Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Prozorovsky (russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Прозоро́вский, tr. ; 1733 – 21 August 1809) was the only

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered a ...

from the Prozorovsky family.

Biography

Prozorovsky gained distinction in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754– ...

and the conquest of Crimea. Prozorovsky's career was furthered by his maternal

Galitzine The House of Golitsyn or Galitzine was one of the largest princely of the noble houses in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire. Among them were boyars, warlords, diplomats, generals (the Mikhailovichs), stewards, chamberlains, the riches ...

relatives, who helped him to get appointed to the office of

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German str ...

's governor in 1780. He resigned two years later and spent the following years at his country estates. In 1790 Prozorovsky returned to the active service as the Governor General of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Emperor Paul Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he was fathered by her l ...

, however, couldn't get along with him and discharged Prozorovsky from his office. His ancient services were recalled in 1808, when the Russian army resumed its hostilities against Turkey, and Prozorovsky became its Commander-in-Chief. Prozorovsky's reputation suffered a blow when his attempt to storm of Brailov ended in his army being repelled at enormous loss of life on Russian side. The old and ailing general asked

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome * Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...

to dispatch a younger and more energetic

Mikhail Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...

to his aid. Two months later, when Prozorovsky's army was crossing the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , ...

, the Field-Marshal died. His body was transported to St Petersburg and interred in the

Alexander Nevsky Lavra Saint Alexander Nevsky Lavra or Saint Alexander Nevsky Monastery was founded by Peter I of Russia in 1710 at the eastern end of the Nevsky Prospekt in Saint Petersburg, in the belief that this was the site of the Neva Battle in 1240 when Ale ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prozorovsky, Alexander Prozorovsky, Alexander Prozorovsky, Alexander Prozorovsky, Alexander Prozorovsky, Alexander Prozorovsky, Alexander 18th-century military personnel from the Russian Empire Prozorovsky, Alexander Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Second Degree Recipients of the Order of St. George of the Third Degree