His great-grandfathers were knights, his father was a gardener, and he became famous as an honest and selfless soldier of Russia.
He could be condemned as a rude servant, but none of his contemporaries dared to do this. He fell out of favor for arbitrariness, but even the monarchs preferred not to conflict with him, so as not to cause discontent among the soldiers. The biography of Alexander Fock is an example of the life path of a warrior, who first of all obeyed his own understanding of the duty to the Fatherland and the rules of officer honor.
early years
The surname Fock was on the registries of the most distinguished people of Holland since the Middle Ages. Religious wars undermined the economic well-being of a noble family, the descendants of the knights did not want to die on the battlefields in the 16th century. fled to Holstein. A prosperous life under the rule of the Prussian monarchs ended with the coming to power of the old man Frederick. Already overgrown with fat, the nobles again sought refuge from the war and found it in the possessions of the hospitable Russian sovereign Elizabeth Petrovna.
Oranienbaum - a suburb of St. Petersburg where Alexander Fok was born
Boris Fok received a position that the pacifist can only dream of - he became the main gardener of the court department. In 1763, his wife gave him a second son, who was named Alexander, the eldest, like his father, was called Boris. Children grew up in Oranienbaum, they could observe the life of the Russian aristocracy and did not seek to continue the work of their father. Everyone in the family was surprised when Borya chose a military career, they didn’t want to release Sasha into the army.
In search
The young man grew up smart and attentive, he received a good home education, because his parents convinced him to choose a diplomatic path. Having entered the College of Foreign Affairs, our hero was soon tired of working with documents. Before his eyes there was always an example of a brother who had already managed to rise to the rank of ensign.
Portrait of Boris Borisovich - the elder brother of Alexander Fock
The young man did not have to agitate for a long time - in 1780, Alexander Fok became a sergeant in the bombing regiment. After 3 years, for his excellent service, the fellow was promoted to bayonet-junker. In 1788, the time came to test himself in a real battle. Russia was at war with Turkey and the unit where Sasha served was advanced to the front line. He was lucky to be at the walls of Ochakov and personally see how Alexander Suvorov was leading the troops to attack the fortress, as Grigory Potemkin was cautious. In the decisive battle, the guy proved himself brave.
From victory to victory
Year Fock fought with the Turks, and then received orders to go to the location of the Finnish army. It was not a vacation, but a transfer to another battlefield - the border with Sweden was blazing. During the fighting, including on the approaches to the capital, the young officer distinguished himself and was awarded the Order of St. George.
Portrait of Alexander Borisovich Fock. Engraving of the XIX century.
From north to west of the empire - to Poland, Alexander went in 1792 to suppress the uprising of local aristocrats. In 1794, during the capture of Vilna, an officer was wounded. He arrived in St. Petersburg already in the rank of major, beloved by the government and despised by those who sympathized with the Confederates. Instead of searching for supporters of the French Jacobins and all kinds of conspirators, the veteran took up the modernization of the army - he made a significant contribution to the formation of horse artillery units.
Fock and tyranny
After the death of Catherine II, the suspicious Paul I ascended the throne. Alexander Fok liked the emperor who was obsessed with Prussian discipline. He was known as a servant with an unsettled personal life and fanatical devotion to command. It was such an officer that the sovereign needed. In 1799, he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of artillery in Finland.
The parade in Gatchina. Artist Gustav Schwartz
Once Pavel Petrovich arrived in one of the garrisons, commanded by his favorite. Just at that time, a young officer got to the guardhouse for a minor misconduct. Fock, knowing the monarch’s evil disposition, did not report the incident in his report. Someone reported on him, causing the emperor's anger. The tyrant was afraid to punish a worthy husband who gave his life to the defense of the Fatherland. In 1800, a rebel in uniform was dismissed.
Back in service
As soon as Alexander I took the throne, Fock immediately filed a petition for his return to the army. A soldier of the Fatherland wanted to pass on his experience to the young, in 1801 he was reinstated in the service and instructed to continue work on the preparation of the horse-artillery battalion. Excessive loads soon made themselves felt, the officer asked to resign.
Alexander Fock did not have to rest and recover for a long time - the Coalition war with Napoleon was raging in Europe. The courageous son of the Fatherland returned to the ranks of the armed forces and joined the battle. 1807 turned out to be hot for him - the famous battle of Preisisch-Eylau, the St. George Cross and a severe wound in the chest. The visit to the hospital was short-lived, and since 1810, Fock has been acting general on duty at the headquarters of Bogdan Barclay de Tolly. He retreated, and then trashed the French army. Accurate battery fire under the command of this experienced gunner destroyed the crossing of the Berezina and provoked a panic in the ranks of the enemy.
Crossing the Berezina. Artist Peter von Hess
