Barclay de Tolly was born on December 27, 1761 in Pamusis, Courland and Semigallia (in present-day Pakruojis District Municipality, Siauliai County, Lithuania) and raised in Jogeveste, Livonia, Russian Empire (now part of Estonia). He was a descendant of a Scottish family which had settled in Russia in the 17th century.
Barclay was enlisted in the Pskov Carabineer Regiment on 13 May 1767, and achieved the rank of a cornet by May 1778.
Barclay de Tolly entered the Russian army at an early age. In 1788-1789 he served against the Turks, in 1790 and 1794 against the Swedes and Poles. He became colonel in 1798 and major-general in 1799. In the war of 1806 against Napoleon, Barclay took a distinguished part in the battle of Pultusk and was wounded at Eylau, where his conduct won him promotion to the rank of lieutenant-general. In 1808 he commanded against the Swedes in Finland, and in 1809 by a rapid and daring march over the frozen Gulf of Bothnia he surprised and seized Umeo. In 1810 he was made minister of war, and he retained the post until 1813. In 1812 Barclay was given command of one of the armies operating against Napoleon. There was very keen opposition to the appointment of a foreigner as commander-in-chief, and after he was defeated at Smolensk the outcry was so great that he resigned his command and took a subordinate place under the veteran Kutusov. From 1810 to 1812 he was Russian minister of war. Barclay was present at Borodino, but left the army soon afterwards. In 1813 he was re-employed in the field and took part in the campaign in Germany. After the battle of Bautzen he was reinstated as commander-in-chief of the Russian forces, and in this capacity he served at Dresden, Kulm and Leipzig. After the last battle he was made a count. He took part in the invasion of France in 1814 and at Paris received the baton of a field marshal. In 1815 he was again commander-in-chief of the Russian army which invaded France, and he was made a prince at the close of the war. He died at Insterburg in Prussia on the 26th of May 1818.
Barclay de Tolly fought as an officer against Sweden and Poland, as well as distinguished himself in the Battle of Pultusk and the Battle of Eylau, after which he was made lieutenant general. After the Battle of Leipzig he received the title of count from the emperor Alexander I. Barclay took part in the invasion of France in 1814 and was promoted to field marshal. In 1815 he was commander in chief of the Russian army that invaded France after Napoleon’s return from Elba and was made a prince at the end of that campaign. A statue of Barclay de Tolly was erected in 2001 in the Esplanade gardens in Riga.
