Ludwig Wittgenstein

Russian General
1769 -1843

Like many Russian commanders, Ludwig Wittgenstein was of foreign descent - his father being a Prussian general who moved to serve in Russia 's army.

And, like so many other Russian senior officers, Wittgenstein learnt soldiering against the Poles and Turks.

His first major battle against a professional European army came at Austerlitz, where he fought with the Russian vanguard.

After another campaign against the Turks and the invasion of Finland in 1809, Wittgenstein lead a corps of the First West Army against the French Grande Armee.

During that army's tragic retreat from Moscow, Wittgenstein harried the French left wing and almost succeeded in cutting off its final link to survival - the bridge over the Beresina River.

In 1813, he took over supreme command of the Russian army, but he drew Tsar Alexander's wrath for his handling of the battle of Bautzen.

Nevertheless, he took the field at Leipzig and eventually pushed into France, but was badly wounded at Bar-sur-Aube.

Almost 10 years later he was made a field marshal and retired in 1828.