Mikhail Skobeleff was born in Saint Petersburg on 29 September 1843 (Michaelmas) to philanthropist Olga Skobeleva, and Russian general Dmitry Ivanovich Skobelev. Like his father, he graduated from the General Staff Academy, seems to be equivalent to the American West Point, as a staff officer, and was immediately sent to Turkestan, Central Asia, in 1868... Continue Reading →