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{{short description|Russian general}}
:''Do not confuse with his father, ].''
{{No footnotes|date=April 2009}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Royalty {{Infobox royalty
| name = Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich | name = Nicholas Nikolaevich
| title =Commander in Chief of the ] | occupation = Commander in Chief of the ]
| image = Grand Duke Nicholas - Project Gutenberg eText 16363.jpg | image = Великий князь Николай Николаевич мл.jpg
| imgw = 200px | image_size =
| caption = | caption =
| father = ] | succession = ]
| reign = July 1922 – 16 June 1923
| mother = ]
| styles = HIH Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia | father = ]
| mother = ]
| full name = Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov
| house = ] | full name = Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov
| house = ]
| spouse = ]
| spouse = {{marriage|]|1907}}
| issue =
| predecessor = ]
| date of birth = {{birth date|df=yes|1856|11|6}}
| successor = Monarchy abolished
| place of birth =
| date of death = {{death date and age|df=yes|1929|1|5|1856|11|6}} | birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date|df=yes|1856|11|18}} ]}}<br>{{nowrap|({{birth date|df=yes|1856|11|6}} ])}}
| birth_place = ], ]
| place of death = ]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1929|1|5|1856|11|6}}
| place of burial=
| death_place = ], ]
|}}
| burial_place = ] {{small|(1929–2015)}}<ref>. theorthodoxchurch.info. 1 May 2015</ref> <br />Chapel of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, ], ] {{small|(since 2015)}}<ref name="autogenerated1">{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Mos.ru (30 April 2015). Retrieved on 2015-09-16.</ref>|
'''Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia''' (Russian: Николай Николаевич Романов (младший - ''the younger'')) (6 November 1856 – 5 January 1929) was a Russian ] in ]. A grandson of ], he was commander in chief of the Russian armies on the main front in the first year of the war, and was later a successful ].
}}
== Family ==


'''Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia''' (Russian: Николай Николаевич Романов (младший – ''the younger''); 18 November 1856&nbsp;– 5 January 1929) was a Russian ] in ] (1914–1918). The son of ], and a grandson of ] ], he was commander in chief of the ] units on the main front in the first year of the war, during the reign of his first cousin once removed, ]. Although held in high regard by ], he struggled with the colossal task of leading Russia's war effort against Germany, including strategy, tactics, logistics and coordination with the government.<ref name="online">Paul Robinson, "A Study of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich as Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, 1914–1915." ''Historian'' 75.3 (2013): 475-498. </ref> After the ] in 1915, Tsar Nicholas replaced the Grand Duke as commander-in-chief of the army. He later was a successful ] region. He was briefly recognized as emperor in 1922 in areas controlled by the ] in the ].
Nicholas, named after his paternal grandfather the emperor, was born as the eldest son to ] (1831–1891) and ] (1838–1900). His father was the sixth child and third son born to ] and his ] ] (1798–1860). Alexandra Fedorovna was a daughter of ] and ].


==Biography==
Nicholas' mother, his father's first cousin's daughter, was a daughter of ] (1812–1881) and Princess ] (1815–1871). His maternal grandfather was a son of ] and ], daughter of ] and ]. (Catherine was later remarried to ].) His maternal grandmother was a daughter of ] (1792–1839) and Princess Luise of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The Duke of Nassau was a son of ] (1768–1816) and ]. His paternal grandparents were ] (1735–1788) and ]. Carolina was a daughter of ] and ]. Anne was the eldest daughter of ] and ].
===Family===
A very tall man at {{convert|1.98|m|ftin|abbr=on}}, Nicholas, named after his paternal grandfather, the emperor, was born as the eldest son to Grand Duke ] (1831–1891) and ] (1838–1900) on 18 November 1856.{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}} His father was the sixth child and third son born to ] and his ] ] (1798–1860). Alexandra Fedorovna was a daughter of ] and ].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=Paul|title=Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Supreme commander of the Russian Army|date=2014|publisher=NIU Press|location=De Kalb, IL}}</ref>


Nicholas's mother, his father's first cousin's daughter, was a daughter of ] (1812–1881) and ] (1815–1871). His maternal grandfather was a son of ] and ], daughter of ] and ]. (Catherine was later remarried to ].) His maternal grandmother was a daughter of ] (1792–1839) and Princess ]. The Duke of Nassau was a son of ] (1768–1816) and ]. His paternal grandparents were ] (1735–1788) and ]. Carolina was a daughter of ] and ]. Anne was the eldest daughter of ] and ].
Grand Duke Nicholas was the first cousin once removed of the Tsar ]. To distinguish both of them, the Grand Duke was often known within the Imperial family as Nicholasha. The Grand Duke also towered over the Tsar, so they were nicknamed "Nicholas the Tall" and "Nicholas the Short", respectively.


Grand Duke Nicholas was the first cousin once removed of Tsar ]. To distinguish between them, the Grand Duke was often known within the Imperial family as "Nikolasha": the Grand Duke was also known as "Nicholas the Tall" while the tsar was "Nicholas the Short".
== Early Military Career ==

Grand Duke Nicholas was educated at the school of military engineers and received his commission in 1872. During the ], he was on the staff of his father who was commander in chief. He distinguished himself on two occasions in this war. He worked his way up through all the ranks until he was appointed commander of the Guard Hussar Regiment in 1884.
===Early military career===
]
Grand Duke Nicholas was educated at the ] and received his commission in 1873.{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}} During the ], he was on the staff of his father who was commander in chief.{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}} He distinguished himself on two occasions in this war. He worked his way up through all the ranks until he was appointed commander of the Guard Hussar Regiment in 1884.


