Russia's Iron General: The Life of Aleksei A. Brusilov, 18531926

(Hardback)

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This study provides a comprehensive biography of Russian general Aleksei A. Brusilov (18531926), commonly considered Russias greatest general in World War I.Following in the footsteps of his military family, he entered the cavalry and quickly rose through ranksto the status of general by 1906. Brusilovs great fame largely rests on his successful offensive in the summer of 1916, when he inflicted a stinging defeat on Austro-German forces. As commander of the Southwest Front, he initiated his broad front tactics and attacked on a 250-mile front, inflicting a million and a half casualties. His successes crippled Austria permanently, making it totally dependent on Germany for the remainder of the war, thus insuring no German victory in the east. When the Revolution began in March 1917, Brusilov readily gave his allegiance to the republican Provisional Government and cooperated with the socialist Petrograd Soviet and their commissars and soldiers committees. The government eventually made him commander-in-chief of all Russian forces. He died a hero to the Russian people and remains so to this day. In Russia's Iron General, Jamie H. Cockfield extensively examines all facets of Brusilovs life that led to his renowned reputation that continues decades after his death. This study analyzes Brusilovs political positions over several wars and changing political powers, his military history, theories, and tactics, and his personal and familial life.

Reviews

Thanks to half a lifetimes meticulous research, Professor Cockfield has surpassed previous treatments to produce a sound modern biography of General Aleksei Alekseevich Brusilov. Among the Great Wars more successful higher-level commanders, Brusilov was at once inspiring, ingenious, atypical, unconventional, andof coursecontroversial. As a Russian, he has also been an outlier in much of the western-oriented historiography of the conflict. Cockfields portrait of Brusilov redresses this deficiency while doing full justice to the generals life and legacy. -- Bruce W. Menning, The University of Kansas
Professor Cockfield quotes his subject, General Brusilov, as saying that technical means constitute only half of military success, the rest coming from proper training for troops and commanders effective leadership. In this study of the Iron General, Dr. Cockfield shows how, although a good biography relies on facts (and he supplies them here amply), the factual material requires elucidation, shaping, and interpretation through narrative skill, human understanding, and seasoned judgment. A master and tireless researcher in European military history, fully familiar with both Tsarist and Soviet Russia, he presents Brusilov in his timethe thinker and the man of action as one, devoted to his country and his men, confronting the tidal waves of the Great War and the Revolution. The account, at once personal and epic, will appeal to readers in their armchairs as well as historians of the period. -- Catharine Savage Brosman, Tulane University

Author Bio

Jamie H. Cockfield has taught history at Mercer University.