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Petr LassiMilitary leader, field marshal general (1736).
Date of Birth: 30.10.1678
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Peter Lacy
Early LifePeter Petrovich (Peter Edmund) Lacy was born on October 30, 1678, in Limerick, Ireland. He later became known as Count Lacy and was a distinguished military commander and general field marshal.
Military Career
Lacy first served in the British army before joining the French and Austrian armies in 1698. In 1700, he transferred to the Russian service as a lieutenant. During the Northern War, he participated in the Battle of Narva in 1700 and later served under General A.I. Repnin in an expedition to capture Riga in 1701. Lacy's leadership of a grenadier company in the Battle of Hummelshof in 1702 earned him recognition.
Russian Service
From 1703, Lacy commanded the "Noble Company" and took part in campaigns in Livonia, the capture of Derpt in 1704, military actions near Grodno in 1705-1706, and the capture of Stary Bykhov in 1708. In 1708, he commanded the Siberian Infantry Regiment and distinguished himself in the Battle of Poltava. In 1710, he was the first to enter Riga with his regiment. Lacy also participated in the Prut Campaign in 1711 under the direct command of Peter the Great and excelled in the Battle of Friedrichstadt in 1713. He besieged Stettin in 1713 and Wismar in 1716.
Later Career
In 1717, Lacy commanded a detachment in the Duchy of Mecklenburg. In 1719, he led a naval expedition to the shores of Sweden, where he landed near Stockholm and plundered its surroundings, resulting in captured loot valued at 1 million and damages estimated at 12 million taler. From 1723 to 1725, Lacy served as a member of the Military Collegium. In 1726, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the army stationed in St. Petersburg, Ingria, Novgorod Governorate, Estonia, and Karelia, and the Governor-General of Riga.
In 1727, Lacy was sent to Courland with three infantry and two cavalry regiments after Prince Moritz of Saxony was elected Duke of Courland and Semigallia. Lacy successfully nullified the election results and served as the governor of the region. In 1733, Lacy led a 16,000-strong corps to support Augustus III of Saxony's candidacy for the Polish throne. He occupied Kaunas, Grodno, and Prague, forcing the confederates to abandon Warsaw. Augustus III was elected king, while the rival candidate, Stanislaw Leszczynski, fled to Gdansk.
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739, Lacy commanded the Don Army and led the siege and capture of Azov in 1736. In 1737, he took command of an army operating in the Crimea region. Despite opposition from the general staff, Lacy decided not to storm the fortified positions of the Crimean Tatar forces at Perekop. Instead, he carried out a flanking maneuver through the Sivash and defeated the Crimean Khan's army in battles on June 12 and 14. In 1738, he made a second crossing through the Sivash, captured the fortress of Chivash-Kale, and compelled the garrison of Perekop to surrender. Further military actions were halted due to fears of a possible war with Sweden.
From 1740 to 1741, Lacy served as the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in Livonia. He became a member of the Military Collegium in 1741. During the Russo-Swedish War of 1741-1743, Lacy was the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army. In August 1741, he stormed Vilmanstrand. After the palace coup in November 1741, Lacy was one of the first to swear allegiance to Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. In 1742, his troops captured Friedrichsgam, Borgo, and Neishlotom, and blockaded the Swedish army of General C.E. Lewenhaupt in the Helsingfors area, forcing them to surrender. In 1743, Lacy led a squadron sent towards Stockholm, which returned following the conclusion of the Treaty of Åbo. From 1744 onwards, he served as the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in Livonia.