He had a reputation as a tough commander, yet one respected by his troops. His experience was more as a trainer of soldiers than a leader in battle. Nicholas was a very religious man, praying in the morning and at night as well as before and after meals. He was happiest in the country, hunting or caring for his estates. He had a reputation as a tough commander, yet one respected by his troops. His experience was more as a trainer of soldiers than a leader in battle. Nicholas was a very religious man, praying in the morning and at night as well as before and after meals. He was happiest in the country, hunting or caring for his estates.


By 1895, he was inspector-general of the cavalry, a post he held for 10 years.{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}} His tenure has been judged a success with reforms in training, cavalry schools, cavalry reserves and the remount services. He was not given an active command during the ], perhaps because the tsar did not wish to hazard the prestige of the ]s and because he wanted a loyal general in command at home in case of domestic disturbances. Thus, Nicholas did not have the opportunity to gain experience in battlefield command.
Nicholas was a ] nationalist, though not a radical one.


Grand Duke Nicholas played a crucial role during the ]. With disorder spreading and the future of the dynasty at stake, the tsar had a choice of instituting the reforms suggested by Count ] or imposing a military dictatorship. The only man with the prestige to keep the allegiance of the army in such a coup was the grand duke. The tsar asked him to assume the role of a military dictator. In an emotional scene at the palace, Nicholas refused, drew his pistol and threatened to shoot himself on the spot if the tsar did not endorse Witte's plan. This act was decisive in forcing Nicholas II to agree to the reforms.
By 1895, he was inspector-general of the cavalry, a post he held for 10 years. His tenure has been judged a success with reforms in training, cavalry schools, cavalry reserves and the remount services. He was not given an active command during the ], perhaps because the Czar did not wish to hazard the prestige of the ]s and because he wanted a loyal general in command at home in case of domestic disturbances. Thus, Nicholas did not have the opportunity to gain experience in battlefield command.


From 1905 to the outbreak of ], he was commander of the ]. He had the reputation there of appointing men of humble origins to positions of authority. The lessons of the Russo-Japanese War were drilled into his men.
Grand Duke Nicholas played a crucial role during the first Russian Rebellion of 1905. With anarchy spreading and the future of the dynasty at stake, the Czar had a choice of instituting the reforms suggested by Count ] or imposing a military dictatorship. The only man with the prestige to keep the allegiance of the army in such a coup was the Grand Duke. The Czar asked him to assume the role of a military dictator. In an emotional scene at the palace, Nicholas refused, drew his pistol and threatened to shoot himself on the spot if the Czar did not endorse Witte's plan. This act was decisive in forcing Nicholas II to agree to the reforms.


===Marriage===
] ], a convinced autocrat, never forgave the Grand Duke.
]
On 29 April 1907, Nicholas married Princess ] (1869–1935), the daughter of King ], and sister of Princess ], who had married Nicholas's brother, Grand Duke ]. They had no children. She had previously been married to ], by whom she had two children, until their divorce in 1906. Since the ] were a fiercely ], anti-] people from the ], Anastasia reinforced the ] tendencies of Nicholas.


===Hunting===
From 1905 to the outbreak of World War I, he was commander-in-chief of the ] Military District. He had the reputation there of appointing men of humble origins to positions of authority. The lessons of the Russo-Japanese War were drilled into his men.


Nicholas was a hunter. Ownership of ] hounds was restricted to members of the highest nobility, and Nicholas's packs were well-known. After the revolution, the dogs in his kennel were sold off by the new Soviet government. In his lifetime, Nicholas and his dogs caught hundreds of wolves. A pair of borzoi were used, which caught the wolf, one on each side, while Nicholas dismounted and cut the wolf's throat with a knife. Hunting was his major recreation, and he traveled in his private train across Russia with his horses and dogs, hunting while on his rounds of inspection.<ref>Robinson 2014, pp. 29–35</ref>
== Marriage ==
Nicholas married, in 1907, Princess ], the daughter of King ]. Their marriage was a happy one. Both were deeply religious ] Christians, with a tendency to ]. Since the ] were a fiercely ], anti-]ish people from the ], Anastasia reinforced the ] tendencies of Nicholas. They had no children.


== The Hunter == ===World War I===
{{Further|Russian entry into World War I}}
Nicholas was one of the great hunters of his day. Ownership of ] hounds was restricted to members of the highest nobility, and Nicholas's packs were famous. As the Russian dogs perished in the Revolution of 1917-18, the borzoi of today are descended from gifts he made to European friends before ]. In his lifetime, Nicholas and his dogs caught hundreds of wolves. A pair of borzoi were used which caught the wolf, one on each side, while Nicholas dismounted and cut the wolf's throat with a knife. A hard working man, hunting was his major recreation, and he travelled in his private train across Russia with his horses and dogs, hunting while on his rounds of inspection.


====Eastern Front====
== World War I: Command of the German/Austro-Hungarian Front==
] ]
The Grand Duke had no part in the planning and preparations for World War I, that being the responsibility of General ] and the general staff. On the eve of the outbreak of World War I, his ], the Emperor ], yielded to the entreaties of his ministers and appointed Grand Duke Nicholas to the supreme command. He was 57 years old and had never commanded armies in the field before. He was given responsibility for the largest army ever put into the field in all prior history.


The grand duke had no part in the planning and preparations for World War I, that being the responsibility of General ] and the general staff. On the eve of the outbreak of World War I, his ], the Emperor ], yielded to the entreaties of his ministers and appointed Grand Duke Nicholas to the supreme command.{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}} He was 57 years old and had never commanded armies in the field before, although he had spent almost all of his life on active service. His appointment was popular in the army. He was given responsibility for the largest army ever put into the field up to that date. He recalled that "...&nbsp;on receipt of the Imperial order, he spent much of his time crying because he did not know how to approach his new duties".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Strachan|first1=Hew|date=2001|publisher=Oxford|isbn=0-19-820877-4|page=313|title=The First World War}}</ref>
Grand Duke Nicholas was responsible for all Russian forces fighting against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. Initially, the Russian high command was not up to the challenge of the Great War. Different armies failed to coordinate their actions which resulted in the disaster of ]. Subsequent ] and ] were more successful for Russian army. The Grand Duke's role was limited to picking and choosing from the various plans offered by the many Russian Army Generals. No coherent plan for victory emerged from the Grand Duke or his staff, though on a personal level he was well liked by both officers and the troops.


