… and Military Considerations.
"Chuikevich, Peter Andreevich (1783-1831). Born in a family of minor nobility in the Poltava gubernia. He studied at the Sukhoputskii Shlyakhetskii Cadet Corps, where he distinguished himself in mathematics and foreign languages (French and German) and after graduatin in 1797, he began service as an ensign in the Kronshtadtskii Garrison Regiment. In 1804, he was appointed to His Imperial Majesty's Suite on Quartermaster Service, which at the time served as the Russian General Staff. He participated in the 1807 Campaign in Poland against the French and in the Russo-Turkish War in 1808-1809 and was awarded four orders for gallantry and service. In the spring of 1809, Chuikevich retired and turned his attention to military theory. In 1810, Minister of War Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, who had appreciated Chuikevich's skills, appointed him to the newly established Secret Chancellery of the Ministry of War, which served as the center of Russian military intelligence.
Chuikevich served as one of the leading analysts in the Secret Chancellery, producing numerous memos, coordinating activities of Russian spies abroad and Russian counter-intelligence at home, etc. In September 1811, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. In March 1812, Colonel A. Zakrevskii was appointed as the head of the Special Chancellery and asked Chukevichto prepare an analytical memo on the future war with Napoleon and recommendations on how to wage it. The result was Chuikevich's "Patriotic Thoughts Or Political and Military Considerations On the Upcoming War…" Chuikevich's memo argued that Napoleon would seek a decisive battle to eliminate the enemy armies, therefore the Russians should avoid one as much as possible. Referring to the Spanish example, he contended that ‘it is necessary to wage against Napoleon a war that he is not accustomed to'and to start a guerrilla war utilizing flying detachments to harass French communications and supply lines. Chuikevich anticipated that the Russians would have to abandon vast territories to Napoleon but then, having gathered sufficient forces, they would be able to give battle to the exhausted, overextended and significantly reduced enemy forces. Chuikevich's memo, submitted in early April 1812, clearly indicates that the ‘Scythian plan' was considered and discussed in its various aspects by the Russian high command on the eve of war.
During the 1812 Campaign, Chuikevich left the Main Headquarters and served in one of the flying detachments before joining Ataman Matvei Platov's Cossack Corps. In the summer of 1812, he was promoted to a colonel. He distinguished himself at Borodino for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir (3rd class). He accompanied Barclay de Tolly when he was dismissed and sent out of the main army. In January 1813, he was appointed the head of the Special Chancellery, serving in this position under late 1815. He retired in November 1816 but returned to service in October 1820, when he was assigned to the Main Staff [precursor of the General Staff] In 1821, he attended the Congress of Europe in Laibach and was promoted to a major general in December 1823. In 1829 he became the chief of staff of the Separate Orenburg Corps but died two years later…"
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Amicalement
Armand
paints a Napoleonic caricature.
