Nikolay Klado

Nikolay Lavrentievich Klado (1862-1919) - historian and theorist of the Russian fleet, professor of the Marine Corps, Nikolaev Marine and Engineering Academy, Major General Admiralty, sailor-writer. From the nobles, a native of Tver province. Hereditary sailor, his grandfather and father served in the Black Sea Fleet. Nikolay's father, naval gunner, defender of Sevastopol, after the Crimean War was transferred to Vladivostok, where the naval base was laid. Nikolay Klado in 1875 entered the Maritime School (later - the Marine Corps) as a pupil. November 1, 1879 is considered the beginning of his active service. On December 5, 1879, he was promoted to non-commissioned officer, and a year later, to sergeant major. On April 12, 1881, he became a midshipman, and for excellent performance and behavior received the Admiral Ricord Prize of 300 rubles. May 31, 1882 promoted to the rank of midshipman. Then he graduated from the Mechanical Department at the Nikolaev Naval Academy (1886). In 1886-1889 and 1892-1895, he was a teacher of mathematics at the Marine Corps. January 1, 1888 promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Flag officer of the head of the detachment of ships of the Corps. Since 1889, he was a flag officer in the command of the squadron commander in the Pacific Ocean, Vice Admiral P.N. Nazimov. On the cruiser "Memory of Azov" he traveled around the world with Tsarevich Nicholas II. Sailing on the French cruiser "Latouche-Treville", he attended a course in French marine sciences under the leadership of Admiral Fournier, performed all practical work and participated in large maneuvers of the French fleet. He later lectured on marine sciences at an officer artillery school in Tsarskoye Selo. On October 19, 1900 he was transferred to the rank of captain for the Admiralty with seniority in the rank from January 1, 1894. April 1, 1901 promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel for the Admiralty. January 13, 1903 was appointed senior officer of the training vessel "Berezan" with the transfer to the rank of captain of the 2nd rank. Since 1896, he also taught, in addition to the Marine Corps, at the Nikolaev Naval Academy ("sciences related to naval warfare": tactics, strategy, history), and at the same time lectured at the General Staff Academy and the Engineering Academy. For the first time in Russia, he introduced the history of naval art into the curriculum. In 1901, Clado's book, The Modern Naval War, was published - an analysis of all the latest naval wars in the world and an attempt to determine the general dynamics and direction of the development of the fleet, its role, capabilities in the nature of future wars. The main conclusion of the book: "The desire to master the sea and a strong offensive fleet." Upon the publication of the book, Klado received the nickname "Russian Mehan." During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Klado gave a series of public lectures "on the important role of the fleet" in St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Moscow, Helsingfors and other cities. In April 1904, with the rank of captain of the 2nd rank, he was appointed chief of naval communications - chief of the naval department of the headquarters of the commander of the fleet of the Pacific Ocean. With the appointment of Admiral Skrydlov as commander of the Pacific Fleet, Klado went with him to Port Arthur, but the blockade of the latter forced him to go to Vladivostok, where he took part in editing the data related to the raids of the detachment of high-speed cruisers. He participated in the planning of operations of the Vladivostok detachment of cruisers.