On 14 August 1914, he published the ].<ref>Robinson 2014, p. 140</ref>
Nicholas seems to have been more a bureaucrat than a military leader, lacking the broad strategic sense and the ruthless drive to command all the Russian armies. His headquarters had a curiously calm atmosphere, despite the many defeats and the millions of casualties. It must be admitted that the Russian army did not perform any better with his cousin, the Tsar, in charge of the war. On 22 March 1915 he reсieved ] 2nd degree for the successful ].


Grand Duke Nicholas was responsible for all Russian forces fighting against ], ], and the ]. He decided that their major effort must be in ], which thrust toward Germany like a ], flanked by German ] in the north, and Austro-Hungarian ] in the south. He planned to attend first to the flanks and when they were secure to invade German ].<ref>Robinson 1914, pp. 135–141.</ref> In the north poor coordination of the two invading Russian armies resulted in the disaster of ]. In the south they conquered much of Galicia. Their subsequent move toward Silesia was blocked by the ] and ]. The grand duke picked and chose from the various plans offered by his generals. The grand duke begged for the artillery and ammunition they desperately lacked, so he could not embark on a coherent plan for victory. Nicholas came to power because of his royal status, and the tsar's belief that God was guiding his decision. He lacked the broad strategic sense and the ruthless drive to command all the Russian armies. His headquarters had a curiously calm atmosphere, despite the many defeats and the millions of casualties. He failed in terms of strategy and tactics, as well as logistics, selection of generals, maintaining morale, and gaining support from the government. On a personal level he was well liked by both officers and men.<ref name="online"/>
After the strategic retreat of the Russian army (and at the suggestion of ], the Imperial Family's spiritual advisor), the Tsar replaced the Grand Duke as commander of the Russian armed forces on 21 August 1915.


]
== World War I: Command in the Caucasus ==
After the ] of the Russian army, the Chief of the General Staff ], with the full support of the Grand Duke Nicholas, ordered the army to devastate the border territories and expel the "enemy" nations within.{{sfn|Baberowski|Doering-Manteuffel|2009|pp=202-203}}{{sfn|McMeekin|2017|p=68}} The Russian authorities launched pogroms against German populations in Russian cities, massacred Jews in their towns and villages and deported 500,000 Jews and 250,000 Germans into the Russian interior.{{sfn|McMeekin|2017|p=68}} On 11 June 1915, a pogrom began against Germans in ], with over 500 factories, stores and offices looted and mob violence unleashed against Germans.{{sfn|McMeekin|2017|p=68}} The Russian military leadership regarded Muslims, Germans and Poles as traitors and spies, while Jews were considered political unreliables.{{sfn|Baberowski|Doering-Manteuffel|2009|pp=202-203}}
Upon his dismissal, the Grand Duke was immediately appointed commander-in-chief and viceroy in the ] area (taking over for the old Governor General ]). While the Grand Duke was officially in command, ] was the driving figure in the Russian Caucusus army. Their opponent was the ]. While the Grand Duke was in command, the Russian army sent an expeditionary force through to ] (now ]) to link up with British troops. Also in 1916, the Russian army captured the Fortress of ], the port of ] (now ]) and the town of ]. The Turks responded with an offensive of their own. Fighting around ] swung back and forth, but ultimately proved inconclusive.


As a result of his failure, the tsar removed the Grand Duke as commander of the Russian armed forces on 21 August 1915 and took personal command.<ref>Robinson 2014, pp. 230–260</ref>{{sfn|Dowling|2014|page=588}}
Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russian Georgia to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive in 1917. But, in March 1917, the Czar was overthrown and the Russian army began to slowly fall apart.


== The Revolution == ====The Caucasus====
Upon his dismissal, the grand duke was immediately appointed commander-in-chief and ] (replacing Count ]). While the grand duke was officially in command, General ] was the driving figure in the Russian ], so the grand duke focused on the civil administration.<ref>Robinson 2014, pp. 261–291</ref> Their opponent was the ]. While the grand duke was in command, the Russian army sent an expeditionary force through to ] to link up with British troops. Also in 1916, the Russian army captured the fortress town of ], the port of ] and the town of ]. The Turks responded with an offensive of their own. Fighting around ] swung back and forth, but ultimately proved inconclusive.
The ] found Nicholas in the ]. He was appointed by the Emperor, in his last official act, as the supreme commander in chief, and was wildly received as he journeyed to headquarters in ]. However, within 24 hours of his arrival, the new premier, ], cancelled his appointment. Nicholas spent the next two years in the ], sometimes under house arrest, taking little part in politics. There appears to have been some sentiment to have him head the ] forces active in southern Russia at the time, but the leaders in charge, especially General ], were afraid that a strong monarchist figurehead would alienate the more left leaning constituents of the movement. He and his wife escaped just ahead of the ] in April 1919, aboard the British ] ].


