The Science of Victory

Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov was an outstanding Russian commander who never lost a battle and repeatedly defeated forces far superior to the enemy in numbers. He proved his talent during the Seven Years’ War and then in two Russo-Turkish wars. Legends began to be told—already during Suvorov’s lifetime—about the passage of his detachment through the Alps during the Swiss campaign. Throughout his entire combat career from 1759 to 1799, Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov commanded units and formations of Russian, and sometimes Austrian, troops in 61 battles. In not a single one did the commander suffer defeat. Suvorov also contributed to the creation of a modern training system for military science, and his pedagogical methods were used even in the Red Army. He became famous as a man of extraordinary discipline and courage, but at the same time he was known for his impartiality and fairness toward both subordinates and ordinary soldiers. “The Science of Victory” is a monument to Russian military thought—a work in which Suvorov set out his views on training soldiers, battle tactics, and other issues of how an army functions. The book contains in concentrated form Suvorov’s own methods that brought him fame as an invincible commander. In addition to the outstanding military work “The Science of Victory,” the book includes an autobiography, emotional messages from Suvorov to his daughter, and recollections by contemporaries about the great commander.