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Evgeny Messner

1891 – 1974

Russian soldier

Soldier Military officer Military scientist
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About Evgeny Messner

Lived 1891 – 1974 (aged 83). Evgeny Messner was a Russian soldier, military officer and military scientist.

Evgeny Eduardovich Messner (, ; 1891–1974) was a Russian professional soldier and military theorist. A Russian German, he became an officer of the Imperial Russian Army. During the Russian Civil War he sided with the White movement and fought against the Bolsheviks, notably as the last chief of staff of Kornilov Division of the Army of General Wrangel.

After the war, Messner fled to Yugoslavia as one of notable White émigrées. He settled in Belgrade where he remained an active member of the Russian All-Military Union and a professor at the Higher Military Courses of Belgrade. During World War II, as an ardent anti-communist he sided with the Axis powers and the Russian Liberation Movement, and briefly served in the propaganda services of the Wehrmacht as head of the Russian section. In early 1945, Messner returned to active front-line service as a Major in Boris Smyslovsky's 1st Russian National Army. Through Liechtenstein Messner and his family moved in 1947 to Argentina, where he continued his earlier work as a journalist, publisher, writer and military theorist.

Messner's most well-known publication, "Mutiny, or the name of the Third World War" , published in 1960, predicted that the future wars would be waged by small terrorist cells and special forces, gaining influence by subversion and organised revolutions rather than through traditional warfare.

Messner died in Buenos Aires in 1974 and was buried at the British Cemetery there.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Mikhailovsky Artillery School
Awards
Order of Saint Anna, 4th class; Order of Saint Stanislaus, 2nd class; Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class; Order of St. Vladimir; Order of Saint Anna; Order of Saint Stanislaus; Gold Sword for Bravery

People in Evgeny Messner's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Evgeny Messner's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Evgeny Messner?

Russian soldier (1891-1974)

When was Evgeny Messner born?

Evgeny Messner was born on 16 September 1891 in Odesa.

When did Evgeny Messner die?

Evgeny Messner died on 30 September 1974 in Buenos Aires.

What was Evgeny Messner's occupation?

Evgeny Messner was a soldier, military officer and military scientist.

What nationality was Evgeny Messner?

Evgeny Messner was Russian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Evgeny Messner

· Wikidata: Q11725973

· DBpedia: Evgeny Messner

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Evgeny Messner. https://biography.guide/evgeny-messner/

MLA: "Evgeny Messner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/evgeny-messner/.

Chicago: "Evgeny Messner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/evgeny-messner/.

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