It is reported that, while visiting the garrison of ] he met ], a famous ] who was a prisoner of war. Because of Nursi's disrespectful attitude (he refused to greet the grand duke first saying that the faithful were more senior than infidels), the grand duke gave an order to execute him. But after seeing Nursi's devotion to his religion during his last prayer, the grand duke changed his mind and amnestied Nursi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Краткая биография Бадиуззаман Саид Нурси |url=https://www.risale.ru-nur.com/%D0%B1%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D1%83%D0%B7%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%B4-%D0%BD%D1%83%D1%80%D1%81%D0%B8-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%BE-%D0%B6%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BD%D0%B8/ |language=Russian}}</ref><ref>Nursi, Said: Tarihçe-i Hayat, Envar Neşriyat, Istanbul 1995, pp. 114–115 (in Turkish)</ref><ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910200314/http://www.risaleinurenstitusu.org/index.asp?Section=Kulliyat&Book=TarihceiHayat&Page=103 |date=10 September 2014 }}. Risaleinurenstitusu.org. Retrieved on 16 September 2015.</ref> However, nothing in the Grand Duke's record suggests that he would have even considered such a war crime. At the time he was urging the tsar to set up colleges for training Muslim clerics so they would not have to study abroad.<ref>Robinson 2014, p. 286</ref>
On 8 August 1922, Nicholas was proclaimed as the emperor of all Russia by the ] of the ] region by general ]. The former was already living abroad and consequently was not present. Two months later the Preamursk region fell to the Bolsheviks.

Nicholas tried to have a railway built from ] to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive in 1917. But, in March 1917, the tsar was overthrown and the Russian army began slowly to fall apart.

== Revolution ==
The ] found Nicholas in the Caucasus. He was appointed by the emperor, in his last official act, as the supreme commander in chief, and was wildly received as he journeyed to headquarters in ]; however, within 24 hours of his arrival, the new prime minister, Prince ], cancelled his appointment. Nicholas spent the next two years in ], sometimes under house arrest, taking little part in politics. There appears to have been some sentiment to have him head the ] forces active in southern Russia at the time, but the leaders in charge, especially General ], were afraid that a strong monarchist figurehead would alienate the more left leaning constituents of the movement. He and his wife escaped just ahead of the ] in April 1919, aboard the British ] battleship ].

On 8 August 1922, Nicholas was proclaimed as the emperor of all the Russias by the ] of the ] region in the Far East by White Army general ]. Nicholas was already living abroad and consequently was not present. Two months later the Priamurye region fell to the Bolsheviks.


== In exile == == In exile ==
After a stay in ] as a guest of his brother-in-law, ], ], Nicholas and his wife took up residence in a small country house at ], 20 miles outside of Paris. He was under the protection of the French ] as well as by a small number of faithful ] retainers. He became the center of an anti-Soviet monarchist resistance group, and headed the ] alongside general ]. Plans were made by them to send their agents into Russia. Conversely a top priority of the Soviet secret police was to penetrate this monarchist organization and to kidnap Nicholas. They were successful in the former, infiltrating the group with spies, and later luring the anti-Bolshevik British master spy ] back to the Soviet Union where he was killed. They did not succeed however, with kidnapping Nicholas. As late as June 1927, the monarchists were able to set off a bomb at the ] in Moscow. After a stay in ] as a guest of his brother-in-law, King ], Nicholas and his wife took up residence in a small chateau at Choigny, 20 miles outside of Paris. He was under the protection of the French secret police as well as by a small number of faithful ] retainers.


He became the symbolic figurehead of an anti-Soviet Russian monarchist movement, after assuming on 16 November 1924 the supreme command of all Russian forces in exile and thus of the ], which had been founded in the ] by General ] two months prior.<ref name="politikapomirl">″Помирљивост према политичким партијама: Из тајних архива УДБЕ: РУСКА ЕМИГРАЦИЈА У ЈУГОСЛАВИЈИ 1918–1941.″ // '']'', 12 December 2017, p. 21.</ref> The monarchists made plans to send agents into Russia. Conversely a top priority of the ] was to penetrate this monarchist organization and to kidnap Nicholas. They were successful in the former, infiltrating the group with spies (] later lured the anti-Bolshevik British master spy ] back to the ] (1925) where he was killed). They did not succeed however, in kidnapping Nicholas. As late as June 1927, the monarchists were able to set off a bomb at the ] in Moscow.
Grand Duke Nicholas died on 5 January 1929 of natural causes on the ], where he had gone to escape the rigors of winter.

Grand Duke Nicholas died on 5 January 1929 of natural causes on the ], where he had gone to escape the rigors of winter. He was originally buried in the church of ] in ], France. In 2014 ] (1922–2014) and ] (1926–2016) requested the transfer of his remains. The bodies of Nicholas Nikolaevich and his wife were re-buried in ] at the ] in May 2015.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

==Legacy==
Historian ] said he was the most outstanding member of the Romanov dynasty in its final decades and the only member of the family to enjoy the respect and admiration of ordinary Russians.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sturve, Liberal on the Right, 1905-1944|author=Richard Pipes|page=368}}</ref>

==Honours and awards==
The Grand Duke received several Russian and foreign decorations:<ref name="Army"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202153928/http://regiment.ru/bio/N/10.htm |date=2 February 2019 }} (In Russian)</ref>
;Russian
* ] Knight 4th Class of the ] – ''1877''
* ] Knight 3rd Class of the ] – ''1914''
* ] Knight 2nd Class of the ] – ''1915''
* ] Knight of the ] – ''1856''
* ] Knight of the ] – ''1856''
* ] Knight 1st Class of the ] – ''1856''
* ] Knight 1st Class of the ] – ''1856''
* ] Knight of the ] – ''1856''
* ] Knight 1st Class of the ] – ''1896''

