Georg von Stackelberg

Georg August Paul Freiherr[2] von Stackelberg (Russian: Георгий Карлович Штакельберг, romanized: Georgij Karlovič Štakel'berg; 30 July [O.S. 18] 1851 – 25 July [O.S. 12] 1913) was a Baltic German cavalry general in the service of the Imperial Russian Army. He was noted for his role during the Russo-Japanese War, especially during the Battle of Sandepu, in which he was awarded the Order of St. George afterwards.

Freiherr

Georg von Stackelberg
General Georg von Stackelberg.
Born30 July [O.S. 18] 1851
St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
Died25 July [O.S. 12] 1913 (aged 61)
Hungerburg, Kreis Wierland, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire
(present-day Narva-Jõesuu, Ida-Viru County, Estonia)
Allegiance Russian Empire
Service/branchRussian Imperial Army
Years of service1869-1913
RankGeneral of the Cavalry
Commands held15th Cavalry Division
10th Cavalry Division
2nd Siberian Army Corps
1st Siberian Army Corps
Battles/warsRussian conquest of Central Asia

Russo-Turkish War

Boxer Rebellion

Russo-Japanese War

Coat of arms of the Thomel branch of the Stackelberg family of 1728, in the Baltic Coat of arms book by Carl Arvid von Klingspor in 1882.[1]

Biography

Stackelberg was from a Baltic German noble family and graduated from the Nicholas General Staff Academy in 1869. His older brother Konstantin was a famous composer and the director of the Imperial Music Choir. (now the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra)

As a commander in the 1st Semirechye Cossacks from 1874–1876, Stackelberg distinguished himself during the Russian conquest of the Khanate of Khiva and the Kokand expedition of 1875 under General Konstantin von Kaufman. He was wounded in combat, and although nominated for numerous awards, he refused to accept any.

From August 18, 1886 to December 5, 1890 Stackelberg commanded the 25th Dragoon Regiment at Kazan. He was then assigned to command the Trans-Caspian Cossacks until December 3, 1897, followed by the 15th Cavalry Division to May 31, 1899.

Stackelberg was commander of the Russian 10th Cavalry Division during the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in China and Russian occupation of Manchuria. Afterwards, he was assigned command of the 2nd Siberian Army Corps from April 25, 1901 to February 11, 1902. He was then commander of the 1st Cavalry Corps from February 11, 1902 to February 3, 1904.

From April 5, 1904, during the Russo-Japanese War, Stackelberg was commander of the Russian 1st Siberian Army Corps, which played a major role in the Battle of Te-li-Ssu. Hampered by orders from Russian commander-in-chief General Aleksei Kuropatkin not to commit his entire reserves, and to fight a defensive battle rather than push forward in an offense, his forces were decisively defeated by the Second Japanese Army under General Oku Yasukata. In the subsequent Battle of Sandepu, Stackelberg chose to ignore Kuropatkin’s orders and made gains against entrenched Japanese positions, albeit with heavy casualties, but was forced to withdraw when reinforcements were denied. Relieved of his command for insubordination, he was sent back to St Petersburg after the battle,[3] where he was awarded the Order of St. George (4th class) for his actions.

Honours and awards

References
  • Dupuy, Trevor N. (1992). Encyclopedia of Military Biography. I B Tauris & Co Ltd. ISBN 1-85043-569-3.
  • Kowner, Rotem (2006). Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4927-5.

Notes
  1. Klingspor (1882), pp. 108
  2. Regarding personal names: Freiherr is a former title (translated as Baron). In Germany since 1919, it forms part of family names. The feminine forms are Freifrau and Freiin.
  3. Kowner, Historical Dictionary of the Russo-Japanese War, p. 358.
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