Fedor Keller
Encyclopedia
Count Fyodor Keller was a general in the Imperial Russian Army
, noted for his role in the Battle of Motien Pass
during the Russo-Japanese War
.
nobility
, and had the title of count
. He attended the prestigious Corps of Pages, the military school for the Russian aristocracy. After graduation in 1866, he was commissioned as an ensign in the premier cavalry
regiment of the Imperial Russian Army, the Chevalier Guard Regiment. He then attended the Nicholas General Staff Academy
and was promoted to captain on his graduation in 1876.
Also in 1876, he volunteered for service with the Serbian Army
during the Serbo-Turkish War and was granted the rank of lieutenant colonel
and distinguished himself in a number of combat operations. He that September he became a member of the staff of Major-General Mikhail Chernyayev
(nicknamed the 'Russian General Custer'), and was assigned as aide-de-camp
to the tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (the future Tsar
Alexander III
) and the Field Marshal Prince Aleksandr Baryatinsky, both of whom were in Serbia
serving with the Russian volunteer expeditionary force.
The forces of Ottoman Empire
defeated the Russian-backed Serbians, thus leading to the subsequent Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
. During this war, Keller served as the Chief-of-Staff to the Russian-led Bulgaria
n militia, and later as Chief-of-Staff for Russian Major-General Mikhail Skobelev
, where he replaced the wounded Colonel Alexei Kuropatkin. After the war, Keller was promoted to colonel and served in various staff positions. At the conclusion of the war in 1879, he was promoted to colonel and designated an official emissary to Constantinople
for the negotiations which determined the borders of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
After his return to Russia, in 1882, Keller received command of the 4th Life Guard Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Guard. He was promoted to Major-General in 1890 and in 1893 he was selected by Tsar Alexander III to serve as the Director of the Corps of Pages
. He held this prestigious post until 1900, when, after promotion to Lieutenant-General, he became Governor of Yekaterinoslav.
At the start of the Russo-Japanese War
in 1904, Keller volunteered for a combat command, one of the few senior Russian officers to do so. His request was approved and he was placed at the disposal of the Minister of War, General Kuropatkin. Lieutenant-General Count Keller initially served as Intelligence Officer on General Kuropatkin's staff in Manchuria
. After the Russian defeat at the Battle of the Yalu
on 1 May 1904, General Kuropatkin decided Keller would replace Lieutenant-General Zassulitch as commander of the Eastern Detachment of the 2nd Siberian Corps.
Keller's leadership skills quickly made a difference in restoring the confidence of the soldiers who had been severely mauled by General Kuroki Tamemoto
's 1st Japanese Army
. During the next month, the Eastern Detachment marched hundreds of miles, but did little fighting. Motien Pass
, a strong defensive position, was abandoned by Keller on 26 May 1904 due to many factors not under his control. Several small operations followed over the next two months, but with limited scope.
On 31 July 1904, Keller established a strong defensive position north of Motien Pass to block the Japanese advance on Liaoyang
. The Japanese IJA 2nd Division and Guards Divisions attacked all day, but were unable break the Russian defense. In the late afternoon, the Japanese were surprised to see the Russians withdrawing from their positions. Later that evening, Chinese civilians informed the Japanese that Russian commander, Lieutenant-General Count Keller, had been killed by Japanese artillery
fire at about 1400 that day.
While Lieutenant-General Count Keller lacked experience in the handling large bodies of troops, he was highly respected within the Russian Army as an aggressive leader; a quality sadly lacking in many Russian senior leaders during the war. His death was compared to the earlier loss of Admiral Stepan Makarov
. His grave is at the Keller family estate outside of Moscow
.
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
, noted for his role in the Battle of Motien Pass
Battle of Motien Pass
was a minor land conflict of the Russo-Japanese War, between the Imperial Japanese Army under General Kuroki Tamemoto and the Imperial Russian Army under General Count Fedor Keller over control of a strategic mountain pass on the main road between the coast and Liaoyang, Manchuria on 27 June...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
.
Biography
Fyodor Keller was from a family connected to both Austrian and FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, and had the title of count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
. He attended the prestigious Corps of Pages, the military school for the Russian aristocracy. After graduation in 1866, he was commissioned as an ensign in the premier cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment of the Imperial Russian Army, the Chevalier Guard Regiment. He then attended the Nicholas General Staff Academy
General Staff Academy (Imperial Russia)
The General Staff Academy was a Russian military academy, established in 1832 in St.Petersburg. It was first known as the Imperial Military Academy , then in 1855 it was renamed Nicholas General Staff Academy and in 1909 - Imperial Nicholas Military Academy The General Staff Academy was a...
and was promoted to captain on his graduation in 1876.
Also in 1876, he volunteered for service with the Serbian Army
Serbian Army
-Objectives:The Serbian Army is responsible for:* deterring armed threats* defending Serbia's territory* participation in peacekeeping operations* providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief-Personnel:...
during the Serbo-Turkish War and was granted the rank of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and distinguished himself in a number of combat operations. He that September he became a member of the staff of Major-General Mikhail Chernyayev
Mikhail Chernyayev
Mikhail Grigorievich Chernyayev was a Russian general, who, together with Konstantin Kaufman and Mikhail Skobelev, led the Russian conquest of Central Asia under Alexander II....
