Prince Alexandr Mikhailovich Volkonsky (Russian: Александр Михайлович Волконский, 25 April 1866 – 18 October 1934) was a Russian General Staff officer, military attaché and writer, who in later life, was ordained a priest by the Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church.
Contents
Biography
Education
Alexandr was born in the St. Petersburg Governorate. He graduated from St. Petersburg University. From 1889 he served as a volunteer at the Life Guard Cavalry Regiment. From June 1890, non-commissioned officer, with November 1890 – estandart-cadet. Passed the exam at the Nicholas Cavalry and Constantine Military School (1890). In 1890 made a cornet, 30 August 1894, a lieutenant.
He graduated from the two-year course at the Nicholas General Staff Academy (1896).
In 1895 he served in the Russian embassy to Persia, in 1897 he was posted to Beijing. He wrote a secret memo "On the need to strengthen our strategic position in the Far East", which pointed to inevitability of military conflict with Japan and the unpreparedness of Russia to such conflict.