Todleben
FRANZ EDUARD, a Russian military engineer; son of one of the Kaufmanns; born in Mitau, Kurland, May 20, 1818; educated at Riga, and at the College of Engineers in St. Petersburg. He served in the Caucasus against Schamyl, 1848-1851, and under General Schilders in the Danubian campaign of 1853-1854, and on the outbreak of the Crimean War was ordered to the defense of Sebastopol against the Allies. By cumulating the fire of the garrison on the works of the Allies, and pushing forward with prodigious energy the construction of the fortifications of defense, Todleben rapidly turned the tables on his enemy and prolonged the siege 349 days. Todleben was raised to the rank of general of engineers, and received the order of TOGA St. George in 1858. The "Journal of the Defense" was subsequently expanded into the "Defense of Sevastapol" (1863-1870).
Todleben was intrusted with the defense of Nicolaiev and Cronstadt, and as "adjoint" to the inspector-general of engineering (the Grand-Duke Nicholas), he exercised de facto the functions of that office from 1860. In September, 1877, after the failure of the great attack on Plevna, he was summoned to the direction, and completely changing the Russian tactics completed the investment by the construction of works on the W. side, and so, by intercepting all reinforcements and supplies, ultimately starved Osman Pasha into surrender on Dec. 11, with 20,000 men and 60 guns. On March 28, 1878, Todleben succeeded the Grand-Duke Nicholas as Commander-in-Chief of the army in Turkey, and in December following was appointed general of the 7th Grenadiers, and by special ukase the regiment received his name. He died in Soden, Germany, July 1, 1884.