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Mikhail Belyaev | |
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Михаил Беляев | |
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.png) 15th Minister of War of the Russian Empire | |
| In office 16 January – 15 March 1917 | |
| Monarch | Nicholas II |
| Prime Minister | Alexander Trepov Nikolai Golitsyn |
| Preceded by | Dmitry Shuvayev |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Guchkov (As Minister of War of theRussian Provisional Government) |
 7th Chief of the General Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Empire | |
| In office 14 August 1914 – 23 August 1916 | |
| Commander-in-chief | Nicholas II |
| Preceded by | Nikolai Yanushkevich |
| Succeeded by | Pyotr Averyanov |
Assistant Minister of War | |
| In office 26 June 1915 – 28 March 1916 | |
| Monarch | Nicholas II |
| Prime Minister | Ivan Goremykin Boris Shturmer |
| Minister of War | Alexei Polivanov |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 23, 1863 Saint Petersburg,Russian Empire |
| Died | 1918 (aged 54–55) Petrograd,Russian SFSR |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire |
| Branch/service |  Imperial Russian Army |
| Years of service | 1885–1917 |
| Rank |  General of the Infantry |
| Battles/wars | Russo-Japanese War World War I |
| Awards | seeawards |
Mikhail Alekseyevich Belyaev (Russian:Михаи́л Алексе́евич Беля́ев; December 23, 1863 – 1918) was aRussian general of the Infantry, statesman,Chief of Staff of theImperial Russian Army from August 1, 1914, to August 10, 1916, and was the lastMinister of War of theRussian Empire from January 3, 1917, to February 28, 1917.
The noble family of Belyaev had a rich military history, Notable members include Mikhail's cousin GeneralIvan Timofeevich Belyaev, the hero of theChaco War, andNikolai Timofeevich Belyaev, a participant in World War 1 and a scientist-metallurgist. One of his second cousins was the wife of Alexander Lvovich Blok, the father of the famous poetAlexander Alexandrovich Blok.
Mikhail was born inSaint Petersburg on December 23, 1863, toLieutenant-GeneralAleksei Mikhailovich Belyaev. At an early age, he attendedThe Third Saint Petersburg Gymnasium. In 1885, he graduated from theMikhailovsky Artillery School, after which he served in several military units and theImperial Guards. He was promoted tolieutenant in August 1890. In 1893, after he graduated from theNikolayev Academy of General Staff, he continued to serve in the Imperial Guards. In late November 1893, he was appointed the senior adjutant of the24th Infantry Division of the1st Army Corps. In January 1897, he was appointed Chief Officer for special assignments of the18th Army Corps and Chief of Staff of the army corps in early December. He rose tolieutenant-colonel in early April 1898. From early December 1898, he served in theMilitary-Scientific Committee of the General Staff as a junior clerk, and rose to senior clerk in April 1901. He was also promoted tocolonel in the same month. In May 1902, he again served in the Imperial Guards, this time commanding a battalion in theIzmaylovsky Lifeguard Regiment.
In 1904, Belyaev participated in theRusso-Japanese War. From February 1904, he was an officer in the headquarters for special assignments under head of the headquarters of the Viceroy of theRussian Far East, GeneralYakov Zhilinsky. In late November 1904, he became the Chief of the Chancery of the Field Staff of the1st Manchurian Army. From mid August 1905 till the end of the war, he was the Chancery of the new commander-in-chief, the aged generalNikolai Linevich. For military distinctions, Belyaev was awarded theGold Sword for Bravery.
After the war, he was promoted tomajor-general in April 1908. In March 1909, he became a member of the MainSerfdom Committee of the country. By the end of 1910, he became the head of theDivision for the Establishment and Service of the Troops of the State Security Service. He was promoted tolieutenant-general in June 1912.
After themobilisation of theArmy, General Belyaev was promoted toGeneral of the Infantry in early December. He was also appointed theChief of the General Directorate of the General Staff in early August of that year, making him the highest-ranking officer in the Russian military.[1] In late June 1915, he became an assistant to theMinisters of War, GeneralAlexei Polivanov, he later became General Polivanov's chief of staff. But later in early August 1916, he was relieved from his post and became a member in theMilitary Council and a representative of the Russian command at the Romanian Main Apartment. And in early 1917, he replaced GeneralDmitry Shuvayev as Minister of War, becoming the last in the Russian Empire.
On February 23 (Julian calendar, the date in theGregorian calendar was March 8) 1917, theFebruary Revolution broke out. General Belyaev anddistrict commander GeneralSergey Khabalov declared Petrograd to be in a stage of siege. He and General Khabalov attempted to suppress the Revolution, and he attempted to arrange the sending of military units from the front. The efforts to suppress the revolution failed due to large-scale mutinies among the soldiers under his command, including refusals to act against the revolutionaries and defections to the revolutionary forces.[2]
After the revolutionaries captured Petrograd, General Belyaev was arrested and was put in custody in thePeter and Paul Fortress. He was soon released, but was rearrested in July, by order of theProvisional Government. After his rearrest, he was questioned by the Extraordinary Investigative Commission of the Provisional Government, but they failed to accuse the general of any crimes. He was released shortly after theOctober Revolution. He did not participate in public events after his release, but in 1918, he was arrested by theCheka and was subsequently shot.
Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd class (1895)
Order of St. Anna, 3rd class (1899) Order of St. Anna, 2nd class with swords (1904)
Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with swords and a bow (1905)
Gold Sword for Bravery (1907) Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class (1907) Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st class (18.4.1910) Order of St. Anna, 1st class (6.12.1913) Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class (1915)| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Minister of War 3 January 1917 – 28 February 1917 | Succeeded by Alexander Guchkov (as minister of war of theRussian Republic) |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief of the General Staff 1 August 1914 – 10 August 1916 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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