Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly

Portrait of Barclay de Tolly from the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, by George Dawe.

Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (December 24, 1761 – May 26, 1818), known in Russia as Mikhail Bogdanovich Barklay-de-Tolli (Cyrillic: Михаи́л Богда́нович Баркла́й-де-То́лли), was a Russian Field Marshal and Minister of War during Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and subsequent campaigns of the Russian army in Europe.

Early career

Barclay de Tolly, the most illustrious member of the Scottish Clan Barclay, was born in Pamuskis, Government of Livland (now Estonia) and raised in the Baltic province of Livonia which then belonged to Imperial Russia and now is part of Estonia and Latvia. He was a German-speaking descendant of a Scottish family which had settled in Livonia in the 17th century. His grandfather served as the mayor of Riga, his father was admitted into the ranks of Russian nobility, and the future Field Marshal entered the Imperial Russian Army at an early age.

In 1788-1789 Barclay served against the Turks, distinguishing himself in the taking of Ochakov and Akkerman. In 1790 he operated against the Swedes and, four years later, he fought against the Poles. He became a colonel in 1798 and a major-general in 1799.

In the war of 1806 against Napoleon, Barclay took a distinguished part in the Battle of Pultusk (December 1806) and was wounded at the Battle of Eylau (7 February 1807), where his conduct won him promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general.

After a period of convalescence, Barclay returned to the army and in 1808 commanded operations against the Swedes during the Finnish War. In 1809 he won a European reputation by a rapid and daring march over the frozen Gulf of Bothnia, which allowed him to surprise the enemy and seize Umeå in Sweden. For this exploit, immortalized by the Russian poet Baratynsky, he was made Full General and Governor-General of Finland. A year later, he became Minister of War, retaining the post until 1813.

Napoleon's invasion

During Napoleon's Invasion of Russia in 1812 Barclay assumed the supreme command of the 1st Army of the West, the largest of the Russian armies facing Napoleon. He proposed the now famous scorched earth tactic of drawing the enemy deep into one's own territory and retreated to the village of Tsaryovo-Zaimishche between Moscow and Smolensk.

Nevertheless, the Russians keenly opposed the appointment of a foreigner as commander-in-chief, while his rivals spread rumours of him being Napoleon's agent. After Barclay was forced by his subordinates and the tsar to engage Napoleon at Smolensk (17 - 18 August 1812) and suffered defeat, the great outcry caused him to resign his command and take a subordinate place under the veteran Kutuzov.

Statue of Barclay de Tolly in Riga.

Barclay commanded the right flank at the Battle of Borodino (7 September 1812) with great valor and presence of mind and during the celebrated council at Fili advised Kutuzov to surrender unfortified Moscow to the enemy. His illness made itself known at that time and he was forced to leave the army soon afterwards.

After Napoleon was driven from Russia, the eventual success of Barclay's tactics made him a romantic hero, misunderstood by his contemporaries and rejected by the court. His popularity soared, and his honor was restored by the tsar.

Foreign campaigns

Barclay was re-employed in the field and took part in the campaign in Germany. After Kutuzov's death, he once again became commander-in-chief of the Russian forces at the Battle of Bautzen (21 May 1813), and in this capacity he served at Dresden (26 - 27 August 1813), Kulm (29 - 30 August 1813) and Leipzig (16 - 19 October 1813). In the latter battle he commanded a central part of the Allied forces so effectively that the tsar bestowed upon him the title of count.

Barclay took part in the invasion of France in 1814 and commanded the taking of Paris, receiving the baton of a Field Marshal in reward. In 1815 he again served as commander-in-chief of the Russian army which invaded France, and was created Prince at the close of the war.

Barclay de Tolly died at Insterburg in Prussia (now Russia) on 26 May, 1818 (14 May, Old Style) on his way from his Estonian manor to Germany, where he wanted to renew his health. His remains were embalmed and put into the mausoleum built to a design by Apollon Shchedrin and Vasily Demut-Malinovsky in 1832 in Jõgeveste (in Helme Vald, Valgamaa, Estonia).

A grand statue of him was erected in front of the Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg on behest of Emperor Nicholas I. There are also a modern statue in Riga, a bust monument in Tartu, and the so-called "Barclay's leaning house" in Tartu (which was actually acquired by his widow after his death).

After extinction of the Barclay de Tolly princely line with his son Magnus on 29 October, 1871(17 October, Old Style), Alexander II allowed his grand grandson through female lineage, Alexander von Weymarn, to assume the title of Prince Barclay de Tolly-Weymarn on 12 June, 1872 (31 May, Old Style) [1]

Further reading

• Helme, Rein (2006). Kindralfeldmarssal Barclay de Tolly. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus. ISBN 9985-70-202-6. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Josselson, Michael (1980). The Commander: A Life of Barclay de Tolly. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-215854-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)