;Foreign
* ] Knight of the ] (]) – ''18 June 1890''<ref name="dell'interno1920">{{cite book|author=Italy. Ministero dell'interno|title=Calendario generale del regno d'Italia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KU1TIJPtKx0C&pg=PR3|year=1920|page=}}</ref> – during a visit to Russia of King ]<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest intelligence - Italy and Russia |date=18 July 1902 |page=3 |issue=36823}}</ref>
* ] Knight of the ] (]) – ''19 July 1909''<ref>{{cite book|author=Pedersen, Jørgen |title=Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=glw-AQAAIAAJ|year=2009|publisher=Syddansk Universitetsforlag|language=da|isbn=978-87-7674-434-2|page=468}}</ref>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (])
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (]) – ''10 March 1886''<ref name="ordensliste">{{citation|title=Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste|chapter=Ludewigs-orden|page=5|language=German|location=Darmstadt|year=1914|publisher=Staatsverlag|via=hathitrust.org}}</ref>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (])
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (])
* ] Grand Cross of the ], with Golden Crown (]) – ''7 December 1856''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AD6sPIakAuMC&pg=PR1 |title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879 |publisher=Schulze |date=1879 |page=}}</ref>
* ] Knight of the ] (]) – ''23 March 1877''<ref name="prus">{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|journal=Preussische Ordens-Liste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=, |language=German|location=Berlin|year=1886}}</ref>
* ] ] (military) (Kingdom of Prussia) – ''22 March 1879''<ref name="prus"/>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (])<ref>{{Cite book|last=Acović|first=Dragomir|title=Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima|year=2012|location=Belgrade|publisher=Službeni Glasnik|pages=619}}</ref>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (])
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (]) – ''1896''<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101222022855/http://tornai.com/rendtagok.htm|date=22 December 2010}}</ref>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (]) – ''January 1897''<ref>{{cite book| author = M. Wattel, B. Wattel. | title = Les Grand'Croix de la Légion d'honneur de 1805 à nos jours. Titulaires français et étrangers |location= Paris |date = 2009 |publisher= Archives & Culture | page = 518 | isbn = 978-2-35077-135-9| ref = M. et B. Wattel}}</ref>
* ] Grand Cross of the ] (]) – ''1882''<ref> (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 28</ref>


== Ancestry == == Ancestry ==
{{ahnentafel
{| class="wikitable"
|collapsed=yes |align=center
|+'''Nicholas Nikolaevich's ancestors in three generations'''
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc;
|-
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9;
|-
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
| rowspan="8" align="center"| '''Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia'''
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Father:'''<br />]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Paternal Grandfather:'''<br />] |1= 1. '''Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia'''
|2= 2. ]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandfather:'''<br />]
|3= 3. ]
|-
|4= 4. ]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandmother:'''<br />]
|5= 5. ]
|-
|6= 6. ]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Paternal Grandmother:'''<br />]
|7= 7. ]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandfather:'''<br />]
|8= 8. ]
|-
|9= 9. ]
| align="center"| '''Paternal Great-grandmother:'''<br />]
|10= 10. ]
|-
|11= 11. ]
| rowspan="4" align="center"| '''Mother:'''<br />]
| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Maternal Grandfather:'''<br />] |12= 12. ]
|13= 13. ]
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandfather:'''<br />Georg Peter Friedrich of Oldemburg
|14= 14. ]
|-
|15= 15. ]
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandmother:'''<br />]
}}
|-

| rowspan="2" align="center"| '''Maternal Grandmother:'''<br />]
==In popular culture==
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandfather:'''<br />]
Grand Duke Nicholas was portrayed in the 1971 film '']'' by ], and in the 1974 television drama '']'' by ].
|-
| align="center"| '''Maternal Great-grandmother:'''<br />]
|}


== References == == References ==
{{reflist}}
*"A Peace To End All Peace", David Fromkin, Avon Books, New York, 1990
{{refbegin}}
*"The Flight Of The Romanovs, A Family Saga", John Curtis Perry and Constantine Pleshakov, Basic Books, New York, 1999

*"Encyclopaedia Britannica", Vol. 16, pp. 420–421, Chicago, 1958
==Sources==
*" A People's Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891-1924", Orlando Figes, Pilmico, London, 1997
* {{cite book |last1=Baberowski |first1=Jörg |author-link1=Jörg Baberowski |last2=Doering-Manteuffel |first2=Anselm |editor-last=Geyer |editor-first=Michael |editor-link=Michael Geyer |editor-last2=Fitzpatrick |editor-first2=Sheila |editor-link2=Sheila Fitzpatrick |title=Beyond Totalitarianism: Stalinism and Nazism compared |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-521-89796-9}}
* {{cite book|last1=Dowling|first1=Timothy C.|title=Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond |date=2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-948-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ&q=dowling+2014+russia+at+war}}
* Robinson, Paul. "A Study of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich as Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, 1914–1915." ''Historian'' 75.3 (2013): 475–498. {{jstor|24456116}}
*]. '']'' Avon Books, New York, 1990
* {{cite book |last=McMeekin |first=Sean |title=The Russian Revolution: A New History |publisher=Basic Books |year=2017 |location=London |isbn=978-0-46503-990-6}}
*] and Constantine Pleshakov. ''The Flight of the Romanovs, A Family Saga'' Basic Books, New York, 1999
*"Encyclopædia Britannica", Vol. 16, pp.&nbsp;420–421, Chicago, 1958
*Figes, Orlando. ''A People's Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891–1924'', Pimlico, London, 1997

{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Nicholas Nikolaievich of Russia the Younger}}
* {{Cite EB1922|wstitle=Nicholas (Russian Grand Duke)|display=Nicholas (Nikolai Nikolayevich), Russian Grand Duke |short=x}}
* {{PM20|FID=pe/022488}}

{{Russian grand dukes}} {{Russian grand dukes}}
{{Supreme Commanders of the Russian Army during WWI}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, Grand Duke 1858–1929)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia, Grand Duke 1858-1929)}}
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Latest revision as of 13:57, 19 December 2024

