Biographical Information
Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev (1843 - 1882) was a Russian commander.
Participant in the Central Asian conquests of the Russian Empire and the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 years.
He received domestic education and studied at the elite Parisian boarding school of D. Girardet. He graduated from the Nikolaev Academy of General Staff (1868).
He participated in the 1863-64 Polish Uprising, the 1873 Khiva campaign, and the 1875-76 Kokand campaigns. He was the 1st military governor of the Fergana area (1876-77). In 1876 he lead the Kashgar expedition to the borders of Pamir, after which the Alay Valley was attached to the Russian Empire.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, he distinguished himself during the siege of Plevna and took Edirne and Chorlu. On 19 (31) January he reached the place called Dede-Akau (12 km from Istanbul), where he found the news of a truce with the Ottoman Empire.
He participated in the Second Akhal-Teke expedition in 1880-8, which resulted in joining the Akhal-Teke Oasis to the Russian Empire, which was very important under the aggravation of the Russian-British contradictions in the Central Asian direction.
In the last years of his life, he publicly spoke from the position of Slavophilism, and advocated the creation of the union of the Slavs and friendship with France, in opposition to the Austro-German influence.
He died unexpectedly, according to the official version, from heart failure (there is also a version of his violent death).
For his numerous appearances under enemy's fire on a white horse, wearing a white tunic and a white cap he was nicknamed the White General (in the Ottoman Empire and Central Asia - Ak-pasha).
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