(nicknamed the 'Russian General Custer'), and was assigned as aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich (the future Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
) and the Field Marshal Prince Aleksandr Baryatinsky, both of whom were in Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
serving with the Russian volunteer expeditionary force.
The forces of Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
defeated the Russian-backed Serbians, thus leading to the subsequent Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
Russo-Turkish War, 1877–1878
The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Eastern Orthodox coalition led by the Russian Empire and composed of numerous Balkan...
. During this war, Keller served as the Chief-of-Staff to the Russian-led Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n militia, and later as Chief-of-Staff for Russian Major-General Mikhail Skobelev
Mikhail Skobelev
Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev was a Russian general famous for his conquest of Central Asia and heroism during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Dressed in white uniform and mounted on a white horse, and always in the thickest of the fray, he was known and adored by his soldiers as the "White...
, where he replaced the wounded Colonel Alexei Kuropatkin. After the war, Keller was promoted to colonel and served in various staff positions. At the conclusion of the war in 1879, he was promoted to colonel and designated an official emissary to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
for the negotiations which determined the borders of the Kingdom of Bulgaria.
After his return to Russia, in 1882, Keller received command of the 4th Life Guard Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Guard. He was promoted to Major-General in 1890 and in 1893 he was selected by Tsar Alexander III to serve as the Director of the Corps of Pages
Page Corps
Page Corps was a military academy in Imperial Russia, which prepared sons of the nobility and of senior officers for military service....
. He held this prestigious post until 1900, when, after promotion to Lieutenant-General, he became Governor of Yekaterinoslav.
At the start of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
in 1904, Keller volunteered for a combat command, one of the few senior Russian officers to do so. His request was approved and he was placed at the disposal of the Minister of War, General Kuropatkin. Lieutenant-General Count Keller initially served as Intelligence Officer on General Kuropatkin's staff in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. After the Russian defeat at the Battle of the Yalu
Battle of Yalu River (1904)
The Battle of Yalu River, 30 April to 1 May 1904, was the first major land battle during the Russo-Japanese War...
on 1 May 1904, General Kuropatkin decided Keller would replace Lieutenant-General Zassulitch as commander of the Eastern Detachment of the 2nd Siberian Corps.
Keller's leadership skills quickly made a difference in restoring the confidence of the soldiers who had been severely mauled by General Kuroki Tamemoto
Kuroki Tamemoto
Count was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the head of the Japanese First Army during the Russo-Japanese War; and his forces enjoyed a series of successes during the Manchurian fighting at the Battle of Yalu River, the Battle of Liaoyang, the Battle of Shaho and the Battle of...
's 1st Japanese Army
Japanese First Army
The was an army of the Imperial Japanese Army. It was raised and demobilized on three separate occasions.-History:The Japanese 1st Army was initially raised during the First Sino-Japanese War from September 1, 1894 to May 28, 1895 under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo...
. During the next month, the Eastern Detachment marched hundreds of miles, but did little fighting. Motien Pass
Battle of Motien Pass
was a minor land conflict of the Russo-Japanese War, between the Imperial Japanese Army under General Kuroki Tamemoto and the Imperial Russian Army under General Count Fedor Keller over control of a strategic mountain pass on the main road between the coast and Liaoyang, Manchuria on 27 June...
, a strong defensive position, was abandoned by Keller on 26 May 1904 due to many factors not under his control. Several small operations followed over the next two months, but with limited scope.
On 31 July 1904, Keller established a strong defensive position north of Motien Pass to block the Japanese advance on Liaoyang
Liaoyang
Liaoyang is a city in China, Liaoning province, located in the middle of the Liaodong Peninsula. The city is situated on the T'ai-tzu River and forms with Anshan a built up area of 2,057,200 inhabitants in 2010....
. The Japanese IJA 2nd Division and Guards Divisions attacked all day, but were unable break the Russian defense. In the late afternoon, the Japanese were surprised to see the Russians withdrawing from their positions. Later that evening, Chinese civilians informed the Japanese that Russian commander, Lieutenant-General Count Keller, had been killed by Japanese artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire at about 1400 that day.
While Lieutenant-General Count Keller lacked experience in the handling large bodies of troops, he was highly respected within the Russian Army as an aggressive leader; a quality sadly lacking in many Russian senior leaders during the war. His death was compared to the earlier loss of Admiral Stepan Makarov
Stepan Makarov
Stepan Osipovich Makarov was a Ukrainian - born Russian vice-admiral, a highly accomplished and decorated commander of the Imperial Russian Navy, an oceanographer, awarded by the Russian Academy of Sciences, and author of several books. Makarov also designed a small number of ships...
. His grave is at the Keller family estate outside of Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Honors
- Order of St Vladimir 4th class with swords, 1877
- Order of St. Stanislaus 2nd class 1877
- Order of St. GeorgeOrder of St. GeorgeThe Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
, 4th class, 1878