Russian general

Nicholas Nikolaevich
Emperor of Russia (disputed)
ReignJuly 1922 – 16 June 1923
PredecessorNicholas II
SuccessorMonarchy abolished
Born(1856-11-18)18 November 1856 Gregorian calendar
((1856-11-06)6 November 1856 Julian calendar)
St. Petersburg, Russian Empire
Died5 January 1929(1929-01-05) (aged 72)
Antibes, France
BurialSt. Michael the Archangel Church (1929–2015)
Chapel of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, Bratsky military cemetery, Moscow (since 2015)
Spouse Princess Anastasia of Montenegro ​ ​(m. 1907)​
Names
Nicholas Nikolaevich Romanov
HouseHolstein-Gottorp-Romanov
FatherGrand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia
MotherDuchess Alexandra of Oldenburg
OccupationCommander in Chief of the Russian Imperial Army

Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (Russian: Николай Николаевич Романов (младший – the younger); 18 November 1856 – 5 January 1929) was a Russian general in World War I (1914–1918). The son of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831–1891), and a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I of Russia, he was commander in chief of the Imperial Russian Army units on the main front in the first year of the war, during the reign of his first cousin once removed, Nicholas II. Although held in high regard by Paul von Hindenburg, he struggled with the colossal task of leading Russia's war effort against Germany, including strategy, tactics, logistics and coordination with the government. After the Gorlice–Tarnów offensive in 1915, Tsar Nicholas replaced the Grand Duke as commander-in-chief of the army. He later was a successful commander-in-chief in the Caucasus region. He was briefly recognized as emperor in 1922 in areas controlled by the White movement in the Russian Far East.

Biography

Family

A very tall man at 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), Nicholas, named after his paternal grandfather, the emperor, was born as the eldest son to Grand Duke Nicholas Nicolaevich of Russia (1831–1891) and Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg (1838–1900) on 18 November 1856. His father was the sixth child and third son born to Nicholas I of Russia and his Empress consort Alexandra Fedorovna of Prussia (1798–1860). Alexandra Fedorovna was a daughter of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.

Nicholas's mother, his father's first cousin's daughter, was a daughter of Duke Konstantin Peter of Oldenburg (1812–1881) and Princess Therese of Nassau (1815–1871). His maternal grandfather was a son of Duke George of Oldenburg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia, daughter of Paul I of Russia and Maria Fedorovna of Württemberg. (Catherine was later remarried to William I of Württemberg.) His maternal grandmother was a daughter of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau (1792–1839) and Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The Duke of Nassau was a son of Friedrich Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau (1768–1816) and Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg. His paternal grandparents were Duke Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg (1735–1788) and Carolina of Orange-Nassau. Carolina was a daughter of William IV of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. Anne was the eldest daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach.

Grand Duke Nicholas was the first cousin once removed of Tsar Nicholas II. To distinguish between them, the Grand Duke was often known within the Imperial family as "Nikolasha": the Grand Duke was also known as "Nicholas the Tall" while the tsar was "Nicholas the Short".

Early military career

Grand Duke Nicholas in 1870

Grand Duke Nicholas was educated at the school of military engineers and received his commission in 1873. During the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), he was on the staff of his father who was commander in chief. He distinguished himself on two occasions in this war. He worked his way up through all the ranks until he was appointed commander of the Guard Hussar Regiment in 1884.

He had a reputation as a tough commander, yet one respected by his troops. His experience was more as a trainer of soldiers than a leader in battle. Nicholas was a very religious man, praying in the morning and at night as well as before and after meals. He was happiest in the country, hunting or caring for his estates.

By 1895, he was inspector-general of the cavalry, a post he held for 10 years. His tenure has been judged a success with reforms in training, cavalry schools, cavalry reserves and the remount services. He was not given an active command during the Russo-Japanese War, perhaps because the tsar did not wish to hazard the prestige of the Romanovs and because he wanted a loyal general in command at home in case of domestic disturbances. Thus, Nicholas did not have the opportunity to gain experience in battlefield command.

Grand Duke Nicholas played a crucial role during the Revolution of 1905. With disorder spreading and the future of the dynasty at stake, the tsar had a choice of instituting the reforms suggested by Count Sergei Witte or imposing a military dictatorship. The only man with the prestige to keep the allegiance of the army in such a coup was the grand duke. The tsar asked him to assume the role of a military dictator. In an emotional scene at the palace, Nicholas refused, drew his pistol and threatened to shoot himself on the spot if the tsar did not endorse Witte's plan. This act was decisive in forcing Nicholas II to agree to the reforms.

From 1905 to the outbreak of World War I, he was commander of the Petersburg Military District. He had the reputation there of appointing men of humble origins to positions of authority. The lessons of the Russo-Japanese War were drilled into his men.

Marriage

Anastasia of Montenegro

On 29 April 1907, Nicholas married Princess Anastasia of Montenegro (1869–1935), the daughter of King Nicholas I, and sister of Princess Milica, who had married Nicholas's brother, Grand Duke Peter. They had no children. She had previously been married to George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg, by whom she had two children, until their divorce in 1906. Since the Montenegrins were a fiercely Slavic, anti-Ottoman people from the Balkans, Anastasia reinforced the Pan-Slavic tendencies of Nicholas.

Hunting

Nicholas was a hunter. Ownership of borzoi hounds was restricted to members of the highest nobility, and Nicholas's packs were well-known. After the revolution, the dogs in his kennel were sold off by the new Soviet government. In his lifetime, Nicholas and his dogs caught hundreds of wolves. A pair of borzoi were used, which caught the wolf, one on each side, while Nicholas dismounted and cut the wolf's throat with a knife. Hunting was his major recreation, and he traveled in his private train across Russia with his horses and dogs, hunting while on his rounds of inspection.

