antonovich. It reported that Biron was suspended, including for insults and threats that he made to the father of the emperor. The powers of the regent were received by the wife of Anton Ulrich, Anna Leopoldovna, and the German prince himself was declared co-ruler and generalissimo.

Anton Ulrich remained Generalissimo until the next palace coup, which brought Empress Elisabeth to power. During the year of being at the highest rank, the prince did nothing. He only quarreled with Minich, who counted on this rank himself and later retired.

After the coup on November 25, 1741, Anton Ulrich lost all his ranks and found himself in the position of a hostage. He lived with his wife and children in the northern provinces of the country. In 1744 he was separated from his son-emperor and transferred to live in Kholmogory. In 1746 his wife died, and he and his remaining children continued to live as an exile. In 1774, the aged and blind former generalissimo died. A few years later, Empress Catherine allowed his children to leave Russia and gave them a financial allowance.

Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov became famous as the greatest Russian commander of his time and one of the greatest in Russian history. During his long military career, he successfully fought against the rebellious Poles, the Ottoman Empire, and revolutionary France. He received the highest military rank less than a year before his death, after his last military campaign.

In November 1799, after the completion of the difficult Swiss campaign, Alexander Suvorov was awarded the highest military rank by the Emperor of Russia as a reward for his service and military leadership. From now on, the military board was supposed to send the commander not decrees, but messages.

The Generalissimo withdrew troops from Switzerland by order of the emperor and returned with them to Russia. When the army was in Poland, Suvorov went ahead to the capital. On the way, the generalissimo fell ill and went to his estate. His condition changed for the better, then worsened. And in May 1800, Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov died.

The decree on the introduction of the highest military rank of generalissimo into the USSR appeared on June 24, 1945. A day later, at the suggestion of the Politburo, this rank was given to I.V. Stalin. The title of generalissimo was a sign of recognition of the merits of the general secretary during the war years. In addition to the highest military rank, Joseph Vissarionovich received the title of "Hero Soviet Union and the Order of Victory. According to the memoirs of contemporaries of the events, the leader of the USSR several times refused to introduce this rank.

The rear service of the Soviet army developed the uniforms and insignia of the new position. They were not approved during the lifetime of the Secretary General, who, if necessary, wore the uniform of a general of the USSR with marshal's shoulder straps. One of the options for the dress uniform of the Generalissimo was rejected by Stalin, who considered it too luxurious.

The military charter of the USSR after the death of Joseph Vissarionovich allowed for the possibility of anyone accepting the title of generalissimo, but no one else was honored with this rank. The Charter of 1975 allowed the awarding of the title of Generalissimo for special services to the country associated with the leadership of all armed forces in wartime. The title of generalissimo was not introduced into the military charter.

The military and ordinary citizens of the USSR have repeatedly made proposals to give the title of generalissimo to the current general secretaries - N.S. Khrushchev and L.I. Brezhnev. But they did not receive an official move.

Not all the generalissimos of Russia and the USSR, the list of which was higher, became famous as major commanders. But for all of them (except Shein), the title of generalissimo was nothing more than an additional award or recognition of military merit.

Ivan VI Antonovich (1740-1764) - Russian emperor, who ruled in 1740-1741. He ascended the throne at the age of 2 months after the death of Empress Anna Ioannovna. The late empress had no children, but she really did not want to government ended up in the hands of the descendants of Peter I.

Of the closest relatives, the mother empress had only her niece Anna Leopoldovna (1718-1746) - the daughter of Catherine Ioannovna (1691-1733), the elder sister of Anna Ioannovna. So all the hopes of the Romanov family were placed on her, who did not have a single direct heir in the male line.

In 1731, the empress ordered her subjects to swear allegiance to the unborn child who would be born to Anna Leopoldovna. And in 1733, a groom was found for a grown girl. Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1714-1776) became them.

He arrived in St. Petersburg, but neither the Empress, nor her court, nor the bride liked it. For several years he served in the Russian army, and in 1739 he was nevertheless married to a noticeably matured bride. In the first half of August 1740, a boy was born to a young couple. They named him Ivan. Thus was the beginning of the Braunschweig family.

Anna Leopoldovna, mother of Ivan VI Antonovich
(Unknown artist)

Accession to the throne of Ivan VI Antonovich

He was in complete isolation and did not even see the faces of his guards. In 1764, Lieutenant Vasily Yakovlevich Mirovich, who was on the staff of the guard of the Shlisselburg fortress, gathered like-minded people around him and tried to free the legitimate emperor.

But the guards first stabbed Ivan with sabers, and only then surrendered to the rebels. As for Mirovich, he was then arrested, tried as a state criminal and beheaded. The body of the murdered emperor was secretly buried on the territory of the Shlisselburg fortress.

Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (artist A. Roslin)

Brunswick family

Even before the exile, Anna Leopoldovna gave birth in 1741 to the girl Ekaterina (1741-1807). Already living in Kholmogory, the woman gave birth to Elizabeth (1743-1782), Peter (1745-1798) and Alexei (1746-1787). After the last childbirth, she died of childbed fever.

Her husband Anton Ulrich of Brunswick shared all the hardships of exile with his wife and children. When Catherine II came to the Russian throne in 1762, she suggested that the prince leave Russia, but without children. He refused to leave them alone in prison. This man died in 1776 in Kholmogory at the age of 61.

The children lived in captivity for almost 40 years. When during the reign of Catherine II an official came to them and asked about their desires, the captives said: "We heard that flowers grow in the fields outside the walls of the prison. We would like to see them at least once."

In 1780, the children of Anton Ulrich and Anna Leopoldovna were sent abroad to Denmark. There they subsequently died. The Brunswick family ceased to exist after their death.

As for those who committed atrocities against absolutely innocent people, God's punishment passed them. Retribution took place only after more than 100 years, when Emperor Nicholas II and his family were brutally murdered. The punishment came, but it was not the villains themselves who went to the block, but their descendants. God's judgment is always late, because Heaven has its own concept of time.

Alexey Starikov