Dmitri Parsky

Dmitri Pavlovich Parsky (Russian: Дми́трий Па́влович Па́рский; 29 October [O.S. 17 October] 1866 in Tula – 20 December 1921) was an Imperial Russian Army general during World War I, who fought on the Eastern Front.

Dmitri Pavlovich Parsky
Born	29 October [O.S. 17 October] 1866 Tula Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	20 December 1921(1921-12-20) (aged 55) Moscow, Russian SSR
Allegiance	Russian Empire  Russian SFSR
Service / branch	Imperial Russian Army Red Army
Years of service	1884–1921
Commands	12th Army 3rd Army Northern Front
Battles / wars	Russo-Japanese War World War I Russian Civil War

Life

Parsky was born to the family of Pavel Parsky and Natalya Ladyzhenskaya, nobles from the Epifansky district of the Tula Governorate.^[1] In 1893 he attended the General Staff Academy.

He was among early generals advocating military reform following the disastrous Russo-Japanese War. He advocated for better education for officers, equal and fair pay, and better prospects for promotion.^[2] He advocated soldiers be treated as individuals and their rights under the law be enforced by unit commanders, and a promotion system based on merit.^[2]

During World War I, he commanded the 12th Army from 20 July to 9 September 1917 and the 3rd Army from 9 September 1917 to 8 November 1917.^[3]

He was the first battle-experienced Tsarist General to offer his services to the Red Army,^[4] explaining his viewpoint thus:

"I am far from this Bolshevism you preach. But I am ready to work honourably not only with them, but with anyone, even the Devil and his disciples, if only to save Russia from German slavery."^[5]

During the Russian Civil War, he first was commander of the Narva Front and later of the entire Northern Front.

He died of typhus in 1921 and is buried at the Vagankovo Cemetery.^[6]

Honours and awards

• Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd class (1896);
• Order of St. Anne 3rd class (1900);
• Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class (1903);
• Order of St. Anne, 2nd class with swords (1906);
• Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with swords and bow (1906);
• Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class (1909, 31 January 1910);
• Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st class (6 December 1913)
• Order of St. George, 4th class (2 June 1915)
• Gold Sword for Bravery (1916)

References

1. "Дмитрий Павлович Парский р. 17 октябрь 1866 ум. 20 декабрь 1921 — Родовод". 2023-03-30. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
2. Reese, Roger R. (2019). The Imperial Russian Army in peace, war, and revolution, 1856-1917. Modern war studies. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-7006-2860-5.
3. Prit Buttar (2017). The Splintered Empires: The Eastern Front 1917–21. Osprey Publishing. p. 205. ISBN 9781472819857.
4. From Tsarist General to Red Army Commander by Mikhail Bonch-Bruevich, translated by Vladimir Vezey, Progress Publishers, 1966
5. The Russian Civil War by Evan Mawdsley, p 83.
6. Некролог // Известия (газета). — 22 декабря 1921, № 288. — с. 3.