Sergei Mikhailovich Sheydeman (; ; August 18, 1857 – February 29th 1920) was an army commander of the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the

October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...

, he sided with the

Bolshevik The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...

Military service

Sheydeman graduated from the Petrovsky Poltava military gymnasium and entered military service on 9 August 1874. In 1877 he graduated from the

Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy Russia has a number of military academies of different specialties. This article primarily lists institutions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation rather than those of the Soviet Armed Forces. Russian institutions designated as an "aca ...

and was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the 19th

Horse Artillery Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing field artillery that consisted of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on h ...

battery Battery or batterie most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source * Battery indicator, a device whic ...

. He later transferred to the 3rd Guards

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

Artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

. He participated in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, and received a promotion to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 18 December 1878. In 1883, Sheydeman graduated from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff in the second category. He was assigned to the staff of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exist ...

. On 6 December 1883, he was promoted to

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

, and on 9 December 1883 he was appointed senior

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

to the headquarters of the 11th Cavalry Division. On 29 March 1885, he was promoted to captain. On 1 December 1888, Sheydeman took command of a squadron of the 34th Dragoon ''Starodubovsky''

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

. On 16 December 1889, he returned to the 11th Cavalry Division as a senior adjutant of its headquarters. On 1 April 1890, he was appointed lieutenant colonel by the officer in charge for special assignments at the headquarters of the 2nd Army Corps. On 26 August 1892, Sheydeman became senior adjutant to the headquarters of the Vilnius Military District. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

on 17 April 1894. From 6 May to 6 November 1895 he was seconded to the 4th Life-Dragoon Pskov Regiment to familiarize himself with the general requirements of management and leadership. On 2 December 1896, Sheydeman was appointed

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the 4th Cavalry Division. On 22 March 1901, he became commander of the 1st Life-Dragoon Moscow Regiment. On 21 March 1902 he became an assistant chief of staff of the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District () is a Military districts of Russia, military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Originally it was a district of the Imperial Russian Army until the Russian Empire's collapse in 191 ...

. He was promoted to major general on 14 December 1902. He was appointed District Quartermaster General of the Headquarters of the Moscow Military District on 20 May 1905. During the

1905 Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, was a revolution in the Russian Empire which began on 22 January 1905 and led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy under the Russian Constitution of 1906, th ...

, when an uprising broke out in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

in December 1905, he issued an order on 18 December 1905 that said in part: “If armed resistance is provided, then exterminate everyone without arresting anyone.”М. Н. Гернет. История царской тюрьмы. (Карательные экспедиции в 1905 году) (in Russian).
/ref> Sheydeman took charge of the headquarters of the Amur Military District on 27 November 1906. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

on 6 December 1907. On 31 August 1908 took command of the 3rd Cavalry Division. On 15 May 1912, he became commander of the 2nd Army Corps (which consisted of the

26th 26 (twenty-six) is the natural number following 25 and preceding 27. In mathematics *26 is the seventh discrete semiprime (2 \times 13) and the fifth with 2 as the lowest non-unitary factor thus of the form (2.q), where q is a higher prime. ...

and 43rd

Infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

Divisions), a component of the 2nd Army under the command of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Alexander Samsonov Aleksandr Vasilyevich Samsonov (, tr. ; ) was a career officer in the cavalry of the Imperial Russian Army and a general during the Russo-Japanese War and World War I. He was the commander of the Russian Second Army which was surrounded and d ...

. On 14 April 1913, Sheydeman was promoted to

general of the cavalry General of the Cavalry () was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers of equivalent rank were called ...

World War I

World War I broke out when

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

invaded

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

on 28 July 1914. Russia entered the war on 1 August 1914. On 22 August 1914, Sheydeman's 2nd Army Corps was transferred to the 1st Army under General

Paul von Rennenkampf Paul Georg Edler von Rennenkampf ( rus, Па́вел Ка́рлович Ренненка́мпф, r=Pavel Karlovich Rennenkampf, p=ˈpavʲɪl ˈkarləvʲɪtɕ ˌrʲenʲːɪnˈkampf; – 1 April 1918) was a Baltic German nobleman, statesman an ...

