A cavalry general who sought to restore order through military power
After meeting Kerensky, Krymov returned to his quarters and shot himself in the chest.
Aleksandr Krymov was a cavalry general of the Imperial Russian Army who gained a reputation as a decisive commander during the First World War. After the 1917 Revolution he aligned himself with officers who prioritised military discipline and strong state authority, and he became involved in political intervention amid the conflict between the Provisional Government and the Duma opposition. Acting on Kornilov's orders, he led the 3rd Cavalry Corps toward Petrograd, but the advance collapsed as soldiers wavered and railway workers obstructed the movement. After meeting Kerensky, he shot himself rather than face arrest and humiliation, a death that came to symbolise the collision between military restoration and revolutionary dual power.
Career Timeline
- 1890–1892Cadet at the Pavlovsk Military School, then artillery officer
- 1902Graduated from the Nicholas General Staff Academy
- 1904–1905Served in the Russo-Japanese War with the 4th Siberian Army Corps staff
- 1911–1913Commanded the 1st Argun Regiment of the Transbaikal Cossack Host
- 1915–1916Commanded the Ussuri Cavalry Brigade and Division
- 1917Commander of the 3rd Cavalry Corps, leading Kornilov's advance toward Petrograd