Imperial Russian Senior Leadership of the Anglo-Russian War

From left to right the senior leadership of the Imperial Russian Army during the Anglo-Russian War: General Baron Georgii Karlovich Stackelberg, Lieutenant General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev, and Major General Pavel Ivanovich Mishchenko.

I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I love these figures and I'm going to write some rules for The Men Who Would be Kings to get these general officers in the fight; or at least allow them to cause some variable events that will influence the battle. The biographies below are 99.8% accurate and I have modified a few words to add to the fictional Anglo-Russian War.

General Baron Georgii Karlovich Stackelberg, Commander of the 2nd Siberian Corps. He loves a good cigar. Figure by Copplestone from the European advisors pack in the Back of Beyond Range.

 

Baron Stackelberg is wearing the officer's white summer kitel jacket with gilt buttons. His dark green peaked cap has white piping along the crown and the top and bottom of the red band which indicates that he is a member of the Tsar's personal staff. The blue-grey trousers bear the general wide double red stripes.

 

General Stackelberg was from a Baltic German noble family and graduated from the Nicholas General Staff Academy in 1862. As commander of the 1st Semirechve Cossacks from 1874-1875, Stackelberg distinguished himself during the Russian conquest of the Khanate of Khive and the Kokand expedition of 1875. He was wounded in combat and although nominated for numerous awards, he refused to accept any. During the conquest of Central Asia, he began to despise Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev as a glory hound.

Stackelberg was commander of the Russian 10th Cavalry Division during the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in China and Russian occupation of Manchuria. Afterwards, he was assigned command of the 2nd Siberian Corps, the unit chosen to confront the British during the "Great Game."

Lieutenant General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev, commander of the infantry. Dressed in his regulation General's uniform he presents a commanding presence to all he commands. Instead of a normal general officer's overcoat he wears the regulation officer's service dress coat in light weight sea green woolen material with red piping around the color to denote he is a general.

Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev is known for his conquest of Central Asia and heroism during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. Dressed in a white uniform and mounted on a white horse, and always in the thickest of the fray, he was known and adored by his soldiers and the "White General"; and by the Turks as the "White Pasha". However, when he conquered Transcapia, his Turkmen opponents called him "Bloody Eyes" due to the Massacre of Geoktepe. He was disavowed by the Imperial government and sent to Minsk. Officially he was recalled due to the massacre but some have whispered that he was starting to have "delusions of grandeur" and "political ambitions." With war looming with the British, Skobelev has been transferred back to Central Asia.

Miniature from Pulp Figures.

Major General Pavel Ivanovich Mishchenko, my commander of the cavalry forces in the war (when I get some!) Miniature by Copplestone from the White Russian Officers pack in the Back of Beyond Range.

I've painted Mishchenko as one of the more progressive general officers in the Russian Army. On his cap he has a khaki cover and wears a privately purchased, non-regulation khaki officers jacket with breast and skirt pockets. His blue-grey breeches have the double scarlet seam piping of a general officer and he is armed with the M1881 dragoon officer's saber. (And yes, I need to repaint the brim of his cap!)

Major General Pavel Ivanovich Mishchenko

General Mishchenko was born in 1853 and graduated from Pavlovsk Military school as an officer in the artillery. He participated in the Russian conquest of Khiva. He subsequently participated in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) and the conquest of Turkmenistan under General Skobelev.  

From 1899 Mischchenko was assigned to Russian-occupied Manchuria as assisstant chief of security for the East Chinese Railway. He fought during the Boxer Rebellion, and afterwards was promoted to major general and decorated with the Order of St. George (4th degree). His command, the Trans-Baikal Cossack Brigade is moving to the area of operations.

Order of St. George, 4th Class

 

"You know Pavel, the Minister of Finance and Chief of Staff may have some funds available in a few months for your cavalry. Considering prep time, painting, etc., I hope you will be at least be ready before the end of the campaigning season as I hate fighting in the cold."