. After General Samsonov's 2nd Army was almost completed destroyed during the Russian defeat in the

Battle of Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 23 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russ ...

in late August and an ashamed Samsonov committed suicide, Sheydeman took command of the 2nd Army on 5 September 1914. In September, Sheydeman's 2nd Army participated in the Russian offensive in

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

. Although the 2nd Army delivered a blow from the south that forced the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

to divert some forces to face it and saved the Russian 1st Army from destruction, the Russian offensive ended in a Russian defeat. In October 1914, the 2nd Army took part in the

Battle of the Vistula River The Battle of the Vistula, Vistula River, also known as the Battle of Warsaw and Ivangorod, was a major Russian Empire, Russian victory against German Empire, Germany and Austria-Hungary on the Eastern Front (World War I), Eastern Front during ...

. On 7 October 1914, German troops under General

August von Mackensen Anton Ludwig Friedrich August Mackensen (ennobled as von Mackensen in 1899; 6 December 1849 – 8 November 1945), was a German field marshal. He commanded Army Group Mackensen during World War I (1914–1918) and became one of the German Empire ...

attacked the 2nd Army near Troitsa. On 11 October, Sheydeman's 2nd Siberian Army Corps took the Warsaw forts. Three days later, the forces of the 1st Siberian, 2nd Siberian,

1st First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

, 2nd, and

4th Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...

Army Corps attacked the Mackensen group in the Prutkov region. They took

Błonie Błonie is a town in Warsaw West County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland. History The settlement dates back to the 8th century. It was first mentioned in the 11th century, and already in the 12th century constituted a sizeable settlement with the f ...

and

Sochaczew Sochaczew () is a town in central Poland, with 33,456 inhabitants (as of 2023). In the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), formerly in Skierniewice Voivodeship (1975–1998). It is the capital of Sochaczew County and is located approximately west ...

on 15–17 October, and on 24 October Scheidemann's army threw the German 9th Army back behind Rawka river. On 30 October Sheydeman's troops occupied

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

. In November 1914, the 2nd Army took part in the Battle of Łódź. Sheydeman was not able to prevent the encirclement of Łódź and on 20 November 1914 he was removed from command by General Nikolai Ruzsky for his misunderstanding of the situation. On 5 December 1914, he officially relinquished command of the 2nd Army to General

Vladimir Vasilyevich Smirnov Vladimir Vasilyevich Smirnov (; 4 June 1849 – 1 November 1918) was an Imperial Russian Army general of the infantry who was a division, corps and field army commander. He fought in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and in World War I ...

, and took command of the 1st Turkestan Army Corps. In 1916, Sheydeman successfully acted as part of the 8th Army during the successful Brusilov Offensive on the Southwestern Front. Between 5 and 9 July, in the battles at Tuman and Rosinich, Sheydeman broke the group of General Fata and forced a crossing of the river Stokhod. Under pressure from German troops, he was forced to withdraw his corps back across the Stokhod on 10–11 July. Due to illness, Sheydeman transferred on 4 June 1917 to the reserves at the headquarters of the Kiev Military District. After returning to active duty, he was appointed commander of the 10th Army in November 1917.

Russian Civil War

In 1918, Sheydeman voluntarily joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

and was appointed military leader of the

Ryazan Ryazan (, ; also Riazan) is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 C ...

unit screening the Moscow region. In the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, he commanded the Red Army's 1st Ryazan Infantry Division. From 22 October to 5 November 1919 he headed the headquarters of the 17th Cavalry Division of the Red Cossacks. Subsequently, Sheydeman was arrested. According to some reports, he died in prison.

Awards and honors

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...

, 4th class (1879) *

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

, 3rd class (1886) * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

, 3rd class (1889) *

, 2nd class (1893) *

Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...

, 4th class (1896) *

, 3rd class (1905) *

, 1st class (1906) * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

, 1st class (1910) * Russian Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky ribbon bar

Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...

(15 March 1916)

References

External links