World War I

Further information: Russian entry into World War I

Eastern Front

Grand Duke Nicholas in 1915

The grand duke had no part in the planning and preparations for World War I, that being the responsibility of General Vladimir Sukhomlinov and the general staff. On the eve of the outbreak of World War I, his first cousin once removed, the Emperor Nicholas II of Russia, yielded to the entreaties of his ministers and appointed Grand Duke Nicholas to the supreme command. He was 57 years old and had never commanded armies in the field before, although he had spent almost all of his life on active service. His appointment was popular in the army. He was given responsibility for the largest army ever put into the field up to that date. He recalled that "... on receipt of the Imperial order, he spent much of his time crying because he did not know how to approach his new duties".

On 14 August 1914, he published the Manifesto to the Polish Nation.

Grand Duke Nicholas was responsible for all Russian forces fighting against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. He decided that their major effort must be in Poland, which thrust toward Germany like a salient, flanked by German East Prussia in the north, and Austro-Hungarian Galicia in the south. He planned to attend first to the flanks and when they were secure to invade German Silesia. In the north poor coordination of the two invading Russian armies resulted in the disaster of Tannenberg. In the south they conquered much of Galicia. Their subsequent move toward Silesia was blocked by the Battle of the Vistula River and Battle of Łódź. The grand duke picked and chose from the various plans offered by his generals. The grand duke begged for the artillery and ammunition they desperately lacked, so he could not embark on a coherent plan for victory. Nicholas came to power because of his royal status, and the tsar's belief that God was guiding his decision. He lacked the broad strategic sense and the ruthless drive to command all the Russian armies. His headquarters had a curiously calm atmosphere, despite the many defeats and the millions of casualties. He failed in terms of strategy and tactics, as well as logistics, selection of generals, maintaining morale, and gaining support from the government. On a personal level he was well liked by both officers and men.

Peasants from a destroyed village in front of a shack constructed from debris, environs of Warsaw, 1915

After the Great Retreat of the Russian army, the Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Yanushkevich, with the full support of the Grand Duke Nicholas, ordered the army to devastate the border territories and expel the "enemy" nations within. The Russian authorities launched pogroms against German populations in Russian cities, massacred Jews in their towns and villages and deported 500,000 Jews and 250,000 Germans into the Russian interior. On 11 June 1915, a pogrom began against Germans in Petrograd, with over 500 factories, stores and offices looted and mob violence unleashed against Germans. The Russian military leadership regarded Muslims, Germans and Poles as traitors and spies, while Jews were considered political unreliables.

As a result of his failure, the tsar removed the Grand Duke as commander of the Russian armed forces on 21 August 1915 and took personal command.

The Caucasus

Upon his dismissal, the grand duke was immediately appointed commander-in-chief and viceroy in the Caucasus (replacing Count Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov). While the grand duke was officially in command, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich was the driving figure in the Russian Caucasus Army, so the grand duke focused on the civil administration. Their opponent was the Ottoman Empire. While the grand duke was in command, the Russian army sent an expeditionary force through to Persia to link up with British troops. Also in 1916, the Russian army captured the fortress town of Erzerum, the port of Trebizond and the town of Erzincan. The Turks responded with an offensive of their own. Fighting around Lake Van swung back and forth, but ultimately proved inconclusive.

It is reported that, while visiting the garrison of Kostroma he met Said Nursi, a famous Muslim cleric who was a prisoner of war. Because of Nursi's disrespectful attitude (he refused to greet the grand duke first saying that the faithful were more senior than infidels), the grand duke gave an order to execute him. But after seeing Nursi's devotion to his religion during his last prayer, the grand duke changed his mind and amnestied Nursi. However, nothing in the Grand Duke's record suggests that he would have even considered such a war crime. At the time he was urging the tsar to set up colleges for training Muslim clerics so they would not have to study abroad.

Nicholas tried to have a railway built from Russian Georgia to the conquered territories with a view to bringing up more supplies for a new offensive in 1917. But, in March 1917, the tsar was overthrown and the Russian army began slowly to fall apart.

Revolution

The February Revolution found Nicholas in the Caucasus. He was appointed by the emperor, in his last official act, as the supreme commander in chief, and was wildly received as he journeyed to headquarters in Mogilev; however, within 24 hours of his arrival, the new prime minister, Prince Georgy Lvov, cancelled his appointment. Nicholas spent the next two years in Crimea, sometimes under house arrest, taking little part in politics. There appears to have been some sentiment to have him head the White Army forces active in southern Russia at the time, but the leaders in charge, especially General Anton Denikin, were afraid that a strong monarchist figurehead would alienate the more left leaning constituents of the movement. He and his wife escaped just ahead of the Red Army in April 1919, aboard the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Marlborough.

On 8 August 1922, Nicholas was proclaimed as the emperor of all the Russias by the Zemsky Sobor of the Priamurye region in the Far East by White Army general Mikhail Diterikhs. Nicholas was already living abroad and consequently was not present. Two months later the Priamurye region fell to the Bolsheviks.

In exile

After a stay in Genoa as a guest of his brother-in-law, King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, Nicholas and his wife took up residence in a small chateau at Choigny, 20 miles outside of Paris. He was under the protection of the French secret police as well as by a small number of faithful Cossack retainers.

He became the symbolic figurehead of an anti-Soviet Russian monarchist movement, after assuming on 16 November 1924 the supreme command of all Russian forces in exile and thus of the Russian All-Military Union, which had been founded in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes by General Pyotr Wrangel two months prior. The monarchists made plans to send agents into Russia. Conversely a top priority of the Soviet secret police was to penetrate this monarchist organization and to kidnap Nicholas. They were successful in the former, infiltrating the group with spies (OGPU later lured the anti-Bolshevik British master spy Sidney Reilly back to the Soviet Union (1925) where he was killed). They did not succeed however, in kidnapping Nicholas. As late as June 1927, the monarchists were able to set off a bomb at the Lubyanka Prison in Moscow.

