Alexander J. Kravtsov

Alexander J. Kravtsov was a Russian Imperial Army Yesaul during the First World War and a Commander of the Northern Group of the Orenburg Independent Army in the White movement during the Ataman Alexander Dutovs revolt against the Soviet authorities in Orenburg in 1918. He was also one of the Orenburg Army officers who participated in the march across the Turgaj steppe.

Background and early life

Alexander Kravtsov was born in a settlement Vozdvízhenskaya, in a noble family of Kravtsov on October 11, 1893, son of cavalry officer Jacob S. Kravtsov and his wife Marie. In 1914, Kravtsov graduated from Orenburg Military School for the 1st Class and later served in the 14th Orenburg Cossacks Regiment.

Yesaul Kravtsov received the Gold Sword for Bravery during World War I on the Eastern Front for personal bravery on the battlefield in 1915. After the revolution and the collapse of the front, Alexander Kravtsov returned home. Like most of the Cossacks, he was an outspoken opponent of the Bolsheviks and took the first opportunity to form and join a partisan band. This group was under the command of the North Army Group of the Orenburg Army during the Ataman Alexander Dutovs revolt against the Soviet authorities in Orenburg in 1918. Kravtsov was appointed Assistant Commandant of Orenburg Army HQ. He was seriously wounded during the Battle for Orsk on July 29, 1918.