General Mikhail Drozdovsky was born on October 19 or 7 (according to the old calendar) in 1881. During his lifetime, he became a legend of his time. Russian General Drozdovsky Mikhail Gordeevich took part in the first world, civil, Russian-Japanese war. He became a supporter of the Belykh current in southern Russia.
Merits
General Drozdovsky was recognized as the first among whites who publicly announced that he remained loyal to the monarch at the time of the ascension and universal recognition of the reds. He became the only one of the military leaders of that time who managed to create volunteer squads. General M. G. Drozdovsky took them directly from the military fronts to the Dobrarmiya, where they united. He became the Knight of the Orders of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, St. George, St. Anna. General Drozdovsky was awarded the medals of the Russian-Japanese, Patriotic Wars, “In memory of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty”.
Young years
The white general Drozdovsky was of noble blood, of Poltava origin. Hometown of the future hero - Kiev. In his youth, he buried his mother, was brought up by his older sister Julia, who replaced his parents. It was a real sister of mercy who participated in military campaigns. She had a medal on her account. As part of the Drozdovsky regiment, she was evacuated to the south. She died on Greek soil.
As General Bessonov testifies, Lieutenant Drozdovsky married a noblewoman Olga Evdokimova, who had ambitions in the acting profession. This led to disagreements with the husband of officer training, and a divorce took place.
Mikhail managed to study in the Polotsk and Vladimir Cadet Corps, graduating in 1899. Throughout his studies in the cadet, the teaching staff noted his honesty and great interest in military subjects. He was respected by comrades who mentioned the sharp frankness of his character.
He was recognized as the best graduate of the Pavlovsk Military School in St. Petersburg. This educational institution was famous for its strict foundations and the quality level of officers' skills. In 1901, he became the Warsaw Lieutenant of the Volyn Regiment. After only 3 years he was already a lieutenant. At that moment, a military conflict erupted with Japan, where the lieutenant was sent.
The period of the Russo-Japanese War
In 1904, the lieutenant became part of the 34th East Siberian Regiment of the Manchurian Army. During the battles at the village of Bezymyannaya and Kheygoutai he received the Order of St. Anne of the fourth degree. Even after being wounded, he continued to control the troops. In 1905 he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislav, the medal "In Memory of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905."
Subsequent years
In 1910, Mikhail earned the rank of captain in the Amur region, was awarded prizes, including the medal "In memory of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty." When a military conflict broke out in the Balkans, in 1912, Drozdovsky sought to get on it, but he was refused. After graduating from the aviation school of Sevastopol, he, having spent 12 hours 30 minutes in airspace, went to sea as part of an armadillo team.
In the first world war
Michael finally managed to send to the point of military operations, but proceeded to them as an assistant to the headquarters of the commander in chief on the North-Western Front. In 1915, Michael received the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was permanently present at combat points, which earned him the St. George weapons handed to him in November 1915.
Drozdovsky organized the capture of the Kapuli Upland, rushing into battle along with the fighters, during which he was wounded. It was for this that he received the rank of colonel and the Order of St. George. Manifesting his willpower, still not fully recovering from his injury, he led the headquarters of the 15th Romanian Infantry Division.
During the revolution of 1917
In the full revolutionary events of February, the army and state forces were disbanded, which led to the October events. Mikhail Gordeevich was a staunch supporter of the monarchy, and royal renunciation was a difficult event for him. He did not want to accept the massacres perpetrated by those who felt the freedom of the rank and file over the officers.
In his diaries, he noted that the easiest way would be to quit everything, but he could not do this, it would be dishonest. Unbridled soldiers planned to take revenge on the officer, and he watched as the best of the best give up during the fight. However, Michael did not give up.
He shot deserters, restoring regimental discipline, showing his best qualities. Then, in battles with the Germans, his regiment distinguished itself, breaking through the enemy’s position. Michael was awarded the Order of St. George. After the Bolshevik planting, he realized that the army system of Russia was ruined, and to continue to serve, as before, would not work. Then he decided to fight differently.
Volunteer units
Arriving in the future Donobarmia on the Don in December of the same year, he participated in the development of plans to create an army of volunteers. Mikhail Gordeevich began to burn with this idea.
Already in the spring of 1918, the volunteer detachments of Drozdovsky organized an entire campaign, which also went down in history under the name of the Romanian campaign or the campaign of Iasi-Don. According to its results, Novocherkassk was taken.
He organized such an effective recruitment of recruits that about 80% of the entire Dobrarmi in the first months of its existence were the people he brought. For them, Mikhail organized a hospital, took care of supplying the detachments with everything necessary, and promoted the ideas of the White Current everywhere, in particular, releasing the Bulletin of the Volunteer Army. Through the efforts of Mikhail Gordeevich, the detachments were supported by several artillery batteries, a detachment of armored cars and airplanes, trucks and radio telegraph departments.
Drozdovsky refused all sorts of offers to unite with forces advocating the division of the country, remaining true to monarchist views. He strove to revive the Russian army to the end, although he had a simpler and more profitable choice for himself. His authority and the forces that he gathered around him attracted the surrounding large commanders who wanted to lure him to their side. He could also act as an independent political force. However, he saw it as dishonest to share military forces.
In 1918, there was a union of 3,000 fighters of Drozdovsky and the Volunteer Army, which doubled the strength of the latter. By that time, Mikhail Drozdovsky, the military commander, was experienced, taught combat work during wars. Both he and his subordinates appreciated the qualities of the general, he was supported by all the monarchist-minded fighters. He turned into a living legend and sometimes did not agree with the decisions of the commanders of the Dobarmia.
