connaughtonrichardm

This was rather difficult book but interesting one in a way that author manages to give very good background for the level of animosity of West against Russia from Brest-Litovsk treaty to current times.

Author is very biased against the Bolsheviks and any follow up government in Russia. I always find it fascinating how people are more than ready to condemn someone (whole nations actually) by looking at the situation through the prism of family relations between noble houses that were in such a sporty mood they put the Europe through disastrous 4 year slaughter that - and this was surprise because it was not part of the rules - spell doom for 2 out of 3 royal houses (Kaiser Wilhelm's and Romanov's, former abdicated, latter was exterminated). With this in mind it is clear that author is a royalist [of sorts] and is full of understanding for the foreign officers, especially from GB, that were looking at the former nobles/officers of Tsarist Russian army as the source from which the new Russia should emerge and not from the Bolsehvik peasants that were the lower classes.

While Bolshevik's did terrible things, it is not they just popped up and brought the house down. Romanov's way of government, keeping their people in the dark ages, basically as slaves to work on land and die for their lords either from bullets or from hunger is what caused the rise of Bolsheviks and the fall of Tsarist regime and destruction of Romanovs. Was this necessary? Who knows but during civil war symbols are the biggest targets and unfortunately Romanovs were the symbol and had to go.

If somebody can explain to me how is this different from the so famous and awe aspiring French Revolution, it would be great. Only difference I see is that lower classes got power and basically new nobility was crated - bureaucratic one - instead of the old blue-bloods. So in all this mayhem relatives of current European monarchies were executed and Bolshevik's infamous Brest Listov treaty with Germany (at the moment Tsarist army was on its knees and unable to do anything so I am not sure what were the supposed to do, Lenin or no Lenin) [which was seen as an insult to injury] drew ire from the GB and Allies that did not come down for almost a century. I agree that debt of Tsarist regime was tremendous and it all went out because Bolsheviks did not want to repay it, but this happens during a very savage war that breaks the civil society. Basically what happened is that punishment had to be exacted on the Bolsheviks and Allies were getting ready to send troops to Far East to help the remaining White Russian troops to strike back. Of course they could not say as much officially (sounds familiar does not it) especially since US at the time did not want to get entangled into Russian internal politics so reason was found in a form of wandering Czech military contingent that got abandoned in the vast Russian territory behind Bolshevik's lines after Austro-Hungarian army's fall, finally taking sides with the Tsarist regime (White Russian forces). Making sure that Czechs find their way to Europe was marked as a reason for intervention.

Which is kinda weird since Czechs almost immediately started fighting Bolsheviks by going back West and assisting the White Russians in their endeavors. So it was not exactly about saving the Czechs. Then there was mention that goal was to safeguard the depots of military materiel in the Far East so it does not fall into German hands (which is again weird because German colonies were already taken by Japan and I dont think it was on German's list of priorities to send troops thousands of miles to the East - for what? How would they go back?).

In short, goal was to fight the Bolsheviks (this became apparent in 1918 after armistice) and use the resources from the Russian Far East to pay of the debts to Allies (high influx of traders coming immediately was another question mark) and then some. Japan was already advancing this approach by taking over Manchuria and other properties and aiming for Siberia but was blocked, of sorts, by US of the time that did not want Japan to expand and gain more power and influence.

So in all of this chaos, Allies are landing their troops in Vladivostok and sending them to Omsk as a force to make one man a supreme ruler of Russia - Admiral Kolchak. Admiral was a good naval officer but he was never meant to rule the country, let alone be a benevolent/productive dictator. His antagonism with Czechs, his officers that committed so many atrocities against their own people, and cooperation with Japan (executing no less bloody operations against Russian population), loss of public support..... all of this was indicator he was going to fail. And failed he did after incompetent attacks were broken by Red Army and counter offensive was mounted. Allies, ever aware of the signs of rotting political body said - hey, tea time 16:00h in London, gotta go! -and left with quite some hurry, leaving Czechs and Kolchak to figure out how to survive. Instead of saving Far East forces they concentrated on sending troops to support withdrawal of White Russians from Black Sea region which I guess was lesser logistical nightmare.

Czechs made it out because they were armed and politically sensitive to all parties in Europe (Czechoslovakia was created again as independent national state after fall of Austro-Hungarian Empire). Kolchak and whoever was captured from his government (few people) did not make it out.

So what went wrong? Lots of things but first of all main failure was reason for intervention. This was punishment expedition that backfired because it seems that then, as much as today, West does not know what is happening in Russia and they almost constantly make wrong moves that backfire at some point. Sheer size of the country should make people stop and think but the very riches seem to make people generally stupid. Seasons on the steppe are merciless but it seems nobody learns form history.

This was Allies' disaster in full and unfortunately results of these operations echo through decades, even (I might say especially) today. In words of Colonel Ward this was one highly discreditable enterprise, pushed by Foreign Ministry against the warnings of the War Ministry (although grudge will be held by future Prime-minister Winston Churchill).

Interesting book, told solely from the perspective of the Allies intervention forces and their commanders (with quite a shaming of anyone who did not take harder stand towards the Bolsheviks and did not support Kolchak). Russians (Kolchak and few of his generals aside) are presented using cliches which just shows author's bias.

But overall very interesting book, rich with information and detail about this very chaotic period in European history. Recommended.… (més)