Peter Graf[2] von Lacy (Russian: Пётр Петрович Ласси, romanized: Pyotr Petrovich Lassi; English: Pierce Edmond de Lacy; Irish: Peadar (Piarais Éamonn) de Lása; 26 September 1678 – 30 April 1751)[3] was an Irish-born soldier who later served in the Imperial Russian army.

Considered one of the most successful Russian Imperial commanders before Rumyantsev and Suvorov, in a military career that spanned half a century he claimed to have participated in 31 campaigns, 18 battles, and 18 sieges.

After his relatives lost their lives fighting for Louis XIV in Italy, Peter was induced to seek his fortune elsewhere.

His first taste of land battle in Russia was the disastrous defeat at Narva, in which Lacy commanded a unit of musketeers, holding the rank of poruchik.

In 1719 as a Major General Apraksin's fleet landed Lacy with 5,000 infantry and 370 cavalry near Umeå in Sweden, where they proceeded to devastate a dozen iron foundries and a number of mills.

Soon promoted to General, he entered the Military Collegium (modelled by Peter I upon the Swedish administrative reforms introduced by Axel Oxenstierna) – as the Russian Ministry of Defense was then known – in 1723.

Three years later, Lacy succeeded Repnin in command of the Russian forces quartered in Livland, and in 1729 he was appointed Governor of Riga.

Lacy was one of the first recipients of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky when it was established, furthermore, he was given command of all infantry in St Petersburg, Ingria and Novgorod.

To that end his corps advanced into Germany and, meeting the Austrians on 16 August, returned to winter quarters in Moravia with exemplary discipline.

With the patent of Field Marshal was the news that Russia was at war with Turkey and Lacy was ordered at once to capture Azov Fortress.

As soon as peace had been restored, Lacy was reinstated as the Governor of Livland, while Emperor Charles VI conferred on him the title of an imperial count.

His indifference to politics prevented his downfall following Anna's death, when other foreign commanders, most notably von Münnich, fell into disgrace and were expelled from active service.

When the Russo-Swedish War broke out in 1741, the government of Anna Leopoldovna appointed him Commander-in-Chief as the most experienced among Russian generals.

The following year he rallied his forces and proceeded to capture Hamina, Porvoo and Hämeenlinna, by August encircling more than 17,000 Swedes near Helsinki and effectively bringing the hostilities to an end.

[15] His son Franz Moritz von Lacy had entered the Austrian service in 1743 and became one of the most successful imperial commanders of the 18th century.

Count Peter married Baltic German noblewoman Maret Philippine ("Martha") von Funcken from Liezere, widow of the young Count Hannes Kristof Frölich (d 1710), and daughter of general Remmert von Funcken, lord of Liezere, and his second wife baroness Helena Üksküla.