BRUSILOFF, broo-si-lof, or BRUSILOV, Alexei Alexeievitch, Russian general: b. Kutais, Russian Caucasus 1853. The descend ant of an old noble family, he spent his youth in his birthplace, half-way between Poti on the Black Sea and the ice-capped Mount Kaz bek, and was educated in Tiflis. Trained to horsemanship from childhood, he began his military career as a sub-lieutenant in the cav alry and speedily distinguished himself as one of the champion riders of the country. At the age of 24 he served in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78; rising steadily through the various ranks, he was appointed commander of the 2d Cavalry Division of the Guard in 1906, and played a prominent part in develop ing and perfecting that branch of the army. For some time he acted as military assistant to the governor-general of Warsaw. In 1911, he was placed in command of an army corps in Podolia. It was there, on the borders of eastern Galicia, that he was stationed when the European War broke out in 1914, and whence he invaded Galicia. He was offered a high command in the early stages of the War, but declined on the ground that he wished "to perfect his great scheme.' The thrilling story of the invasion of Galicia and the ensuing campaign is told elsewhere in these volumes.
General Brusiloff was given the command of the 8th Russian Army on the Carpathian front in April 1915, just before General von Mackensen opened his terrific drive against the Dunajec-Biala line and reconquered Galicia. In the disastrous Russian retreat that followed it was the skill and resourcefulness of Brusi loff alone that enabled the Russians, who were trapped in the passes, to extricate themselves from the grip of von Mackensen's "phalanx.' His remarkable rearguard actions made his defeat appear rather like a victory. Being short of artillery, Brusiloff reversed the usual military practice of covering retreat with guns and finally sacrificing them to the pursuing enemy.
Instead, he left strong detachments of infantry behind and saved his guns for future service. At a later stage — on the Styr — he fought a desperate battle lasting nearly two months against the Austro-German forces under Gen eral von Linsingen. Brusiloff succeeded Gen eral Ivanoff as commander of the southwestern group of armies in April 1916. His first task was to send the war correspondents home again. To their expostulations he replied, "Not a word, not a line of my movements shall go hence; if you want to known what we are do ing, read the Vienna dispatches. . . . I have no intention of having my movements sent to Berlin over the Petrograd switchboard.* Un der his command great victories, won in three days (June 1916), in the offensive against the Teutonic forces which developed in Volhynia, Galicia and Bukowina, were announced. Strongly fortified positions were carried by bayonet charges; entire batteries were seized, over 40,000 prisoners taken, besides huge stores of booty.
After the fall of the house of Romanoff in the revolution of 1917, Brusiloff's main preoccupation was to maintain discipline in the army and to prosecute the war with increased energy. The ensuing political chaos and mili tary insubordination were strongly against him.
i He tendered his resignation in May 1917, which Kerensky refused to accept. InJune 1917 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Rus sian armies in succession to General Alexeieff (q.v.). A collection of phrases and military maxims, culled from his letters, interviews and private conversations, was published 10 June 1916.