Grigori Potemkin

Perhaps the greatest liar in history.

And I mean that in a good way.

Grigori Potemkin was a Russian General and favorite of Catherine The Great, though the exact details of their relationship remain lost to history.  He took part in the coup that brought Catherine to power and was instrumental in the plans to take the Byzantine Empire back for Russia.  He was also one of Catherine's numerous lovers, though unlike everyone after him, he remained high in her esteem even after he was replaced.

Potemkin first distingished himself in the Ottoman Campaign Of 1768.  From 1768 until 1774, Russia fought its way along the coast of the Black Sea towards the city of Constantinople, now controlled by the Turks.  Potemkin was a young officer in the cavalry at the time, but nonetheless demonstrated great tactical, strategic, and most important administrative ability.  Though the war ended in stalemate, with the Russians picking up some land, but not as much as they wanted.  Potemkin, however, raised steadily through the ranks to become the Commander in Chief of the Russian military.

Oh, and Catherine's lover for the year of 1774 also.

As C&C, Potemkin was an [absolutist], but Enlightened Monarch, much like Catherine (perhaps one of the reasons she like him).  He urged the military officers and nobles to treat their charges firmly, but paternally.  He was a strict disciplinarian, but indications are that he was a reasonably fair and just commander.  He pushed Catherine to continue the "[Greek Project]," for which she would make him administrator of the conquored territories.  In 1783, Russian annexed Crimea, and Catherine sent Potemkin to begin ruling the new provinces.

Potemkin ruled as a dictator, but he was respectful of local customs and peoples (provided they weren't subversive to the Greater Russia).  He founded the city of Sevastopol on the Black Sea and began the creation of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.  He also went about improving the area for the benefit of all Russia.

Here the story gets a little confusing.  Obviously, I have my prejudices which I will indulge at every possibility.

Potemkin over-rated his new provinces, talking them up to Catherine as a way of increasing his prestige.  After four years of bragging about the greatness of Crimea, he had developed quite the reputation as a military and civil leader.  He used the reputation on every girl he could find (including his neices, and that's according to his admirers!).  However, his military and civil accomplishments, though very good, were not up to his own reports.

In 1787, Catherine decided to make another grab at Constantinople.  The first phase would be a military tour of the Crimea designed to intimidate the Turks.  They would see through Catherine's entourage (and the intendent spies and leaks) the power of Russia in their new territories.

Potemkin, caught with his exagerations down, developed a plan to fool Catherine and the Turks.  Here's a hint...

Potemkin built facades of wood around the buildings on the route making them look bigger and more majestic than they really were.  He trained a cadre of soldiers as crack shots and precision marchers and then shipped them up and down the province as needed to perform.  Even though his Black Sea Fleet was real enough, he built empty hulls to increase their apparent numbers.  He set off fireworks, cannons, and all manner of other impressive displays.  To this day, "Potemkin Village" is used to describe political operations that are more style than substance.  Desptie this, Catherine was impressed.

She launched the [Russo Turkish War] later in the year.  The Turks appeared less impressed.  The war went badly for the Russians, and in the end they stalemated again.  Grigori Potemkin died in 1791 while negotiating the final peace with the Turks.