Often, calls were made by associates of Mikhail Gordeevich to use the qualities of a military leader in organizing rear services. His talents would come in handy in recruiting new units of warriors. But the leadership of the Dobarmia, apparently afraid of having such a competitive person nearby, appointed him the most ordinary posts - he led the division.
Disagreements with the leaders of the Dobrarmiya
In 1918, the soldiers of Drozdovsky took Ekaterinodar, then Armavir. Then Michael comes into disagreement with the leaders of the Dobarmia. He insisted on calling for reinforcements before the capture of Armavir, but he was ignored by the main headquarters. After that, he himself ignored the instructions of the commanders-in-chief. In fact, Drozdovsky declared his right to independent decisions in battles.
But since the headquarters was afraid of losing Mikhail, no repressions were applied against him. Romanovsky did everything possible to settle the disagreement and reconcile the complete ambitions of Mikhail Gordeevich and the commanders-in-chief. The scandalous letter written by him was released on the brakes. If the fighters of his division left the composition of the Dobarmia, too difficult times would have come for her. The presence of a conflict with such a prominent military leader could lead to negative consequences and even a split among whites. This would greatly reduce the authority of the commanders.
Death
In 1918, the colonel led forces at a combat point in the Stavropol region, having a whole infantry division subordinate. In November, Mikhail was slightly injured in the leg; he was hospitalized. Then he was awarded the title of Major General. However, due to the wound received, gangrene developed. Already unconscious, General Drozdovsky was moved to another hospital, where he died. His most loyal supporters for many years investigated the causes of the death of the commander, and, according to some, the perpetrators were killed by them.
Drozdovsky Mikhail - the military leader who became a legend, was buried near Ekaterinodar. When fighters of the Red Army attacked the city in 1920, Drozdovites transferred his body. It is buried on the Sevastopol Malakhov Hill. They did everything because the Red Army robbed the graves of military leaders and treated them extremely disrespectfully. At the graves, in order to avoid such an unenviable fate, they made signatures with other people's names. Only five Drozdov residents were aware of the exact location of the remains of Major General.
Death versions
When Drozdovsky Mikhail Gordeevich died, his brief biography began to raise a lot of questions, there are also not quite clear points in it. According to the first version, he died from a small wound.
And on the other - General Drozdovsky was killed on purpose, and his wound was launched on purpose. After all, he was in conflict with the generals of the headquarters of the Dobrarmi. The reasons for this lay in the presence of huge ambitions in this circle and their personal hostile attitude towards each other. Romanovsky, a member of the headquarters, feared that Mikhail’s influence would extend to the whole of the Dobrarmia, which would lead to undesirable consequences for him. The hostility of both officers was also aroused - it became impossible to reconcile them.
According to the second version, it was Romanovsky who ordered the doctors who were treating the general to make fatal mistakes that signed the sentence to the general. Professor Plotkin treated him, but after the commander died, the history of his illness, the causes of the infection, were not studied. After the death of General Plotkin was given sufficient funds for emigration. He went abroad, returning to the country only under Bolshevik rule.
Criticism
In addition, the latest version of events has no evidence base. Hospitalization and treatment records have not been published. The occurrence of such a situation is associated with persons who hated Romanovsky, who acted in the interests of only the headquarters commander.
However, it is likely that the head of the staff was afraid that Drozdovsky would influence the troops too much, that the general’s authority would crush him. Nevertheless, to destroy his commander in a difficult situation was not in the interests of the headquarters.
Effects
Claims to one of the commanders-in-chief of the headquarters of the Dobarmiya Denikin could have resulted in his assassination in 1920 in Istanbul. Romanovsky was accused of the murder of Drozdovsky, looking for evidence of his involvement in this. There were many prerequisites for this. And, of course, supporters of a man who became a legend during his lifetime could not so easily come to terms with such an ambiguous death.
The splendor of Michael’s funeral, which seemed to have been foreseen by the headquarters awaiting the death of the military leader, also suggests the presence of traitors around a living legend.
Another version of the events is more viable. The White Army of that period did not have antiseptic agents, there was no iodine. The general himself repeatedly complained about the medical business, trying to improve his situation. Things themselves in medical institutions were extremely ineffective.
The survivors of the tragedy near Drozdovsky talked about the incident in an extremely contradictory way. This led to the presence of several versions. Eyewitnesses split into two camps: some claimed that he died because of the conspirators, others that death had occurred due to an accident in the unsanitary conditions of the hospital.
The military leaders who visited him in the hospital noted in his diaries that he was permanently mentally immersed in the affairs of the division, and it was difficult for him to languish in his bunk. Someone noticed the danger of injury and the fact that the infection began only with the advent of a doctor, who then disappeared.
Heritage
General Drozdovsky and Drozdovites left a mark in Paris: a symbolic burial of the general with commemorative signs was arranged there.
In no case should you confuse the history of whites with Drozdovsky, who acted in the Second World War. A film was made about him, where General Bessonov and Drozdovsky are fighting the Germans near Stalingrad.
Drozdovsky Mikhail Gordeevich - Russian military leader, whose honor was subsequently named the whole regiment of the Dobarmia, divisions, brigades, engineering companies, horse regiments. An icon was written in his honor, which is stored in the icon case named after him in Yekaterinodar. There is also a tank called General Drozdovsky.