An interesting historical factoid. Field Marshal Burkhard Christoph von Münnich (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkhard_… ) was Russia’s greatest military commander before Suvorov, he reformed the Russian army, turning it into a powerful modern force and achieved Russia’s first great victory over
the Turks at Stavuchany in 1739 - a victory whose psychological significance was much greater than political one. He was also a brilliant engineer, responsible for the Ladoga canal. For backing the wrong side in the power struggle that followed the death of boy tsar Peter II he
was exiled for 20 years to Siberia by Empress Elisabeth (he was actually sentenced to death, under completely false and trumped up charges but had his life commuted on the scaffold, as Elisabeth, who was very religious, had sworn never to execute anyone during her reign, though
it didn’t stop her inflicting punishments that some might have considered worse than death …). In his 20 years in exile Münnich kept himself in such an excellent health than when recalled and reinstated by Peter III at the age of 78, he astonished the court by his vigor and
strength. He tried to prevent Peter’s overthrow by his wife Catherine III by advising him to flee to the Russian troops at that time in Prussia and offering to lead them in person against the rebellious Guards, but Peter did not have the character for this sort of thing.
Münnich then expected to be treated in the same way by victorious Catherine II (the Great) as he was treated by Elisabeth for supporting her imperial rival Anna Leopoldovna, but Catherine after asking him “So, you raised your sword against me” and hearing his answer “yes,but now
that you are legitimate Empress I am ready to raise him for you”, appointed him as director general of all her Baltic ports.
To Münnich is attributed a quote, which supposedly says that “Russia, unlike other states, is governed by God Himself, otherwise it would not exist”. This
To Münnich is attributed a quote, which supposedly says that “Russia, unlike other states, is governed by God Himself, otherwise it would not exist”. This
was actually mentioned by Putin. But in reality this was never said by Münnich but by his Burkhard Christoph von Münnich but by his son Ernst Johann von Münnich, and the meaning was ironic: “Russia must be governed directly by God himself, otherwise it’s impossible to explain
how it still survives”.
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