TOTLEBEN, tOttla-ben, or TODLEBEN, FRANZ EDUARD IVANOVITCI!, Count (181S-84). A Russian general of engineers. He was born at Mitau, Courland, May 20, ISIS, and after study ing at Riga was admitted as a student to the college of engineers at Saint Petersburg. He served as a lieutenant of engineers in the Cau casus campaign of 1848-51, and in 1854 took part in the siege of Silistria. When the French.and English troops undertook the siege of Sebastopol, Totleben, then a colonel, was sent to assist in its defense. The fortifications were placed under his direction. The principle on which lie acted was to watch the works of the allies, and to es tablish against them on every point a superiority of fire, by multiplying the number and increas ing the calibre of his guns. The prodigious ac tivity displayed by the Russians in making good the damage sustained by the heavy fire of the enemy filled the allied army with astonishment. Massive ramparts mounted with formidable bat teries rose at each threatened point within the line of defense. In June, 1855, Totleben was wounded and he was forced to relinquish active supervision of the defense. After the conclusion
of peace he expanded what was at first a mere engineer's report into a history of the war in the Crimea, entitled 1Nfensc de Sebastopol. For his services Totleben was made adjutant to the Em peror, and in 1869 general of engineers. In the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 Totlehen was intrusted with the investment of Plevna after re peated assaults on the works had been repulsed with immense slaughter. He succeeded in com pletely cutting of the city from all outside relief, so that finally nothing was left to Osman Pasha but to attempt to break through the lines of the besiegers, in which he failed. In April, 1878, be received the supreme command of the Russian forces in Turkey. He became Governor-General of Odessa in 1879 and commandant of Vilna in the following year. He died at Soden, Germany, July 1, 1884, and was buried in Sebastopol. (See CRIMEAN WAR.) There are biographies of Totle ben by Brialmont (Brussels, 1S84) and by Kriih iner (Berlin, 1888).