Philip Osipovich Paulucci

Filippo Osipovich Paulucci

Born 11 September 1779
Modena
Died 25 January 1849
Nice (aged 69)
Allegiance Kingdom of Sardinia Kingdom of Sardinia (1785-93),
Habsburg Monarchy Austria (1800),
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic) Kingdom of Italy (1806),
 Russian Empire (1807–29),
Kingdom of Sardinia Kingdom of Sardinia (1829–49)
Rank Kingdom of Sardinia Full General
Russian Empire Adjutant General
Battles/wars War of the Alps (1792-1796)
Russo-Turkish War (1806-1812)
Finnish War, (1808-1809)
Patriotic War of 1812

Filippo Paulucci, also known as Philip Osipovich Paulucci (Russian: Филипп Осипович Паулуччи;Modena, 11 September 1779 – Nice, 25 January 1849) was an Italian marquis[1] and army officer, later an adjutant general in Russian army.

Life

He first served in the Sardinian army from 1785 to 1797, then in the Cisalpine and in the Austrian ones before moving to the Russian service with the rank of colonel. On 7 May 1809 he was awarded the 4th class of the Order of St George "as a reward for prudent orders given whilst in the Finnish army, which helped defeat the enemy". He took part in the war against the Turks in 1810 and was appointed quartermaster of the Caucasian Army in 1811, then governor of Georgia, where he simultaneously had to wage war against the Turks (from Kars), against the Persians (Karabakh) and insurgents – Paulucci honourably withstood this difficult situation and on 25 April 1812 was awarded the Order of St George 3rd class "as a reward for feats of courage and bravery in the Caucasus against the Persians". However, soon afterwards the preparations for war with Napoleon got underway and Paulucci was summoned to Saint Petersburg to be appointed Army Chief of Staff.[2] However, after a few days, probably due to the opposition of Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, he received the post as governor general of Governorate of Livonia. In 1829 he left the Russian army and went to Italy, where he took command of the army of Piedmont.

The service in the Kingdom of Sardinia

Back in Italy, he was called in Piedmont by king Carlo Felice. When, after the constitutional revolution in 1821, the Austrian Empire has made political manouvres to exclude Carlo Alberto from the succession line, in hope to substitute him with Francesco IV d'Asburgo-Este, Paulucci encountered, during one of his Italian licence periods, Carlo Felice in Turin, and his later efforts at the Russian court were essential to stopping the Austrian ambitions at the Verona's congress.[3]

After the coup d'etat that, in France, brought Louis Philippe d’Orléans to power, Carlo Felice was eager to reinforce his army, and eventually called on Paulucci, giving him, on the 28 June 1830, the ranks of full general and Inspector general of Infantry and Cavalry.[4] The following month, he was then put at the head of the Sardinian Army, with full authority, except for the Carabinieri and four general with greater seniority.[5] He was all but welcomed by the army and the officers, namely being "sevère [...] jusq'à la rudesse" (rigid to the bone).[6]

Paulucci reorganised the Kingdom's infantry, increasing the number of the troops, modifying the brigade system and facing both enthusiastic approval and bitter critic, especially from the heir to the throne, Prince Carlo Alberto.[7] Carlo Felice died in march 1831, and Paulucci was eventually discharged of all his positions. The new king, to days later, suppressed the rank of full general in the Sardinian Army.[8]

The name of Paulucci came back to the attention of the public in March 1848, along with that of General Latour, for the command of the Sardinian Army on the field, those being the only two generals of the entire force that had lead troops in battle before. Both his age and bad health induced him to make a public refusal of the position, still never offered to him officially.[9]

Filippo Paulucci delle Roncole died in Nice the 25 January 1849, and was later buried in Mirandola, near Modena, in the church of Saints James and Philip.

Awards and decorations

Notes

  1. ↑ Virgilio, Ilari, Maurizio Lo Re, Tatiana Polo e Piero Crociani, Маркиз Паулуччи, Filippo Paulucci delle Roncole (1799-1849), Edito da Società Italiana di Storia Militare, Roma, 2013, ISBN 978-88-908510-2-5
  2. ↑ Levinson-Lessing, Ed. ed.; Krol, А.Е.; Semenov, K.M., The State Hermitage Museum. Western European paintings. Catalog, 2nd ed., revised and enlarged. L.: Art, 1981. – Т. 2. – T. 2. – С. 254, cat. № 7839. – 360 pp.
  3. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 236
  4. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 246
  5. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 249
  6. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 250
  7. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 251-253
  8. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pag 256
  9. ↑ Ilari et al., Filippo Paulucci... pg 288

References

External links

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