Alekseyev was born in
Vyazma, in the
Smolensk Governorate of the
Russian Empire (present-day
Smolensk Oblast,
Russia). His father, Vasili Alekseyev, was an army captain in the 64th Kazan Regiment from a modest background. In 1873 Alekseyev entered as a volunteer in the 2nd Grenadiers Regiment in
Rostov. He graduated from the Moscow Infantry School in 1876 and was commissioned an ensign in the same 64th Kazan Regiment. He served as an orderly to General
Mikhail Skobelev during the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), and was wounded in combat near
Pleven,
Bulgaria. He was promoted to lieutenant in January 1881, and captain in May 1883. In 1893, Alekseyev entered the
Nicholas General Staff Academy, and in 1896 became a lecturer. From March to May 1917, Alekseyev's position remained ambiguous. While he was the Commander-in-chief and later adviser to the
Provisional Government, he spoke out against the
Soviets and the
democratization of the army. On 30 August 1917 Alekseyev became Chief of Staff of the Stavka under Commander-in-Chief
Alexander Kerensky. His goal was to prevent the Kornilov movement (see
Kornilov Affair) from developing into civil war. That same day, Alekseyev arrived at the General Headquarters, arrested General
Lavr Kornilov and his men and sent them to
prison in
Bykhov (a town in
Mogilev oblast in
Belarus), from which they would "break away" with the help of General
Nikolai Dukhonin. . On 13 November, after the
October Revolution, Alekseyev fled Petrograd, arriving
Novocherkassk on 15 Nov. With the support of the
Don Cossacks Ataman, General
Alexey Kaledin, he formed the Alekseev Organization, which would become the core of the anti-Bolshevik
Volunteer Army. On 19 December, he was joined by Kornilov. According to
Peter Kenez, "As
Denikin remarks, it was obvious from the first moment that cooperation between Alekseev and Kornilov would not be easy. Their backgrounds, personalities, and followers were very different, their past associations had left bitter memories, and they disliked each other." On 31 December, Kornilov took military command of the Volunteer Army, while Alekseyev took responsibility for civil authority, foreign affairs and finances. Kaledin had responsibility for the government of the Don district. After the death of Kornilov, Alexeyev appointed Denikin commander of the Volunteer Army, successfully completing the
Ice March. In June, Alekseyev set up a political office in Novocherkassk. However, Alekseyev, sick for some time, died of heart failure in
Ekaterinodar in September 1918. He was first buried in the crypt of the
Cossack host cathedral, but his family moved his remains to the
New Cemetery, Belgrade, where they remain to this day. ==Awards==