Grand Duke Nicholas died on 5 January 1929 of natural causes on the French Riviera, where he had gone to escape the rigors of winter. He was originally buried in the church of St. Michael the Archangel Church in Cannes, France. In 2014 Nicholas Romanov, Prince of Russia (1922–2014) and Prince Dimitri Romanov (1926–2016) requested the transfer of his remains. The bodies of Nicholas Nikolaevich and his wife were re-buried in Moscow at the World War I memorial military cemetery in May 2015.

Legacy

Historian Richard Pipes said he was the most outstanding member of the Romanov dynasty in its final decades and the only member of the family to enjoy the respect and admiration of ordinary Russians.

Honours and awards

The Grand Duke received several Russian and foreign decorations:

Russian
Foreign

Ancestry

Ancestors of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1856–1929)
8. Paul I of Russia
4. Nicholas I of Russia
9. Duchess Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg
2. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia
10. Frederick William III of Prussia
5. Princess Charlotte of Prussia
11. Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
1. Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia
12. Duke George of Oldenburg
6. Duke Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg
13. Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia
3. Duchess Alexandra Petrovna of Oldenburg
14. William, Duke of Nassau
7. Princess Therese of Nassau-Weilburg
15. Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen

In popular culture

Grand Duke Nicholas was portrayed in the 1971 film Nicholas and Alexandra by Harry Andrews, and in the 1974 television drama Fall of Eagles by John Phillips.

References

  1. Reburial of the Remains of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich and His Wife. theorthodoxchurch.info. 1 May 2015
  2. ^ Features / The official website of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow. Mos.ru (30 April 2015). Retrieved on 2015-09-16.
  3. ^ Paul Robinson, "A Study of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich as Supreme Commander of the Russian Army, 1914–1915." Historian 75.3 (2013): 475-498. online
  4. ^ Dowling 2014, p. 588.
  5. Robinson, Paul (2014). Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Supreme commander of the Russian Army. De Kalb, IL: NIU Press.
  6. Robinson 2014, pp. 29–35
  7. Strachan, Hew (2001). The First World War. Oxford. p. 313. ISBN 0-19-820877-4.
  8. Robinson 2014, p. 140
  9. Robinson 1914, pp. 135–141.
  10. ^ Baberowski & Doering-Manteuffel 2009, pp. 202–203.
  11. ^ McMeekin 2017, p. 68.
  12. Robinson 2014, pp. 230–260
  13. Robinson 2014, pp. 261–291
  14. "Краткая биография Бадиуззаман Саид Нурси" (in Russian).
  15. Nursi, Said: Tarihçe-i Hayat, Envar Neşriyat, Istanbul 1995, pp. 114–115 (in Turkish)
  16. Tarihçe-i Hayat, Sayfa 103 Archived 10 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Risaleinurenstitusu.org. Retrieved on 16 September 2015.
  17. Robinson 2014, p. 286
  18. ″Помирљивост према политичким партијама: Из тајних архива УДБЕ: РУСКА ЕМИГРАЦИЈА У ЈУГОСЛАВИЈИ 1918–1941.″ // Politika, 12 December 2017, p. 21.
  19. Richard Pipes. Sturve, Liberal on the Right, 1905-1944. p. 368.
  20. Russian Imperial Army - Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich (the Younger) of Russia Archived 2 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine (In Russian)
  21. Italy. Ministero dell'interno (1920). Calendario generale del regno d'Italia. p. 57.
  22. "Latest intelligence - Italy and Russia". The Times. No. 36823. London. 18 July 1902. p. 3.
  23. Pedersen, Jørgen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 468. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2.
  24. "Ludewigs-orden", Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste (in German), Darmstadt: Staatsverlag, 1914, p. 5 – via hathitrust.org
  25. Hof- und Staatshandbuch des Großherzogtums Oldenburg: 1879. Schulze. 1879. p. 31.
  26. ^ "Königlich Preussische Ordensliste", Preussische Ordens-Liste (in German), 1, Berlin: 8, 15, 1886
  27. Acović, Dragomir (2012). Slava i čast: Odlikovanja među Srbima, Srbi među odlikovanjima. Belgrade: Službeni Glasnik. p. 619.
  28. "A Szent István Rend tagjai" Archived 22 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  29. M. Wattel, B. Wattel. (2009). Les Grand'Croix de la Légion d'honneur de 1805 à nos jours. Titulaires français et étrangers. Paris: Archives & Culture. p. 518. ISBN 978-2-35077-135-9.
  30. Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" p. 28

Sources

External links

Grand Dukes of Russia
The generations are numbered from Peter I of Russia
1st generation
2nd generation
3rd generation
4th generation
5th generation
6th generation
7th generation
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10th generation
  • born a Grand Duke, but stripped of his title by Alexander III's ukase of 1886, limiting the style to sons and male-line grandsons of a tsar
  • title of pretence granted by Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich as claimant to the Russian throne
  • title of pretence granted by Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich as claimant to the Russian throne
Supreme Commanders of the Russian Army during World War I
 Russian EmpireGrand Duke Nicholas • Nicholas II
Russia Russian Provisional
Government / Republic		Grand Duke Nicholas • Mikhail Alekseyev • Aleksei Brusilov • Lavr Kornilov • Alexander Kerensky • Nikolai Dukhonin
 Russian SFSRNikolai Krylenko
a. Grand Duke Nicholas briefly became the commander before Alekseyev was appointed by the Provisional Government.
b. Kerensky took the post himself after Klembovsky, Lukomsky, and several others refused the post.
See also: Stavka of the Supreme Commander
Categories: