how america helped to bolshevise russia

8/10/2019 How America Helped to Bolshevise Russia

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How America Helped to Bolshevise Russia

K R Bolton

One of the primary elements in the analysis of 20th century history has been

the assumption of an almost Zoroastrian ‘tremendous dichotomy’1 of ‘good versus

evil’ manifested in the conflict beteen the !"ree #orld$ and communism% &ence' theeminent Russian e(pert for the )* *tate +epartment' ,eorge " Kennan' rites in his

seminal boo- on the .llied intervention in Russia during the /ivil #ar that'

‘there are those today ho see the inter of 11113 as one of the great

turning points of modern history' the point at hich there separated and

branched out' clearly and for all to see' the to great conflicting ansers 4

totalitarian and liberal 4 to the emerging problems of the modern age52

&oever this epochal event' ‘clearly and for all to see’' is largely a myth% 6he

assumption that the ‘/old #ar’ as the continuation of a conflict beteen capitalism

and communism that had been going on since the October 11 Revolution does notta-e into account the ne situation that as presented hen *talin declined to

continue his artime alliance ith the )*. and support .merican plans for a ne

orld order hich hinged on 718 6he )nited 9ations Organisation ,eneral .ssembly

functioning as a ‘orld parliament’: and 728 the ‘Baruch ;lan’ for the

‘internationalisation of atomic energy%< 6he )**R as to perceive both these tin

pillars of postar )* global policy as a guise for .merican global hegemony%=

&ence' the perception that the ‘/old #ar’ as a continuation of .llied policy

since the 11120 intervention in Russia is incorrect' and rests on the assumption

that the intervention as motivated by antiBolshevism' hich it as not%

9ot only as /old #ar .merican foreign policy not ‘anticommunist’' but it

proactively supported certain types of >eftism that could be utilised in its fight against

hat might more accurately be regarded as Russian national-collectivism'? starting

from the assumption to poer of *talin and ending ith the assumption to poer of

,orbachev%

1 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene 79e @erseyA ;rinceton )niversity ;ress' 1=38' p% 1:%2 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% 1:%: .ndrei ,romy-o' *oviet "oreign inister' recalledA ‘6he )* position in fact alloed the )9 to beturned into an instrument for imposing the ill of one group of states upon another' above all the*oviet )nion as the sole socialist member of the C*ecurityD /ouncil’% .ndrei ,romy-o' Memories 7>ondonA &utchinson' 138%<

,romy-o stated of the ‘Baruch ;lan’A ‘6he actual intention as to be camouflaged by the creation ofan international body to monitor the use of nuclear energy% &oever' #ashington did not even try tohide that it intended to ta-e the leading part in this body' to -eep in its on hands everything to do iththe production and storage of fissionable material and' under the guise of the need for internationalinspection' to interfere in the internal affairs of the sovereign nations’% .ndrei ,romy-o' Memories,

ibid%= K R Bolton' ‘Origins of the /old #arA &o *talin "oiled a 9e #orld Order’' Foreign Policy

Journal ' ay :1' 2010% E httpAFF%foreignpolicyGournal%comF2010F0=F:1ForiginsofthecoldarhostalinfoildaneorldorderFallF1H? 6he epochal fight beteen *talin and 6rots-y over the Iuestion of ho ould rule *oviet Russia asideologically that of ‘socialism in one country’ versus ‘orld revolution’' respectively% 6he manner by hich the )*. sought to recruit anti*talinist >eftists' including of course 6rots-yites'is e(emplified by the /ongress for /ultural "reedom' sponsored by the /J.' hich launched the

careers of such anti*oviet' proar(ist luminaries as the feminist guru ,loria *teinem% *eeA "rances*tonor *aunders' The Cultural Cold War the CI! and the World o" !rts and #etters 79e or-' 6he 9e ;ress' 20008%



6he purpose of .llied intervention in the /ivil #ar as not to defeat

Bolshevism' but to maintain .llied interests at a time hen the ,reat #ar as still

being fought and hen the Bolshevists seemed to be inclined toards a separate

peace ith ,ermany% 9or did this .llied intervention' once Russia had been ta-en out

of the ar' and .merica had entered' transform at any stage into a determined effort

by capitalism to destroy the very precarious Bolshevi- regime%et the myth of .llied antiBolshevism remains a subGect of much study% "or

e(ample +avid * "ogles' having alluded to .merican ;resident #oodro #ilson’s

penchant for secrecy and the lie' states of .merican interventionA

"rom the Bolshevi- Revolution to the end of the /ivil #ar the )nited *tates

sought to encourage and support antiBolshevi- movements in a variety of

secretive and semisecret ays% /onstrained by a declared commitment to the

principal of selfdetermination and hemmed by idealistic and later isolationist

sentiments' #ilson and his advisors pursued methods of assisting anti

Bolshevi- forces that evaded public scrutiny and avoided the need for

congressional appropriations%3

#hile maintaining diplomatic relations ith the representative in the )*. of

the deposed ;rovisional ,overnment' "ogles states that #ilson’s policy as one of

covertly providing funds and other support to antiBolshevi- forces' particularly in

*iberia' here #ilson sanctioned .merican troops in 113% "ogles describes this as

an ‘undeclared ar against Bolshevism’ hich continued even after the defeat of the

remaining #hite armies in Russia in 120% &oever' "ogles also alludes to the

manner by hich the )* intervention embittered antiBolshevi-s ho considered it to

be inadeIuate meddling and ‘irresolute’%10

"ogels Iuotes >udig artens' ho as representing Bolshevi- interests in

the )*.' as publicly condemning the )* intervention against the *oviets as

tantamount to ‘aging ar against the Russian people’%11 et that does not e(plain the

situation% artens had set up the *oviet Bureau at the #orld 6oer Building in 9e

or- in 11' and had successfully engaged in e(tensive deals ith .merican firms%

#hen the *oviet Bureau offices ere raided by agents of the >us- /ommittee of 9e

or- on @une 12' 11' communications ith appro(imately a thousand firms ere

found%12 . British intelligence report noted that the @ ; organ company' ,uaranty

6rust /ompany of 9e or-' as funding artens%1:

6he subversive role of the /ongress for /ultural "reedom has no been ta-en over by the 9ational Lndoment for +emocracy' another institution ith )* official bac-ing' that also has anoticeable 6rots-yite foundation% *ee for e(ample on the founder of the 9L+' 6om KahnA Rachelle&oroitM' ‘6om Kahn and the "ight for +emocracyA . ;olitical ;ortrait and ;ersonal Recollection’'

Dissent Maga$ine, pp% 2:32:%EhttpAFF%dissentmagaMine%orgFdemocratiyaFarticleNpdfsFd11&oroitM%pdfH3 +avid * "ogles' !merica%s &ecret War !gainst 'olshevism (& Intervention in the Russian Civil War '

7)niversity of 9orth /arolina ;ress' 1=8' p% =% +avid * "ogles' !merica%s &ecret War !gainst 'olshevism' ibid%' p% =%10 +avid * "ogles' !merica%s &ecret War !gainst 'olshevis, ibid%' p% ?%11 +avid * "ogles' !merica%s &ecret War !gainst 'olshevism' ibid%' p% ?%12 .ntony / *utton' Wall &treet and the 'olshevi) Revolution 79e or-A .rlington &ouse' 1<8' p%11=%1:

Basil & 6hompson' *pecial Report 9o% = 7*ecret8' British &ome Office +irectorate of Jntelligence'*cotland ard' >ondon @uly 1<' 11 )* *tate +ept% +ecimal "ile' :1?22?=?% /ited' by .ntony /*utton' Wall &treet and the 'olshevi) Revolution' ibid%' p% 11=%



"ogles states that despite the )* involvement in the .llied intervention' the

*oviet regime considered the )*. to be the most li-ely source from hich to secure

diplomatic and commercial relations%1< ,iven the duplicitous nature of ;resident

#ilson' mentioned by "ogles as being at the bac- of a covert antiBolshevi- policy'

placed in the conte(t of other aspects of the )* involvement in Russia' the

assumption that #ilson as intent on a secret antiBolshevi- policy might not be soconvincing%

;rofessor *utton' a specialist in the technological development of the )**R' 1=

maintained that the ‘hidden policy’ of the )*. as not one of antiBolshevism' but

as aimed at securing the Bolshevi- regime and establishing commercial and

financial interests%

Henry Wickham Steed Stymied Aims of Bolsheviks and Bankers

*omething of the hidden and unofficial diplomacy around the 11 ;aris

;eace /onference to secure recognition of the Bolshevi- regime as recounted in the

memoirs of & #ic-ham *teed' editor of The #ondon Times ho undertoo- an

influential campaign against recognition of the Bolshevi-s%Jn a firsthand account of the conference *teed stated that proceedings ere

interrupted by the return from osco of #illiam /% Bullitt and >incoln *teffens'

‘ho had been sent to Russia toards the middle of "ebruary by /olonel &ouse1? and

r% >ansing1' for the purpose of studying conditions' political and economic' therein

for the benefit of the .merican /ommissioners plenipotentiary to negotiate peace’%13

*teed also refers to British ;rime inister >loyd ,eorge as being li-ely to have

-non of the ission and its purpose% *teed stated that international finance as

behind the move for recognition of the Bolshevi- regime and other moves in favour of

the Bolshevi-sA

;otent international financial interests ere at or- in favour of the immediate

recognition of the Bolshevists% 6hose influences had been largely responsible

for the .nglo.merican proposal in @anuary to call Bolshevist representatives

to ;aris at the beginning of the ;eace /onference P a proposal hich had

failed after having been transformed into a suggestion for a /onference ith

the Bolshevists at ;rin-ipo5 51

Jn return for diplomatic recognition the Bolshevi-s ere offering ‘e(tensive

commercial and economic concessions’%

*teed related that he as contacted by #ilson’s adviser' ‘/olonel’ &ouse'

ho as concerned at *teed’s e(posQ of the relationship beteen Bolshevists andinternational financiersA

6hat day /olonel &ouse as-ed me to call upon him% J found him orried both

by my criticism of any recognition of the Bolshevists and by the certainty'

1< +avid * "ogles' !merica%s &ecret War !gainst 'olshevism' op% cit%' p% ?%1= .ntony / *utton , Western Technology and &oviet *conomic Development ' three volumesA 111:0' 1:01<=' 1<=1?=% .lso' .ntony / *utton' +ational &uicide Military !id to the &oviet

(nion 7elbourneA >eague of Rights' 1:8%1? )* ;resident #oodro #ilson’s everpresent confidante and adviser%1 )* *ecretary of *tate%13

&enry #ic-ham *teed' Through Thirty ears ./0-/00 ! personal narrative, 79e or-A+oubleday ;age and /o%' 12<8' ‘6he ;eace /onference’' 6he Bullitt ission' ol% 2' p%:01%1 &enry #ic-ham *teed' Through Thirty ears, ibid%



hich he had not previously realiMed' that if the ;resident ere to recogniMe

the Bolshevists in return for commercial concessions his hole ‘idealism’

ould be hopelessly compromised as commercialism in disguise% J pointed out

to him that not only ould #ilson be utterly discredited but that the >eague of

9ations ould go by the board' because all the small peoples and many of the

big peoples of Lurope ould be unable to resist the Bolshevism hich #ilsonould have accredited%20

&ouse in achiavellian manner as-ed *teed to compromise' to support

humanitarian aid supposedly for the benefit of all Russians% *teed agreed to consider

this' but soon after tal-ing ith &ouse found out that British ;rime inister >loyd

,eorge and ;resident #ilson ere to proceed ith recognition the folloing day%

*teed therefore rote the leading article for the ;aris Daily Mail of arch 23

e(posing the manoeuvres and as-ing ho a proBolshevi- attitude as consistent

ith #ilson’s declared moral principles for the postar orldS

5#ho are the tempters that ould dare hisper into the ears of the .llied and.ssociated ,overnmentsS 6hey are not far removed from the men ho

preached peace ith profitable dishonour to the British people in @uly' 11<%

6hey are a-in to' if not identical ith' the men ho sent 6rots-y and some

scores of associate desperadoes to ruin the Russian Revolution as a

democratic' anti,erman force in the spring of 11%21

/harles /rane22' ho had recently tal-ed ith #ilson' told *teed that #ilson

as about to recognise the Bolshevi-s' hich ould result in negative public

opinion in the )*. and destroy #ilson’s post#ar internationalist aims%

*ignificantly /rane also identified the proBolshevi- faction as being that of Big

Business' stating to *teedA ‘Our people at home ill certainly not stand for the

recognition of the Bolshevists at the bidding of #all *treet’% *teed as again seen by

&ouse' ho stated that *teed’s article in the ;aris Daily Mail, ‘had got under the

;resident’s hide’% &ouse as-ed that *teed postpone further e(posQs in the press' and

again raised the prospect of recognition based on humanitarian aid% >loyd ,eorge as

also greatly perturbed by *teed’s articles in the Daily Mail and complained that he

could not underta-e a ‘sensible’ policy toards the Bolshevi-s hile the press had an

antiBolshevi- attitude% 2:

#hat can be seen in the manoeuvres of this early period as that both

.merican and British governments desired to recognise the *oviet regime hile the

orld as being told that the .llies ere assisting antiBolshevi- forces in topplingthe *oviet regime% +iplomatic recognition of the *oviets by the )*. and Britain had

only been forestalled due to the vigorous campaign of individuals such as #ic-ham

*teed in ma-ing the machinations of the .llies and the Bolshevi-s public%

9onetheless such nonrecognition did not prevent a lively commercial relationship

developing beteen #estern business and the *oviet regime%

20 &enry #ic-ham *teed' Through Thirty ears, ibid%21 &enry #ic-ham *teed' ‘;eace ith &onour’' ;aris Daily Mail ' 23 arch 122 Iuoted in *teedThrough Thirty ears, ibid%22

/rane as a member of a 11 *pecial +iplomatic ission to Russia' and a member of the .merican*ection of the ;aris ;eace /onference in 11%2: &enry #ic-ham *teed' Through Thirty ears, op%cit%



Reasons for Allied Intervention

6he reasons for .llied intervention had nothing to do ith ‘stopping

Bolshevism’% 6he original concerns involved Russia in the ar against ,ermany%

Kennan states that hen the .mericans sent their first representative to .rchangel in

11' ‘.t the time of the Bolshevi- seiMure of poer in ;etrograd the allies ereinterested in .rchangel not only for its importance as a channel of entrance and egress

for Luropean Russia but that also for the fact that here too' as at ladivosto-' ar

supplies shipped to former Russian governments had accumulated in large

Iuantities’%2< 6his material included 2'000 tons of aluminium' 2'100 tons of antimony'

1<'000 tons of copper' ='2:0 tons of led' etc%2= #ith the possibility of Russia

concluding an armistice ith ,ermany the .llies ere an(ious to recover the stoc-s%

6he Bolshevi-s dispatched a commission to the region to secure .rchangel and

deliver the ar materials to the interior%2? +espite the arrival to to British ships' the

British sat by for several months hile the Bolshevi-s removed the ar materials% 2

6he second factor as to ensure the safety of /Mech soldiers ho had been

prisonersofar in Russia and ished to fight ,ermany ith the aim of securing asovereign /Mech nation in the postar orld% 6heir release as sanctioned by the

Bolshevi- regime and the .mericans and @apanese ere responsible for their transport

by rail to ladivosto-% 6hey ere to become a maGor catalyst in the eruption of the

/ivil #ar as they fell afoul firstly of the *oviets' and finally ith the #hite Russian

leader .dmiral Kolcha-' ending ith the giving over of Kolcha- to the *oviets by his

/Mech ‘protectors’%

,eneral #illiam * ,raves' commander of the .merican L(peditionary "orce

in *iberia' e(plainedA

Jt should be remembered that the main reason advanced by those interested in

military intervention in *iberia' as the immediate and urgent need for

protection of the /Mechs ho ere supposed to be trying to get through

*iberia to ladivosto- and then to the #estern front here they could Goin the

.llies%23

6he position of the Bolshevi-s in regard to ,ermany as at the time by no means

clear' as indicated by the release of the anti,erman /Mech soldiers% Robert *ervice

states that ‘most Bolshevi- leaders5 thought that a separate peace ith the /entral

;oers as an insufferable concession to capitalist imperialism’%2 6he Bolshevi-s

ere amenable to dealings ith the .llies if there ere assurances of help in the event

of a ,erman invasion% +espite >enin’s directions' 6rots-y as ;eople’s /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs' had instead of signing a peace treaty at Brest>itovs-' called for a

revolution against ,ermany' and ith 6rots-y’s intransigence the armistice bro-e'

ith the ,ermans launching another offensive on the Lastern "ront' here they no

fought the unprepared Red .rmy% 6his caused a sense of ‘solidarity’ beteen the

2< ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op% cit%' p% 1%2= ‘emorandum regarding allied ar stores lying at .rchangel’' )* 9ational .rchives' "oreign.ffairs Branch' ;etrograd Lmbassy' 300 "ile arch 20' 113%2? ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op% cit%' p% 20%2 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% 21%23

#illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure 113120 79e or-A ;eter *mith' 1<18' ‘.id tothe /Mechs’%2 Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography 7O(fordA ;an Boo-s' 2:008' p% 210%



preparing for the defence of urmans- and the railay' describing the attitude of the

missions of the ‘friendly poers’' the "rench' British and .mericans' as ‘inalterably ell

inclined toards us’' and prepared to provide any hereithal' from food to eapons% :

Believing that negotiations for a peace treaty beteen ,ermany and Russia at Brest

>itovs- had bro-en don and that there ould be an impending ,erman advance on

;etrograd' 6rots-y’s response as to state to the urmans- *oviet that' ‘ou mustaccept any and all assistance from the .llied missions’ and use any means to obstruct

the ,erman advance%<0

#ith the belief in a ,erman attac- the .llied missions formulated a program

that included the recognition of the *oviet as the supreme political authority in

urmans-' and the creation of a military council comprising one representative each

from the "rench' British and *oviet%<1 On this basis' .llied forces landed in urmans-

to support the *oviets% Kennan notes that this as probably the first .llied landing of

forces on Russian territory' and it as underta-en at the invitation of the local *oviet

authorities%<2 .merican military involvement in urmans- proceeded on the basis of

being suspicious of British interests'<: not in opposition to Bolshevism%

Jn ladivosto- the .llied ar supplies ere four times the amount as thatstored at .rchangel%<< Jn arch 113 .dmiral .ustin Knight' /ommanderin/hief

of the .siatic "leet' landed in ladivosto- and reported to #ashington that there as

no danger of the Bolshevi-i delivering the stores to the ,ermans%<=

6he .llies continued to hope for a *oviet pro.llied response' and the

acceptance of an .llied military presence in Russia% Jn .pril 113 the .llied military

attachQs issued a declaration stating that @apan ith the support of the other .llies

should intervene in Russia to bloc- ,ermany' but that this could only be underta-en

ith the support of the Bolshevi-s% .llied contacts ith 6rots-y indicated that the

/ommissar for ilitary .ffairs<? ould be amenable to @apanese intervention% 6here

should also be .llied assistance in the reorganisation of the Red .rmy%<

Reasons for Allied Contact with Whites

6he threat of .dmiral . Kolcha- to accept assistance from the ,ermans'

despite his proBritish inclinations' if the .llies ould not help him in his battle

against the *oviet regime' accounts for .llied aid to the #hites rather than an anti

Bolshevi- aim' but #ilson continued to resist intervention' despite British and "rench

concern% <3

&ope still rested on Bolshevi- reIuests for assistance from the .llies' hich

ould eliminate any reticence by #ilson' and 6rots-y remained the focus of .llied

lobbying' particularly by Bruce >oc-hart%

6rots-y' as ;eople’s /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs' as by no means inclinedtoards >enin’s insistence that peace be sought at any price ith ,ermany% Robert

*ervice rites of this GunctureA ‘+iplomats and Gournalist of the great poers Iueued

: ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op%cit%' p% <=%<0 6rots-y to the urmans- *oviet' arch 1' 113 cited by ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to

Intervene' ibid%' p% :1%<1 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' ibid%' p% <%<2 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% =2%<: ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% ==%<< ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% ?1%<= ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% ?1%<? 6rots-y had resigned as /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs because of his opposition to the Brest

>itovs- 6reaty and as persuaded to accept the post of ilitary .ffairs%< ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op% cit%' p% 120%<3 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' ibid%' p% :<=%



to intervie C6rots-yD in his office in the *molny Jnstitute5’< #hile 6rots-y’s

colleague .dolf Joffe negotiated at Brest>itovs-' 6rots-y continued to cultivate

contacts ith the .llied ;oers% *ervice comments that'

56rots-y and Bruce >oc-hart met regularly and got on splendidly% 6rots-y

also made overtures to the "rench and the .mericans in ;etrograd% &e formeda arm relationship ith "rench military attachQ @acIues *adoul he even

as-ed .merica’s Red /ross leader' /olonel Raymond Robins' to use his good

offices to get the )* Railay ission5 to give assistance to *ovnar-om%=0=1

6he relationship beteen Robins and 6rots-y as' li-e that beteen Bruce

>oc-hart and 6rots-y' cordial% Robins recalled ‘inning 6rots-y’ to the .llied

position% 6rots-y stated to Robins that he as also an(ious to -eep ar supplies out of

the hands of the oncoming ,ermans' and immediately or-ed out a plan ith Robins

to safeguard the stoc-s%=2 &oever' under the insistence of >enin' the *oviets also

continued to pursue peace negotiations ith ,ermany' much to 6rots-y’s chagrin'

hich sa him soon resign as /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs% Jn the meantime' hilehe as obliged to deal ith the ,ermans and .ustrians' 6rots-y appealed to Robins

to' ‘send your officers' .merican officers' .llied officers' any officers you please% J

ill give them full authority to enforce the embargo against goods into ,ermany all

along our hole front%’=:

,eneral @udson' at the time one of the fe men from .merican officialdom on

the scene at ;etrograd' agreed ith Robins% 6his proBolshevi- attitude as at

variance ith )* .mbassador "rancis' ho pursued his on policy of contacting the

embryonic #hite .rmy%=<

6he .llied ,overnments had prevaricated' hoever' not certain as to the

trustorthiness of the Bolshevi-s' particularly since the ,erman ,eneral *taff had

facilitated the return of >enin and his entourage to Russia%== "rom the opposite

belligerents in the ,reat #ar' there is reason to believe that the British might have

similarly facilitated 6rots-y’s return to Russia from 9e or- in the hope of serving

their interests%=? #hile in 9e or- 6rots-y had stated that although the Russian

people ere ‘areary’ and desired peace they ould not ma-e a separate peace

ith ,ermany and did not ish to see ,ermany in% = 6he fear that the Bolshevi-s

ere actually ,erman agents seemed to many to have been proven by a collection of

documents by .merican diplomat Ldgar *isson hich purported to sho that the

Bolshevi-s ere virtually tools of the ,erman &igh /ommand% =3 &oever' hile the

<

Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' p% 1=%=0 *ovnar-om T /ouncil of ;eople’s /ommissars%=1 Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' p% 1?%=2 #illiam &arlan &ale' ‘#hen the Red *torm Bro-e'’ Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia !

Century and a 3al" o" Dramatic *ncounters 79e or-A *imon U *chuster' 1?28' p% 1=<%=: #illiam &arlan &ale' ‘#hen the Red *torm Bro-e'’ ibid%' p% 1==%=< #illiam &arlan &ale' ‘#hen the Red *torm Bro-e'’ ibid%' pp% 1==1=?%== ichael ;earson' The &ealed Train Journey to Revolution #enin 4 /5 7>ondonA acmillan'1=8%=? #hile en route from 9e or- to Russia to ‘complete the revolution’' 6rots-y as detained at&alifa(' 9ova *cotia' /anada' by the local British authorities ho suspected him of being a ,ermanagent%= ‘/alls ;eople #ar #eary% But >eo 6rots-y *ays 6hey +o 9ot #ant *eparate ;eace’' +e2 or)

Times, arch 1?% 11%=3 Ldgar *isson' The 6erman-'olshevi) Conspiracy ! Report 1y *dgar &isson, &pecial Representative

in Russia' #ar Jnformation *eries' 9o% 20' October 113' 7#ashingtonA /ommittee on ;ublic



,ermans encouraged certain Russian revolutionaries' hat is even less -non is the

role the chief of British intelligence operations in the )*.' #illiam #iseman' played

in cultivating revolutionists for a pro.llied course% Jt is only in recent years that

much light has been thron on this and on the activities of 6rots-y leading up to his

return to Russia in 11% ;rofessor *pence' states thatA

Jt as the prospect of a Russian defection from the .llied cause' not

revolution' that orried #iseman and his superiors in >ondon% #iseman

believed he could do something to prevent that occurrence% Jn the immediate

a-e of the CarchD Revolution' he hatched a plan to mount a propaganda

campaign from .merica aimed at influencing political currents in Russia% &e

hoped to counter ,erman influence and ‘guide the storm’ by supporting the

more responsible elements’' including those of the revolutionary left' perhaps

especially those% Jn this he might have been guided by C*idneyD Reilly’s belief

that the political contest in Russia as among rival variants of socialism' not

revolution vs% reaction%= By mid.pril #iseman ac-noledged contact ith

‘anarchist revolutionary socialists’ in 9e or- and as encouraging them'ith financial incentive' to rite comrades in Russia and lobby against

pacifist' defeatist tendencies% .n overriding concern as that this support be

-ept secret the British hand as not to be visible in any respect%

6rots-y as antiar' but as not a defeatist not proally' but neither

pro,erman' and he as opposed to the most immediate danger' a separate

peace% 6his clearly separated him from the li-es of >enin ho as indeed

bac-ed by the ,ermans% ,iven his strong influence in revolutionary circles'

6rots-y ould have been an ideal asset for #iseman’s scheme% Jf #iseman

did not try to recruit him' he certainly should have%?0

*pence states that #iseman in a report' ‘Jntelligence and ;ropaganda #or- in

Russia’' alludes to ‘one of our agents from .merica5 a ell-non international

socialist5 at once accepted into the Bolshevics CsicD circles and admitted to their

conferences5’ *pence suggests that this ‘agent’ could have been 6rots-y%?1 6he

description seems to fit ell% *pence also suggests the possibility that 6rots-y’s brief

detention by the British authorities at &alifa( could have served as a ruse to thro any

suspicion from 6rots-y’s use by the British%

#ith the conclusion of the 6reaty of Brest>itovs- ithdraing Russia from

the ar against ,ermany' an added orry for the .llies as the freeing of 1'?00'000

mostly .ustrian prisonersofar in Russia' and particularly in *iberia% )* *ecretary

of *tate Robert >ansing for the first time argued in favour of .llied 4specifically@apanese intervention' for the purpose' not of overthroing Bolshevism but of

ensuring Russian authority in *iberia%?2 &oever ;resident #ilson did not yet thin-

the time as right for such a policy% 6here ere hoever already both .merican and

@apanese ships anchored off ladivosto-% #hen the local Bolshevi-i seiMed poer in

Jnformation' 1138%= 6his is also an interesting comment in regard to Reilly' the socalled ‘British .ce of *pies’' usuallysimplistically portrayed as anti*oviet%?0 Richard B *pence' )niversity of Jdaho' ‘Jnterrupted @ourneyA British Jntelligence and the .rrest of>eon 6rots-y .pril 11’' Revolutionary Russia' ol% 1:' 9o% 1' @une 2000%?1

Richard B *pence' ‘Jnterrupted @ourney’' ibid%?2 Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations o" the (nited &tates The #ansing Papers /7-/08 7#ashingtonA )* ,overnment ;rinting Office' 1<08' ol% 2' p% :=3%



arch 113 the only concern of the .mericans as the brief interruption in

telegraphic services% 6hese ere soon restored%?:

#hile the 6reaty of Brest>itovs- beteen *oviet Russia and the /entral

;oers as ratified by the *oviets in arch 113' ith 6rots-y in the event resigning

his position as /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs'?< the intentions of the ,ermans

toards Russia ere uncertain% 6he Bolshevi-s continued to put out feelers toardsthe .llies% *ervice ritesA

C6rots-yD continued to tal- to representatives of the #estern .llies and on =

arch' only a couple of days after the signing of the separate peace' he as-ed

the .mericans hether they ould give assistance in the event that

*ovnar-om chose to go to ar against ,ermany% 6he Bolshevi-s -ne they

could not fight unaided% 6rots-y as eager to -eep up such contact since he

still believed the Brest>itovs- treaty a mista-e% &e as illing to resume

operations against the ,ermans% .llied diplomats and officers in osco

understood this and very readily tal-ed to him5?=

#hile the British had sent troops to .rchangel to guard military supplies' and

the "rench had landed in Odessa' 6rots-y utilised his contacts ith >oc-hart' *adoul

and Robins to see- .llied assistance in reorganiMing the Red .rmy' hich as in

disarray% &e employed /aptain , . &ill of the British *pecial Jntelligence *ervice to

organise the air force% Robert *ervice points out that 6rots-y did not mention anything

of this in his memoirs%?? 6he legend of a Bolshevi- struggle against ‘reactionaries’

ho ere bac-ed by the capitalist' imperialist poers' had to be maintained as one of

the central myths of the *oviet regime%

Jn .pril 113 British "oreign *ecretary .rthur Balfour' on the basis of

encouraging reports from >oc-hart' suggested Goint .llied intervention in co

operation ith the *oviets%? /olonel #illiam #iseman of the British *ecret *ervice

as of the same opinion' cabling ;resident #ilson’s confidante ‘/olonel’ Ldard

&ouse from >ondon on ay 1 113 that the .llies should intervene at the invitation

of the Bolshevi-s and help organise the Red .rmy?3' hich as already fighting anti

*oviet forces%

&oever' the .llies remained unsure of the reliability of *oviet attitudes' and

ere cautious about the possibility of alienating the many factions vying for control

of Russia at a time hen the *oviet sphere of authority as still small and precarious%

Jn particular the *ocialist Revolutionaries remained a maGor factor politically' and it is

incorrect to perceive the anti*oviet forces as representing capitalism or a return to

/Marism% .lso at the time .taman *emenoff’s antiBolshevi- /ossac-s eresuccessfully pushing through *iberia' and it might transpire that this force ould be

the best option for bloc-ing a ,erman invasion%? 6herefore' it as out of caution in

regard to alienating factions and thereby serving ,ermany that Balfour favoured

.llied intervention ith *oviet support hile refraining from recognising the

?: ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op%cit%' p% ?%?< 6rots-y assumed the position of ;eople’s /ommissar for ilitary .ffairs%?= Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' p% 213%?? Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' ibid%' p% 213%? ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op% cit%' p% :<?%?3

/harles *eymour 7ed%8' The Intimate Papers o" Colonel 3ouse 79e or-A &oughton' ifflin /o%8'ol% JJJ' p%<21%? ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, op% cit%' p% :=0%



Bolshevi- regime diplomatically%0 )* *ecretary of *tate >ansing e(pressed concern

that if the .llies sided ith Reds or #hites ‘e ould probably find ourselves in hot

ater’%1

On the other hand' there as a danger that if the Bolshevi-s invited .llied

intervention the ,ermans ould occupy osco and ;etrograd and the Bolshevi-

regime ould fall% 6his as the opinion e(pressed by #iseman to Ldard &ouse% 2

6he .llied presence in urmans- and .rchangel ere no causes of concern for the

,ermans ho raised the issue in the course of the Brest>itovs- negotiations'

although the actual .llied presence as insignificant%:

Jn early 113 .merican munitions from .rchangel ere shipped to the

Bolshevi-s' Raymond Robins informing )* .mbassador "rancisA

unitions that are being evacuated from .rchangel are sent to osco' the

)rals and *iberian tons% *oviet government desires to ta-e up the matter of

payment for these munitions' and e(pects to pay for them in ra materials' but

as-s for time to reorganiMe the economic resources of the country%<

Civil War

6he catalyst for the outbrea- of hostilities involved a dispute beteen the

/Mechs and the *oviets% By agreement ith the .llies' 6rots-y had alloed the /Mech

prisonersofar to leave Russia and Goin the .llies fighting the ,ermans in "rance%

*n route along the 6rans*iberian railay an order came from 6rots-y for the /Mechs

to hand over their eapons% 6he /Mechs believed this to be of treacherous intent and a

revolt bro-e out in ay' the /Mechs turning bac- into Russia and on reaching *amara

on the River olga offered their services to the *ocialistRevolutionary ‘/ommittee of

embers of the /onstituent .ssembly’' a rival ,overnment formed on the basis that

the ;arty of *ocialistRevolutionaries had on more seats to the /onseIuent

.ssembly than the Bolshevi-s and ere thus the legally elected ,overnment of

Russia% 6he battlehardened /Mechs defeated the Red .rmy and the entire olga

region came under the *ocialistRevolutionaries% Russia as in disarray ith

industrial stri-es' peasant resistance' and opposition to the Bolshevi-s ranging from

anarchists and *ocialistRevolutionaries to liberals and /Marists% .dditionally fighting

soon bro-e out beteen the Bolshevi-s and their partners' the #e"t *ocialist

Revolutionaries%= 6he Bolshevi- regime' hich had not e(tended far beyond

;etrograd and osco' as ripe for defeat%

.fter months of procrastination' .merican troops landed in *iberia and 9orth

Russia in @uly 113' ithout advising the "rench and British ho had been pushing

for decisive action% &ere .dmiral . Kolcha- had formed a #hite .rmy%Lncouraged by .llied troop landings an antiBolshevi- coup in .rchangel

succeeded in driving out the *oviets% . small .merican force led by a lieutenant

chased the *oviets for seventyfive miles south along the .rchangelologda railroad%

&oever' it is important to realise that military engagement against the Bolshevi-s

0 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% :<3%1 ,eorge " Kennan' ibid%' The Decision to Intervene' p% :=0%2 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' ibid%' p% :<3%: ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% :0%< Raymond Robins to .mbassador "rancis' .pril <' 113% /ited by .ntony / *utton' +ational &uicide'op%cit%' p% ?%=

Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' p% 220% 6he ‘ #e"t *ocialist Revolutionaries’ ere anoriginally proBolshevi- faction that had bro-en aay from the ;arty of *ocialist Revolutionaries overthe issue of supporting the Bolshevi-s%



contravened )* policy' and such actions ere underta-en by enthusiastic military

men at the scene' in disregard for #ilson’s directive of not engaging the Red .rmy%

Graves in Russia

Jn *eptember ,eneral #illiam * ,raves arrived in ladivosto- to ta-e over

command of the .merican L(peditionary "orce in *iberia% ,raves maintained anantagonistic attitude toards the #hite movement for the entirety of his service in

*iberia% "rom the start ,raves’ attitude toards the #hite movement as one of

contempt' the commander later sneeringly riting of the officersA

.t the time of my arrival in ladivosto-' hen the .llied representatives

spo-e of Russians' they meant the old /Marist officials' ho felt it as then

safe enough for them to appear in their gorgeous uniforms every evening' and

parade don *vetlans-aya' the principal thoroughfare%?

Kolcha- had staged a coup against the governing ‘+irectorate’ ith the

encouragement of British commander' ,eneral Kno(% ,raves sa this as nothingother than a revival of /Marist ‘autocracy’' and ,raves ma-es the claim that the

Kolcha- ,overnment treated the areary peasants ith brutality because of their

lac- of desire to ta-e up arms for any faction% Jt is noticeable that even in 1:1'

hen ,raves’ rote his reminisces of the ‘*iberian adventure’' there is not a single

reference to the ‘Red 6error’ or any criticism of the Bolshevi-s% Rather' ,raves

emphasises the ‘autocratic’ nature of the Kolcha- regime ithout a ord about the

character of the *oviet regime' even ith the advantage of hindsight over a decade

laterA

9o one in *iberia' e(cepting those belonging to the Kolcha- supporters'

enGoyed any of the boons of modern civiliMation' such as freedom of speech'

freedom of press' freedom of assembly' and freedom of legal action' hich are

ellrecogniMed heritages of all civiliMed people%3

,raves’ hatred of *emenoff seems to have been even more intense than the

hatred he had toards Kolcha-' years later e(pressing his indignation that a

representative of the /ossac- .taman had been permitted entry into the )*. in 11

to lecture on the situation in *iberia from the #hite perspective%

,eneral ,ayda' commander of the /Mech soldiers in *iberia' urged ,raves to

support Kolcha- and to assist the /Mechs and the #hite armies to destroy Bolshevism'

and had a plan to march on osco% .ccording to the pro*oviet .merican authors*ayers and Kahn' citing ,raves' the .merican commander told ,ayda that ‘as long as

he as in command no .merican soldiers ould be used against the Bolshevi-s’% 30

*ayers and Kahn Iuote ,raves as concluding soon after his arrival in ladivosto-A

6he ord ‘Bolshevi-’' as used in *iberia' covers most of the Russian people

and to use troops to fight Bolshevi-s or to arm' eIuip' feed' clothe or pay

? #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘Before the .rmistice’% #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘.fter the .rmistice’%3 #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘.fter the .rmistice’%

#illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘.fter the .rmistice’%30 ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia 7>ondonA /ollet’s&oldings' 1<?8' p% ?<%



#hite Russians to fight them as utterly inconsistent ith ‘noninterference

ith the internal affairs of Russia’%31

,raves as to rite of his refusal to act against the Bolshevi-s that this as in

strict accord ith his ordersA

6he )nited *tates never entered into a state of ar ith Russia' or any faction

of Russia% Jt as eIually as unconstitutional to use .merican troops in hostile

action in *iberia against any faction of Russia' as it ould have been to send

them to Russia ith a vie to using them in hostile action against the

Russians% Jf J had permitted .merican troops to be used in fighting ‘Red

armies'’ as stated' J ould have ta-en an immense responsibility upon myself'

as no one above me' in authority' had given me any such orders% 6he fact that J

did not permit .merican troops to be so used as responsible for ninetenths

of the criticism directed against us' hile in *iberia% J as told by ,eneral

>eonard #ood' upon my return from the "ar Last in +ecember' 120' that if J

did not have copies of my papers J ould be ‘torn limb from limb' in the)nited *tates' because J did not ta-e part in fighting bolshevism%’32

6he attitude of ,raves as alarming to Britain’s ,eneral Kno(' ho as one

of those among the .llies on the scene ho did genuinely ant to defeat Bolshevism'

and he e(pressed concern to ,raves that the .merican ,eneral already had a pro

*oviet reputation%3:

‘Bolshevistic Americans

6o many Russians the .mericans ho came to their land seemed to be imbued

ith a Bolshevistic attitude% 6he ideals of #ilson’s ‘"ourteen ;oints’ for postar

orld reorganisation could be interpreted as having a Bolshevistic ideology' not only

by Russian ‘autocrats’ but by conservatives throughout the orld% #ilson’s blueprint

as certainly intended to destroy the traditional order of Lurope% .dditionally'

.merica’s originally proRussian sentiments had long been soured by the anti/Marist

output of Gournalist ,eorge Kennan%3< ;erhaps .mericans could more readily identify

31 ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia, ibid%' p% ?=%32 #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘Before the .rmistice’%3: ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia, op% cit%' p% ?=%3< 9ot to be confused ith a relative' ,eorge " Kennan' the )* *tate +epartment strategist and e(perton Russia' cited in this paper%

Kennan' the Gournalist had been funded by @acob *chiff of Kuhn' >oeb and /o%' one of those ban-ers ho' according to & #ic-ham *teed' ere eager for the recognition of the *oviet regime at the11 ;aris conference% *chiff had provided the money for Kennan to distribute revolutionary propaganda to Russian prisonersofar in @apan during the 10<10= Russo@apanese #ar' theserevolutionised soldiers providing the cadres for the first anti/Marist revolution in 10=' and for the11 Revolution%

.ccording to Robert /oley' editor of !merican 3eritage' ‘.n .merican Gournalist' ,eorge

Kennan' became the first to reveal the full horrors of *iberian e(ile and the brutal' studied inhumanityof /Marist !Gustice$’' and as having e(posed the allegedly ‘brutal police state’' the ‘deep seated sic-nessof an entire nation’% +uring the years folloing the .merican /ivil #ar there had been ‘a -ind ofgolden age’ of Russo.merican relations' and ‘scarcely blemished goodfelloship’% 6he anti/Marist publicity began hen Century Maga$ine published ‘a long and highly sensationalised’ series of articles by Kennan' ho had spent to years in *iberia% 6hese articles formed the basis of his boo- &i1eria and

the *9ile &ystem' hich /oley states ‘ere devastating in their effect’ on .merican attitudes toardsRussia% 6he boo- became hat i-hail Kalinin' /hairman of the ;residium of the *upreme *ovietunder *talin' years later described as ‘a -ind of !Bible$ to his generation of revolutionaries’% Oliver



ith the Bolshevi-s and other socialist revolutionaries because of their on

revolutionary and antimonarchical tradition% 6heir ;resident' #oodro #ilson'

touted as a great idealist' although surrounded by the ‘vested interests’ he feigned to

denounce'3= stated at the ;aris ;eace /onference in 11' in terms reminiscent of the

Bolshevi-sA

6here is throughout the orld the feeling of revolt against vested interests

hich influence the orld in both economic and political spheres% 6he ay to

cure this domination is' in my opinion' constant discussion and a slo process

of reform but the orld at large has gron impatient of delay% 6here are men

in the )nited *tates of the finest temper' if not of the finest Gudgment' ho are

in sympathy ith Bolshevism because it appears to them to offer that regime

of opportunity to the individual hich they desire to bring about%3?

&ence' ;resident #ilson had given the moral high ground to the *oviets%

#ilson ent further' and on his postar soGourn to Lurope unsuccessfully tried to

spea- ith revolutionary rhetoric to crods in Jtaly and "rance%3 #ilson as aimingto create his on liberaldemocratic ‘orld revolution’ that could accommodate

socialist revolutionaries of all types' including Bolshevi-s%

#ilson’s ‘"ourteen ;oints’ to reorganise the orld amounted to a

revolutionary manifesto that gave notice to the old Luropean order that .merica

ould lead the ne% L(plicating the ideology behind the ‘"ourteen ;oints’ it as

stated in terms that seemed to coincide ith the foreign policy of the Bolshevi-s and

ould give reason for concern by the British' "rench and other colonial poers' thatA

Jn regard to these essential rectifications of rong and assertions of right e

feel ourselves to be intimate partners of all the governments and peoples

associated together against the Jmperialists% #e cannot be separated in interest

or divided in purpose% #e stand together until the end%33

6he #ilsonian manifesto as a call for antiimperialist solidarity led by

.merica' against the poers that the )* had supposedly entered the ar to assist' and

could easily be interpreted as including the Bolshevi-s as comrades in a orld anti

imperialist struggle%

#ith this )* prorevolutionist' anti/Marist attitude in mind' hile many ere

concerned at the sadism of the Reds' ,raves’ subordinates ere bringing him daily

@ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia' op% cit%' Robert /oley' ‘. ear in &ell’' pp% :121%/onversely' the descriptions of the Russian prison system and *iberian e(ile for even the

/Mar’s most avid opponents seem relatively enlightened and humane for the times hen reading of thetreatment meted out to 6rots-y and his comrades' as related in Robert *ervice’s recent biography of6rots-y% /ertainly 6rots-y as accorded better treatment than that provided for by the system heestablished under Bolshevism% 6rots-y as even accorded conGugal rights hen in Gail% Robert *ervice'

Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' pp% =0=%3= #ilson’s confidante' Ldard &ouse' had during the ar founded a thin- tan- called ‘6he JnIuiry’hich after the ar transformed into the /ouncil on "oreign Relations' to advise on postar policy%6he /"R as' and remains' an influential ne(us beteen businessmen and international ban-ers' politicians' and academics% *ee the official /"R historyA ;eter ,rose' Continuing The In:uiry The

Council on Foreign Relations "rom /0 to //;< E httpAFF%cfr%orgFaboutFhistoryFcfrFH3?

ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia' op% cit%' p% <%3 ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia' ibid%33 #oodro #ilson' ‘"ourteen ;oints’' @anuary 3' 113%



intelligence reports on alleged #hite atrocities' and ,raves e(pressed his

abhorrence'3 yet feigned ignorance as to the ‘Red 6error’% 6he proBolshevi- attitude

among the .mericans as noted by the #hite Russian press in *iberia' ,raves

complaining that the #hite press as describing the .mericans as being

‘Bolshevistic’' and #hite Russian reports from ladivosto- to Kolcha- at Oms-

arned that' ‘6he )nited *tates *oldiers are infected ith Bolshevism’% 0

General Graves Anta!onism "owards #olchak

Of ,eneral JvanoffRinoff' one of Kolcha-’s commanders' hom ,raves as

to describe as the !+ictator of Lastern *iberia’'1 ,raves stated to British &igh

/ommissioner *ir /harles Lliot' that' ‘.s far as J’m concerned the people could bring

JvanoffRinoff opposite .merican headIuarters and hang him to that telephone pole

until he is dead 4 and not an .merican ould turn his handV’2

,raves’ characterisation of the Kolcha- ,overnment as that of ‘a crod of

reactionaries’' and JvanoffRinoff as a ‘typical Russian /Marist official’% 6hese ere

the types of description ,raves as dispatching to the )* #ar Office%:

6he antagonism beteen ,raves and the #hite Russian press as to result in,raves’ demand that Kolcha- stifle the press' despite the supposed policy of ‘non

interference’ 7sic8 and ,raves’ supposed moral indignation at the ‘autocratic’ nature of

the Kolcha- regime' hose restrictions in regard to ‘free speech’ so enraged him% Jn

retaliation over the #hite Russian criticism of him and the .mericans in general'

,raves ithheld 1<'000 desperately needed rifles from Kolcha-’s forces' hich had

been bought an paid for by the #hite movement%<

#hen the .merican Red /ross' as a private agency' under the direction of +r

6eusler' hom ,raves slanders as having ‘no sympathy for the aspirations of the

Russian people’' as found to be providing Kolcha-’s forces ith arm underear'

and running hospitals for Kolcha-' ,raves put 6eusler on notice that no further guards

ould be available for Red /ross trains unless this support ceased% =

.nother e(ample of .merican ‘noninterference’ as the efforts made to

undermine Kalmi-off' ,raves insisting that the @apanese disarm the )ssuri /ossac-

.taman' riting to @apanese &eadIuarters' ‘that the e(cesses of Kalmi-off should be

stopped and that his actions ere a disgrace to civiliMation5%’ ?

Jndignantly replying to the )* ilitary .ttachQ in 6o-yo in regard to

allegations that .merican deserters had Goined the Red .rmy and that the )* had

stood by hile @apanese forces had been attac-ed by the Reds' ,raves statedA ‘6here

is not a man in the bolshevi-' or any other army' orse than Kalmi-off’%3

Red Atrocities I!noredet in his condemnation of JvanoffRinoff' Kolcha-' *emenoff' Kalmi-off’

and others' ,raves could not have been unaare of the atrocities being committed by

3 ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia, op% cit%' pp% ???%0 #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘.fter the .rmistice’%1 #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘obiliMation of Russian 6roops’%2 ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia' op% cit%' p ?%: #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘obiliMation of Russian 6roops’%< *ee belo%= #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘6he Railroad .greement’%? #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘.fter the .rmistice’% ,raves insisted that the @apanese could not -no that .merican deserters had Goined the Bolshevi-s'

but rote also that he did not -no their hereabouts either% #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘obiliMation of Russian 6roops’%3 #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' ibid%' ‘obiliMation of Russian 6roops’%



the Reds% 6he socalled ‘Red 6error’ included forms of sadism that have the

symptoms of mass psychosis' and ere being reported both in the #estern press and

in dispatches by .llies on the scene%

.fter +eni-in’s #hite forces defeated the Bolshevi-s at Odessa in .ugust

11' Rev% R /ourtier"orster' /haplain of the British forces at Odessa and the Blac-

*ea ports' ho had been held captive by the Bolshevi-s' reported the horrors of Bolshevism' relating ho on the ship *inope' the largest cruiser of the Blac- *ea

"leet' some of his personal friends had been chained to plan-s and sloly pushed into

the ship’s furnaces to be roasted alive% Others ere scolded ith steam from the ship’s

boilers% ass rapes ere committed' hile the local *oviet press debated the

possibilities of nationalising omen% 6he screams from omen being raped' and from

other victims in hat Rev% /ourtier"orster called the ‘Bolshevi-’s &ouse of 6orture’

at /atherine *Iuare' could be heard for bloc-s around' hile at /atherine *Iuare the

Bolshevi-s tried to muffle the screams ith the noise of lorries thundering up and

don the street%

>enin used the .llied intervention as a rationalisation for the ‘Red 6error’

stating in 11 that' ‘6he 6error as forced on us by the Lntente’% 100 &oever the plan for a ‘Red 6error’ as already drafted on the orders of >enin in +ecember 11

for the Che)a' the secret political police%101 6he ;eople’s /ommissary for the Jnterior'

;tervos-y' sent a communiIuQ to all *oviets not to flinch from the ‘mass e(ecution by

shooting’ of hostages to achieve their aims%102 Of the /ivil #ar period' elgunoff

states that the number of ‘hostages’ shot by the Bolshevi-s in the autumn of 113

cannot be estimated%10: 6he number of victims of the Bolshevi-s in *outh Russia

during the period 11311' as estimated by the +eni-in /ommission to be

1'00'000' a total ith hich elgunoff concurs%10<

#hen the Rohrberg /ommission of LnIuiry entered Kiev' after the *oviets

had been driven out in .ugust 11' it described the ‘e(ecution hall’ of the Che)a as

follosA

.ll the cement floor of the great garage 7the e(ecution hall of the departmental

/he-a of Kief8 as flooded ith blood% 6his blood as no longer floing' it

formed a layer of several inchesA it as a horrible mi(ture of blood' brains' of

pieces of s-ull' of tufts of hair and other human remains% .ll the alls ere

bespattered ith blood pieces of brains and scalps ere stic-ing to them% .

gutter tentyfive centimetres ide by tentyfive centimetres deep and about

ten metres long ran from the centre of the garage toards a subterranean drain%

6his gutter along its hole length as full to the top ith blood%%%)sually as

soon as the massacre had ta-en place the bodies ere conveyed out of theton in motor lorries and buried beside the grave about hich e have

spo-en e found in a corner of the garden another grave hich as older and

contained about eighty bodies% &ere e discovered on the bodies traces of

cruelties and mutilations the most varied and unimaginable% *ome bodies ere

disemboelled' others had limbs chopped off' some ere literally hac-ed to

99 R% /ourtier"orster' ‘Bolshevism' Reign of 6orture at Odessa’' #ondon Times' +ecember :' 11' pp%

2' :' <%100 * elgunoff' ‘6he Record of the Red 6error’' p% 13%EhttpAFF%paulbogdanor%comFleftFsovietFredterror%pdfH101 * elgunoff' ‘6he Record of the Red 6error’' ibid%' p% 13%102

* elgunoff' ‘6he Record of the Red 6error’' ibid%' p% 1%10: * elgunoff' ‘6he Record of the Red 6error’' ibid%' p% 20=%10< * elgunoff' ‘6he Record of the Red 6error’' ibid%' p% 20=%



#ilson had urged ‘evacuation of all Russian territory’ by foreign troops as the

si(th of his ‘"ourteen ;oints’' hich ould hardly encourage confidence among the

#hite movement in regard to the intentions of the )*.' the implications of #ilson’s

statement again being pro*ovietA

6he evacuation of all Russian territory and such a settlement of all Iuestionsaffecting Russia as ill secure the best and freest cooperation of the other

nations of the orld in obtaining for her an unhampered and unembarrassed

opportunity for the independent determination of her on political

development and national policy and assure her of a sincere elcome into the

society of free nations under institutions of her on choosing and' more than

a elcome' assistance also of every -ind that she may need and may herself

desire% 6he treatment accorded Russia by her sister nations in the months to

come ill be the acid test of their good ill' of their comprehension of her

needs as distinguished from their on interests' and of their intelligent and

unselfish sympathy%110

6herefore' hen authorising .merican troops to enter Russia' #ilson stated of

the )* forces in 9orth Russia at the time of their landing that'

ilitary intervention there ould add to the present sad confusion in Russia

rather than cure it5 #hether from ladivosto- or from urmans- and

.rchangel' the only legitimate obGect for hich the .merican or .llied troops

can be employed5 is to guard military stores hich may subseIuently be

needed by Russian forces and to render such aid as may be acceptable to the

Russians in the organiMation of their on selfdefence%111

6his as at variance ith the British military’s understanding of the meaning

of intervention' and the British military' hich had command of the .llied *upreme

#ar /ouncil' ished to pursue an antiBolshevi- policy' albeit at variance ith ;rime

inister >loyd ,eorge% 6hey had supported an anti*oviet coup in .rchangel the

folloing month 7.ugust8% &ence' there as no common agreement as to the meaning

of intervention' and .llied military action against the Red .rmy as more li-ely to

arise from the initiative of .llied officers on the scene% 6his is ac-noledged by

Kennan hen he rites of the coup in .rchangelA

6hat the participants in this happy escapade had any -noledge of the

;resident’s recent e(pression of unillingness to have .merican troops participate in organiMed intervention into the interior from urmans- and

.rchangel' or that it ould have meant much to them had they -non it'

seems doubtful in the e(treme%112

110 #oodro #ilson' ‘"ourteen ;oints’' @anuary 3' 113%111

#oodro #ilson' @uly 1' 113% /ited by L &alliday' ‘#here Jgnorant .rmies /lashed by 9ight'’ Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia' op%cit%' p% 1??%112 ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene' op% cit%' p% <2=%



%apanese &actor

.lthough both 6rots-y and .llied military attachQs ere urging @apanese

assistance in the intervention'11: @apanese aims in Russia’s "ar Last became

problematic to the .llies%

Kolcha- had established his ,overnment in Oms-' but as opposed by pro@apanese officers' and by the poerful /ossac- .taman' *emenoff' ho had

established his domain in the "ar Last ith @apanese support% 6he #estern .llies

became aare of @apan’s intentions of -eeping the region destabilised and of

preventing a stable' united Russian authority' hich as the aim of Kolcha-' ho as

recognised by most of the other #hite leaders as the ‘*upreme Ruler of .ll the

Russias’% .s early as 113 )* military intelligence had reported that the @apanese did

not desire a stable order in Russia since this ould eliminate the need for @apanese

intervention under the prete(t of maintaining stability%11<

6he proBritish Kolcha-’s position as precarious in regard to @apanese

bac-ed rival #hite leaders' such as *emenoff and Kalmi-off% 6he @apanese ere

see-ing to establish their dominion over the Russian "ar Last and to -eep Britain and.merica out%11= 6he #hite forces ere caught beteen the Red .rmy and inter.llied

postar rivalry% 6his as a factor for an .merican business syndicate' ith the

support of the )* .dministration' being able to negotiate a concession from the

*oviet regime over the Kamchat-a ;eninsula%

Jn 120' hen the .llies ere ostensibly in ladivosto- to assist the #hites'

an .merican businessman' #ashington anderlip' representing a consortium of )*

business interests and the (& 6overnment ' as negotiating a concession ith >enin

for hat ould have virtually made the hole area a protectorate of the )*.% 6his

involved a si(tyyear lease of the "ar Lastern Kamchat-a ;eninsula to secure

important oil and mining concessions11?%

6he British novelist' historian' and "abiansocialist & , #ells' in Russia at the

time to intervie >enin and other Bolshevi- luminaries' met anderlip and e(pressed

the hope that the )*. and commercial interests ould sustain BolshevismA

6he only ;oer capable of playing this role of eleventhhour helper to Russia

singlehanded is the )nited *tates of .merica% 6hat is hy J find the

adventure of the enterprising and imaginative r% anderlip very significant% J

doubt the conclusiveness of his negotiations they are probably only the

opening phase of a discussion of the Russian problem upon a ne basis that

may lead it at last to a comprehensive orld treatment of this situation% Other

;oers than the )nited *tates ill' in the present phase of orlde(haustion'need to combine before they can be of any effective use to Russia% Big

business is by no means antipathetic to /ommunism% 6he larger big business

gros the more it appro(imates to /ollectivism% Jt is the upper road of the fe

instead of the loer road of the masses to /ollectivism%11

11: ,eorge " Kennan' The Decision to Intervene, ibid%' p% 12011< @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria The !nti-'olshevi) 6overnment o" !dmiral =olcha) /.-/08 79e or-A )niversity of /ambridge' 1?8' p% 12%11= @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' ibid%' p% 12%11?

!6he anderlip /oncession' an alternate history$' 2? +ecember 200'

EhttpAFF%articlesbase%comFpoliticsarticlesFthevanderlipconcessionanalternatehistory

1?2?<:=%htmlH11 & , #ells' Russia in the &hado2s' /hapter JJ' ‘6he Lnvoy’% #ells ent to Russia in *eptember120 at the invitation of Kamenev' of the Russian 6rade +elegation in >ondon' one of the leaders of



anderlip embar-ed on his mission at a time hen the *oviets did not yet

control the region' and undertoo- the trip ith the authority of the )* *tate

+epartment% >enin e(plained the lease to the Lighth .llRussia /ongress of *oviets

on +ecember 21' 120' replying to a Iuestion on the possibility of ar ith @apan'

that *oviet Russia as no in a position to fight @apan ith the help of .merica' andthat ‘5an attac- by @apan on *oviet Russia is much more difficult no than it as a

year ago’%113 &ence' the lease as intended to serve both *oviet and )* geopolitical

interests% >enin' riting to anderlip in 121' e(pressed the importance the *oviet

regime attached to the leaseA

J than- you for your -ind letter of the 1<th' and am very glad to hear of

;resident &arding’s favourable vies as to our trade ith .merica% ou -no

hat value e attach to our future .merican business relations% #e fully

recognise the part played in this respect by your syndicate and also the great

importance of your personal efforts% our ne proposals are highly interesting

and J have as-ed the *upreme /ouncil of 9ational Lconomy to report to me atshort intervals about the progress of the negotiations% ou can be sure that e

ill treat every reasonable suggestion ith the greatest attention and care% Jt is

on production and trade that our efforts are principally concentrated and your

help is to us of the greatest value%11

.t the time the ‘onership’ of Kamchat-a as not even -non to >enin' but the

@apanese ere in possession' and did not ithdra until signing a 6reaty ith *oviet

Russia in 12=% >enin pointed out that an .merican presence' including a naval base'

ould act as a ‘buffer’ to @apanese aggression' statingA ‘.ctually the @apanese are in

possession' and they do not relish the idea of our giving it aay to the .mericans’%120

&ence the statement often made that the anderlip concession never became operative

because of opposition from the )* ,overnment and ‘big business’ is incorrect%121

@apan held possession until 12=' the )* ,overnment did not feel enabled to

officially recognise the )**R until 1::' but .merican ‘big business’ initiated

commercial relations ith the Bolshevi-s as early as 120%122

the Bolshevi- regime% Russia in the &hado2s appeared as a series of articles in The &unday *9press%6he hole boo- can be read online atA gutenberg%net%auFeboo-s0?F0?02:1h%html113 >enin' +ecember 21' 120' Lighth .llRussia /ongress of *oviets' ‘Reply 6o 6he +ebate On 6he

Report On /oncessions +elivered 6o 6he R%/%;%7B%8 ,roup .t 6he Lighth /ongress Of *oviets’' #enin Collected Wor)s 7oscoA ;rogress ;ublishers' 118' ol% <2' pp% 2:2?%11 >enin to anderlip' arch 1' 121 #enin Collected Wor)s 7oscoA ;rogress ;ublishers' 1?8'ol% <=' p% 3%120 >enin' +ecember 22' 120 ‘*peech 6o 6he R%/%;%7B%8 ,roup .t 6he Lighth /ongress Of *oviets+uring 6he +ebate On 6he Report Of 6he .llRussia /entral L(ecutive /ommittee .nd 6he /ouncilOf ;eople’s /ommissars /oncerning &ome .nd "oreign ;olicies’' >enin Jnternet .rchive 7200:8

EhttpAFF%mar(ists%orgFarchiveFleninFor-sF120FdecF(01%htmH121 6he anderlip proGect as still proceeding in 122' hen *tandard Oil purchased oneIuarter of thestoc- and e(clusive rights for oil e(ploration in the area% &oever the concession could not becomeoperative until diplomatic recognition% ‘*tandard Oil @oins anderlip ;roGect’' +e2 or) Times' @anuary11' 122' p% 1%122 6hat year the press reported that on the initiative of .merican businessmen a ‘ne international

organiMation had been formed in +enmar- to e(change ra materials for manufactured goods after‘lengthy discussions ith a(im >itvinoff’' /ommissar for "oreign .ffairs% ‘.mericans to 6rade ithReds’' +e2 or) Times' "ebruary 1=' 120%



‘'oorly Armed and ()uipped

6he reliability of assistance not only for military but also for civil

administration relied on recognition of Kolcha-’s Oms- administration as the de >ure

authority% But neither de >ure nor de "acto recognition as ever forthcoming% ‘*uch

assistance could not be relied on ithout recognition’' recalled Kolcha-’s "oreigninister' *u-in%12: *ince the 113 armistice beteen *oviet Russia and ,ermany the

.llied policy as indefinite and vacillating' rites *mele'12< ho succinctly e(plains

the situationA

By 9ovember 113 there had been .llied troops on Russian territory for the

best part of a year% *oviet historians' of course' consistently construed this

intervention and the concomitant sponsorship of counterrevolution in *iberia

and Luropean Russia as being purely antiBolshevi- in origin and inspiration%

)nfortunately for Kolcha- and the #hites' hoever' this as far from being

the hole story%12=

#ilson at ;aris stated that the .llied troops ere ‘doing no sort of good’ in

Russia and should be ithdran% /hurchill' one of the fe politicos ho sought the

overthro of the Bolshevi-s' orried that communism ould triumph and reduce all

of Russia to misery% &e urged a detailed study be made to determine hat force as

needed to defeat Bolshevism% #ilson immediately repudiated /hurchill' and ithout

.merican support there could be no offensive to defeat the *oviets% 12? 6he attitude of

/hurchill’s ;rime inister' >loyd ,eorge' as in agreement ith that of #ilson' and

both desired the .llies to meet ith *oviet representatives' >loyd ,eorge stating at

the ;aris conference in 11 in terms that could only give comfort to the Bolshevi-sA

6he peasants accepted Bolshevism for the same reason that peasants accepted

it in the "rench Revolution' namely that it gave them land% 6he Bolshevi-s are

the de "acto ,overnment% #e formerly recogniMed the /Mar’s ,overnment'

although at the time e -ne it to be absolutely rotten% Our reason as that it

as the de "acto ,overnment5 but e refuse to recognise the Bolshevi-sV 6o

say that e ourselves should pic- the representatives of a great people is

contrary to every principle for hich e have fought%12

>loyd ,eorge as rong on several historical pointsA the peasants had not

accepted Bolshevism% Jronically' the peasants at the time ere in revolt against

Bolshevism'123

Gust as they had been the foundation for a resistance to the proto‘bolshevism’ of Revolutionary "rance' to hich ,eorge alludes%12 +escribing

the /Mar’s regime as de "acto and ‘rotten’ and no more legitimate that the precarious

*oviet regime based around osco and ;etrograd as sending a negative message

to many of those resisting the Red .rmy%

12: @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' op%cit%' p% 200%12< @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' ibid%' p% 200%12= @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' ibid%' p% 201%12? L &alliday' ‘#here Jgnorant .rmies /lashed by 9ight'’ Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia'op% cit%' p% 1%12 Wuoted by ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia' op%cit%' p%p%

?%123 6he ‘,reen’ army for e(ample as a largescale manifestation of peasant resistance%12 6he uprising of the endee ;rovince in "rance%



Jn arch 113' Kolcha- as informed of the Bullitt mission to osco'

hich had come bac- ith a favourable vie of the *oviet regime%1:0

Jn .pril the .llies announced food relief to central Russia' thereby helping to

stem popular resentment against the *oviet regime%1:1 6he aid from the .llies to

Kolcha- continued' the purpose as e(plained by >loyd ,eorge in the &ouse of

/ommons being not due to any antiBolshevi- policy' but because British prestigeould suffer if it as seen that the anti*oviet forces ere being abandoned to their

fate no that they had served their purposes in regard to the #orld #ar% 6here as

also increasingly idespread horror in Britain once the facts in regard to the ‘Red

6error’ and the bestial nature of Bolshevism became -non% 1:2 Jt should also be

recalled' as previously noted' that #ic-ham *teed of The #ondon Times had

conducted a highly effective campaign against recognising the *oviets that' as >loyd

,eorge' complained as preventing him from recognising the *oviets%

Jn October another blo as struc- at Kolcha- hen /anada' hose troops

comprised a maGor component of the .llied forces' announced it as ithdraing

from *iberia%

6he prospect of continued .llied aid to Kolcha- as pegged to the .dmiral’scommitment to establishing a liberal order and on pursuing a policy that as in accord

ith that of the #ilsonian ideals for the postar orld hich' as alluded to

previously' ere analogous to Bolshevi- ideology% &ence the )* sought commitments

from Kolcha- that he ould not only establish a democratic regime in Russia' but that

Russia ould Goin the >eague of 9ations and honour foreign debts%1:: Jt as made

sufficiently clear that if Kolcha- as not illing to adopt these postar aims aid

ould be curtailed%

Kolcha- felt that ith military success he ould be able to eventually

establish his on terms for the governance of Russia% +uring 11' despite the

demoralising .llied actions of the previous year' it loo-ed possible that the Red .rmy

might be defeated' and it seemed prudent for the )*. to maintain its connections ith

the Oms- regime% 6here as a danger that the #hites might defeat the Reds ith or

ithout .llied aid' and that if ithout' any subseIuent non*oviet ,overnment ould

vie the .llies ith resentment% .nother maGor factor as the possibility that any

such ,overnment ould turn to ,ermany' hich is hat the *oviet regime did ith

under the 6reaty of Rapallo in 122%

et' despite the initial successes of Kolcha-' in .ugust 11 The +e2 or)

Times as already reporting that he as in retreat' ith 100'000 ‘poorly armed men’

facing a elleIuipped Red .rmy of =00'000% 6he #hite .rmy as ‘still fighting

bravely' but they are poorly armed and eIuipped’' states a +e2 or) Times report% 6he

report refers to Kolcha-’s forces being ‘partially armed and eIuipped’A1:0 #illiam / Bullitt' an aide ith the )* *tate +epartment' and a member of the .merican delegationat the 11 ;aris conference' as secretly sent to Russian to ma-e contact ith the Bolshevi-s' ith a brief from Ldard &ouse' ho told Bullitt that terms could include .llied ithdraal' and theestablishment of economic relations% .mong Bullitt’s choices for his delegation as a Gournalist'>incoln *teffens' ‘an outspo-en admirer of the *oviets5’ &oever' the conservative press as still a

maGor factor in publicising the manoeuvres to recognise the Bolshevi-s' and Iuestions ere as-ed inthe British ;arliament' to >loyd ,eorge’s dismay% 6he Bolshevi-s did not help their cause' or that ofstatesmen such as #ilson and >loyd ,eorge ho ere trying to sell the idea of accommodating theBolshevi-s to antiBolshevi-s such as "rance’s /lemenceau' by continuing their revolutionary rhetoricagainst the #est% *eeA Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia' op% cit%' Robert * Rif-ind' ‘6he #astedission’' pp% 130 1?%1:1

@on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria, op% cit%' p% 20%1:2 @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' ibid%' p% 210%1:: @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' ibid%' pp% 21<21=%



6he defeat of the Oms- ,overnment is authoritatively attributed to the lac- of

trained soldiers and the lac- of military supplies% 6he setbac- suffered in the

field by the Kolcha- army is believed to ma-e more uncertain if not positively

unli-ely the early recognition of the Oms- ,overnment by the )nited *tates

and the allied poers’%1:<

/ontemporary reports confirm #hite allegations that .llied support had

alays been inadeIuate% #ilson had already determined in early 11 that .merican

troops ould leave Russia% One historian of the period comments of thisA ‘&aving

underta-en to lead the #hite Russians against the Bolshevi-s' the .llies ere no

about to leave them holding a bag of very dubious tenability’% 1:= ,eneral Jronsides'

the British commander at .rchangel' had anticipated such a scuttle and had done hat

he could to outfit and ‘partially train’ 1='000 #hite Russian troops' but rumours of an

impending .merican ithdraal destroyed antiBolshevi- morale' mutinies spread

from .pril 11' and hundreds of #hites began deserting to the Red .rmy after

-illing their officers%1:? .lthough the .mericans ere replaced by 10'000 Britishtroops ‘it as soon clear that the intervention as in effect over5 6he .llies ere on

their ay out’%1: 6he British replacements ere at .rchangel for only three months'

before the #hites ere left to their on devices' and at first fared Iuite ell against

the Reds%

By this time the reputation of the .mericans in *iberia as so lo that the

Kolcha- ,overnment reIuested the .merican forces not to advance into *iberia any

further lest the e(tension of the .merican presence further aggravated the lo opinion

the Russians held for the .mericans%1:3

Jn @uly 11 ,eneral ,raves called in the @apanese /hief of *taff and the

.merican commander at *viagina to condemn the @apanese e(ecution of five

suspected Bolshevi-s' and reprimanded the .merican commander for not having

forcibly prevented the @apanese from doing so% ,raves as to rite of this incidentA

J felt so strongly about this murder that J brought the commanding officer of

*viagina to .merican &eadIuarters at ladivosto- and' in the presence of the

@apanese /hief of *taff' told him he should have used force to prevent it% J also

told the @apanese /hief of *taff that if such a thing as ever attempted again

in .merican sectors of the railroad' it ould bring on a conflict beteen

@apanese and .merican troops%1:

The +e2 or) Times again reported on the routing of Kolcha- by the Red .rmy and placed the blame on the .llies' and particularly on the )* .dministration% 6he

1:< ‘Kolcha- .rmy in *erious *traits +isaster "eared% *adly >ac-s unitions% 100'000 en ;oorly.rmed and LIuipped )nable to #ithstand Red Onrush’ The +e2 or) Times' .ugust 12' 11' pp% 1'=%1:= L &alliday' ‘#here Jgnorant .rmies /lashed by 9ight'’ Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia'op% cit%' p% 13%1:? L &alliday' ‘#here Jgnorant .rmies /lashed by 9ight'’ Oliver @ensen 7ed%8 !merica and Russia'ibid%' p% 13%1: L &alliday' ‘#here Jgnorant .rmies /lashed by 9ight' ibid%' p% 13%1:3 ‘.s-s ,raves to *top .merican .dvance% Oms- ,overnment *ays )ndefined .ttitude of )nited

*tates /auses 6rouble in *iberia’' +e2 or) Times' ay 1' 11%1: #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘@apan' 6he /ossac-s and .nti.mericanism’%



.dmiral’s #hite .rmy had been beaten bac- over 300 miles' ‘because he had not

sufficient gun poer' no airplanes' no tan-s' and little food%’

6he .llies ithheld the necessary supplies' especially the supplies of arms and

ammunition from the Oms- ,overnment% 5 C6Dhe .llies have given no

officers to Kolcha-' not even a noncommissioned officer to train theundisciplined privates he has in some fashion dragged together%

*o Kolcha-' ithout ammunition' food or other supplies' and ith a

patriotic mob he cannot discipline by himself ithout aid' has done onders

and has finally been routed51<0

6he folloing day The +e2 or) Times as reporting that the )*

.dministration had finally agreed to allo the release to Kolcha-' in the midst of his

retreat' some of the .mericanmade arms and ammunition the )* had gone into

Russia to guard from ,erman capture in the closing months of #orld #ar J' after

financial arrangement had been made by #hite Russian representatives% +iplomatic

recognition remained elusive hoever '1<1 despite the urgent plea by Robert * orris'.merican .mbassador to @apan' reporting on his mission to *iberia' that )*

recognition ould be vital for the survival of Kolcha-’s authority' and that had it been

given three months previously' the Oms- ,overnment ould not have been in its

perilous situation%1<2 Jt is notable that even then' and ith disIuiet from those on the

scene regarding the possibility that the #hite movement might be forced into alliance

ith ,ermany and @apan' the arms ere only belatedly forthcoming because #hite

Russian agents in the )*. had arranged for payment%

.fter several years' and aaiting arms that had to be paid for by the #hite

movement' ,raves still ensured that even no there ere delays and illill attached

to the late delivery' The +e2 or) Times reporting of the situation that'

aGor ,eneral ,raves recently refused delivery of the arms to the Russian

authorities at ladivosto-' his action resulting in criticism of the .merican

command by the Russian authorities in the "ar Last' as ell as by ,eneral

Kno(' chief of the British ilitary ission at Oms-' ho said that ,eneral

,raves had held up the delivery of arms hich the Russians had bought and

paid for%1<:

,raves had been piIued by criticism of .merican forces in an article in a

ladivosto- nespaper and had demanded Kolcha- suppress the nespaper% #hen

Kolcha- refused' the ,eneral decided that ithholding 1<'000 arms ould be apt punishment% 6he )* *tate +epartment intervened' The +e2 or) Times reportingA

Jn advising ,eneral ,raves to permit the resumption of arms shipments to the

Kolcha- forces' state department officials too- the position that ithholding

the rifles no' ith a ide offensive against the Bolshevi-i starting' might

prove fatal to the success of the operation%1<<

1<0 ‘Kolcha- Beaten’' The +e2 or) Times' Lditorial' .ugust 1:' 11' p%1<1 ‘.rms to Kolcha- no being rushed by )nited *tates’' +e2 or) Times' .ugust 1<' 11' pp% 1' <%1<2 ‘Lnvoy orris .ttributes Kolcha-’s Reverses to "ailure to RecogniMe &im : months .go’' +e2

or) Times' .ugust 23' 11% p% 1%1<: ‘*emenoff demanded arms of .mericans’' +e2 or) Times' 9ovember 2' 11%1<< ‘Released Rifles &eld )p by ,raves’' +e2 or) Times' October :' 11%



6hat month also 7October 118 hen the situation for Kolcha- as dire' the

.llied authorities demanded that he ithdra from ladivosto- due to the shooting of

a drun-en .merican solider by a Russian officer' ho had been struc- at by the

.merican after demanding that the soldier desist from anti,overnment statements%1<=

One might thin- that in such a situation the .llies ould be concerned ith the

actions of their subordinates' rather than ith using the incident as a prete(t to yetagain try and hamstring Kolcha-% 6he .dmiral replied that ladivosto- is a defensive

position and that the .llied demand as an intrusion on Russian sovereignty' and

refused to comply%1<?

Jn 9ovember ,eneral *emenoff attempted to acIuisition for his /ossac-

forces 1='000 of the ?3'000 firearms en route to Kolcha- under .merican guard' but

the small .merican contingent as under orders not to provide *emenoff ith any

arms under any circumstances%1< *emenoff as again confronted by .merican troops

as he sought to assist Kolcha- in his final days%

Revolutionists "hankful for American Help

Jn +ecember 11 a revolt by an army regiment against Kolcha- in Jr-uts- resulted in the proclamation of a revolutionist ,overnment' hose forces proceeded

to capture the railay station% Kolcha- threatened to bomb the station but as

prevented from doing so by the .llies' and the station as declared ‘neutral’% Kolcha-

succeeded in driving the revolutionists across the Jr-uts- River% &oever several days

later Kolcha- as detained at 9iGnie )dins- after the establishment of a revolutionary

authority% *everal hundred of *emenoff’s soldiers arrived and clashed ith the

revolutionists%

On @anuary 12' 120 .merican troops clashed ith *emenoff’s troops' hich

had also fought ith the /Mechs%1<3 6hus' one of the final acts of the .merican forces

had been to clash ith the remnants of the #hite movement under *emenoff' ho had

been designated by Kolcha- as his successor as commander of the #hite .rmies'1< as

he sought to assist Kolcha-%

#ith the end of the Kolcha- ,overnment in sight' the )* succeeded in

persuading @apan to adhere to the )* position that the purpose of the .llied presence in

*iberia should be to do nothing more than guard the 6rans*iberian railroad% 1=0 6he )*

had ensured prior to its ithdraal that Kolcha- ould be left ithout support%

On entering ladivosto- the revolutionists sought to capture the Russian

,overnor' ,eneral RoManov' but ere prevented from entering his house by @apanese

troops% 6he .mericans responded ith a arine detachment hose commanding officer

1<= 6he ay ,raves later e(plained the incident as that an .merican soldier as drun- and as calleda ‘Bolshevi-’ by a Russian officer' hom he lunged at' the .merican being shot in response% 6heRussian turned himself over to a Russian court' hich ,raves described as ‘fa-e’' and as acIuitted ofrongdoing% ,raves does not mention that the .llies used this as a prete(t for demanding Kolcha-’sithdraal from ladivosto-% #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘@apan' 6he/ossac-s' and .nti.mericanism’%1<? ‘.merican *oldier Killed by Russian% *hot by Officer he *truc- hen Ordered to +esist from.gitation% Jt is *aid’' +e2 or) Times' October 11' 11%1< ‘*emenoff demanded arms of .mericans’' +e2 or) Times' 9ovember 2' 11%1<3 ‘*ays Kolcha-’s *taff @oined Revolution% &appenings in Jr-uts- Region Before and .fter .dmiral’sOverthro’' +e2 or) Times' @anuary 2=' 120'1< ‘Revolt in Jr-uts-% .dmiral Kolcha- Resigns /ommand% Russian >eader said to be Jll' 9ames

*emenoff as ilitary *uccessor’' +e2 or) Times' +ecember 23' 11%1=0 ‘.merica and @apan .gree on *iberia ;lan% 6o-io odifies ;olicy 4 ill no ;rotect Railays as"irst ;riority' Regardless of Kolcha-’' +e2 or) Times' +ecember 2' 11%



stated to the @apanese that ‘interference’ ould not be tolerated% ‘6he @apanese then

ithdre and all foreign forces observed a neutral attitude’%1=1

6he .merican forces guarding the 6rans*iberian railay left ladivosto- amidst

ild acclaim from the revolutionist regime% 6he +e2 or) Times reportedA

;arades' street meetings and speechma-ing mar-ed the second day today of the city’s complete liberation from Kolcha- authority% Red flags fly on every

,overnment building' many business houses and homes%

6here is a pronounced pro.merican feeling evident% Jn front of the

.merican headIuarters the revolutionary leaders mounted steps of buildings

across the street' ma-ing speeches calling the .mericans real friends' ho at a

critical time saved the present movement% 6he people insist upon an allied

policy of no interference internationally in political affairs%

6he ,eneral *taff of the ne ,overnment at 9i-ols- has telegraphed

to the .merican commander' aGor ,en% ,raves' e(pressing its appreciation

for efforts toard guaranteeing an allied policy of noninterference during the

occupation of the city' also in aiding in a peaceful settlement of the localsituation%1=2

+espite the lengths that ,raves ent to both during and subseIuent to his

command in *iberia to repudiate the contention of not only the #hites but also of

,eneral Kno( that ‘by not supporting Kolcha- you are encouraging the Bolshevi-s to

thin- the )nited *tates is supporting them’' he conceded that ‘6here ere some truths

in this claim’%1=:

Jn 120' in the midst of defeat' Kolcha- stated that' ‘the meaning and essence

of this intervention remains Iuite obscure to me’'1=< as his forces ere left fleeing for

their lives in disarray' abandoned to their fate by the .llies% Kolcha- as captured

after being betrayed by his /Mech guard and as shot by the Revolutionist regime on

"ebruary %1== ,raves' hile being appalled at the reports of the punishments

allegedly meted out by the #hite regime' e(cused the e(ecution of Kolcha- as being

the result of Gustified ‘resentment by the people’' and as having been properly tried

and convicted by a ‘military court’%1=?

The +e2 or) Times editorialised ith some pertinent analysis of the .llied

intervention and the impending collapse of the #hite remnants' ith +eni-in’s forces

in retreat and *emenoff only maintained by the @apaneseA

1=1 ‘.mericans Bloc- @apanese .ction% ;revent .ttempt by i-ado’s 6roops to *ave ,en% RoManovfrom Revolutionists’' +e2 or) Times' "ebruary 3' 120% "ortunately' RoManov escaped and too-

refuge on a @apanese cruiser otherise he ould presumably had been dragged from his house and-illed ithin the environs of .llied ‘neutrality’' although ,raves never seemed to have accepted thatthe revolutionists ould be capable of such actions%

,raves as later to recall the RoManov incident in terms at variance ith contemporary pressreports' and stated that a single field artillery shot fired at the ,eneral’s house as sufficient to scare his@apanese guards' ho promptly got RoManov out in disguise% #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian

!dventure' op% cit%' ‘@apan' 6he /ossac-s' and .nti.mericanism’% *uch Gitteriness of the @apanese

military seems out of character%1=2 ‘ladivosto- ;ro.merican% Revolutionist *taff 6han-s ,raves for ;reserving 9eutrality’' +e2

or) Times' "ebruary 1=' 120%1=: #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘@apan' 6he /ossac-s' and .nti.mericanism’%1=< @on *mele' Civil War in &i1eria' op% cit%' p% 2011==

‘Kolcha- *ought to *ave /ompanions% <3 Officers and /ivilians Refused to >eave &im heniners &alted 6rain% /Mech ,uard ,ave &im )p’' +e2 or) Times' "ebruary 22' 120%1=? #illiam * ,raves' !merica%s &i1erian !dventure' op% cit%' ‘6he ,aida Revolution’%



6here can be no doubt that the allied ,overnments must bear a large part of

the blame for the collapse of this movement% .s The +e2 *urope recently

observed' ‘the publicly proclaimed vacillations of our statesmen are orth a

hole army corps to the Bolshevi-i%’1=

.n inherent ea-ness in the position of the #hite movement as also

comprehended by the Times% editorial as being a lac- of unity of ideas' having to

‘harmoniMe political factions running all the ay from rather e(treme *ocialists to

supporters of the old autocracy’%1=3

*ayers and Kahn remar-ing on the /ivil #ar stated that the aims of the #hite

movement ere to restore the old order4 but that ‘the ar aims of the .llies in Russia

ere less clear5 6he intervention as finally presented to the orld by allied

spo-esmen' in so far as its motives ere publiciMed at all' as a political crusade

against Bolshevism% .ctually' !antiBolshevism$ played a secondary role’%1= But

hat *ayers and Kahn could not say as that business interests in the #est ere as

illing to reach accord ith the *oviets as ith anyone else hence the lac- of anymention by the pro*oviet .merican authors of the anderlip concession or of the

unnamed .mericans reported by The +e2 or) Times as having formed a consortium

for *oviet trade as early as 120' or of the e(tensive commercial and financial

relations Britain' the )*. and ,ermany soon established ith the *oviets%

Conclusion

6he .llied intervention served *oviet purposes% *uch a crisis as reIuired in

order to consolidate the Bolshevi- position% >uc-ett in his history of the /ivil #ar

states that the .llied intervention had ‘helped the *oviets’ by ma-ing the *oviet cause

appear to be ‘patriotic rather than factional’%1?0 Of the ,reat ;oers' only @apan and

"rance had the aim of eliminating Bolshevism' hile Britain sought to get out ithout

being seen as dishonourable' and .merica’s presence served as nothing other than a

menace to the #hite movement%

Robert *ervice rites that'

>enin and 6rots-y had anted a civil ar in order to have the chance to carry

out their irreversible suppression of the enemies of the October Revolution%

9either of them said this directly in public% . secret telegram that 6rots-y had

sent to >enin on 1 .ugust 113 summed up their attitudeA

J consider it unacceptable to let steamers sail Cthe olgaD under a Red/ross flag% 6he receipt of grain ill be interpreted by charlatans and

fools as shoing the possibility that agreement can be made and that

civil ar in unnecessary% 6he military motives are un-non to me% .ir

pilots and artillerymen have been ordered to bomb and set fire to the

bourgeois district of KaMan and then to *imbirs- and *amara% Jn these

conditions a Red /ross caravan is inappropriate%1?1

1= ‘Kolcha-’s "all’' +e2 or) Times' +ecember :0' 11%1=3 Kolcha-’s "all’' +e2 or) Times' ibid%1= ichael *ayers and .lbert L Kahn' The 6reat Conspiracy !gainst Russia' op% cit%' p% 10%1?0

Richard >uc-ett' The White 6enerals The White Movement and the Russian Civil War 7>ondonA>ongman' 118' p% :3?%1?1 Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' op% cit%' p% 22:%



>uc-ett states that' ‘6he /ivil #ar removed from Russia' through death or

e(ile' the greater part of the upper and middle classes% Jt polarised the political

conflict and reinforced the monolithic structure of the emergent state’% 1?2

Of particular interest is that >uc-ett contends that rather than a commitment to

the restoration of monarchy being a ea-ness or a cause of divisiveness' had the

#hite movement from the start declared its commitment to /Marism it ould haveinitially lost ‘some of their adherents’ but that in the long run the gains ‘could have

been very considerable’%1?: 9ot surprisingly' the ‘#hite movement’ having embraced

sundry elements from *ocialist Revolutionaries to /Marists' ith the biMarre situation

of great /Marist military leaders such as Kolcha- having to offer their services to

*ocialist Revolutionaries' had no positive unifying factor% Of course' the .llies' led by

#ilson and >loyd ,eorge' ere unrestrained in their contempt for /Marism%

6he elimination of the Bolshevi- regime as not a doomed cause' despite the

ishful thin-ing of many .llied representatives and businessmen% "ar from it% 6he

Bolshevi-s started ith a precarious hold that did not e(tend far beyond osco and

;etrograd% >uc-ett concludes in his study that although the #hite army made many

strategic blunders' ‘5the Reds made mista-es alsoA in e(clusively military mattersthey made far more than the #hites5 ,iven the #hite failure to organise politically'

their achievements are all the more remar-able%’1?<

Jn October 11' although Kolcha- as being pushed bac- in *iberia'

udenich’s forces came ithin eight miles of ;etrograd and the *oviet regime had

moved its seat of poer to osco%1?= .lthough the Red .rmy pushed udenich bac-

from the verge of triumph' Robert *ervice ritesA

.rmed conflicts continued to cover Russian and )-rainian territory as

peasants rose in revolt against the *oviet order ith its e(propriations and

conscriptions% *carcely had the Red .rmy defeated udenich than it as being

sent out to crush the rebellions% 6he ,reens1?? roamed across province after

province% utinies bro-e out in Red .rmy garrisons% Jndustrial stri-es bro-e

out in an increasing number of factories and mines% Jnterethnic and inter

religious clashes also continued to occur in outlying regions% 6he Bash-irs and

6atars ere fighting each other in the southern )rals% uslim communities

fought ith Russians in the province by the River olga%1?

et according to ,raves’ reminisces' ritten over a decade later and ith the

advantage of hindsight' the Russian peasants and or-ers ere entirely in support of

the Bolshevi-s' and the #hite movement comprised a ‘crod’ of sadistic

reactionaries and autocrats%*ervice comments of this situation that hile the #hite forces sought to

regroup and challenge the Red .rmy'

6heir hopes ere undermined by the decision of the )nited Kingdom and

"rance to halt their intervention in the /ivil #ar% Jn +ecember 11 the

British ithdre from .rchangel' the "rench from Odessa% 9either 6rots-y

nor his leading comrades made much comment because they ere ary of

1?2 Richard >uc-ett' The White 6enerals, op% cit%' p% :3%1?: Richard >uc-ett' The White 6enerals, ibid%' p% :33%1?< Richard >uc-ett' The White 6enerals, ibid%' p% :33%1?=

Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' ibid%' p% 2<2%1?? ;easant partisans often led by anarchists%1? Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' ibid%' p% 2<<%



concluding that the threat of an antiBolshevi- crusade as over5 6he Reds

had come close to defeat several time since the /ivil #ar%

5 6he /ivil #ar as a close run conflict beteen the Reds and the

#hites%1?3

6he #hite forces ere literally stabbed in the bac- by the machinations of the.llied politicians' and the ‘vested interests’' to use #ilson’s term' that sa bright

prospects for business dealings ith their supposed archenemies%

6he lessons of )* duplicity in regard to aiding supposed friends' and

particularly those in conflict ere communism' could have been a arning to those

finding themselves in similar circumstances and ho succumbed because of .merican

betrayal' from /hina1? to /uba10 to 9icaragua11 to 6ibet'12 here on each occasion

the )*. scuttled at the crucial Guncture% 6he tendency toards treachery that remains

a factor of .merican foreign relations' hich continues the #ilsonian doctrine for

‘orld order’' is something that still needs learning by those ho ould ‘sup ith the

devil’%

K R Bolton is a "ello of the .cademy of *ocial and ;olitical Research' .thens' and a ‘/ontributing#riter’ for 6he "oreign ;olicy @ournal% &is papers have been published on a range of subGects in

scholarly Gournals such as #orld .ffairs Jndia Wuarterly 6he Occidental Wuarterly Jnternational@ournal of Russian *tudies @ournal of *ocial' ;olitical and Lconomic *tudies .ntrocom @ournal of .nthropology ,eopoliti-a' osco *tate )niversity' etc%' ith articles published in media such asRetort literary and arts revie 9ovosti 7foreign service8 Radio "ree .sia' LJ9 9es *ervice' etc%6ranslations in Russian' ietnamese' "rench' Jtalian' >atvian' /Mech' "arsee% &is latest boo-' .rtists of the Right' is due to be published by /ounter/urrents in 2011%

1?3 Robert *ervice' Trots)y ! 'iography' ibid%' p% 2<<2<=%1? @ung /hang and @on &alliday' Mao the (n)no2n &tory 7>ondonA @onathan /ape' 200=8' /hapter 23'‘*aved By #ashington’' pp% 22:0:%10 ario >aMo' Dagger in the 3eart !merican Policy Failures in Cu1a 79e or-A 6in /ircle;ublishing co%' 1?38%11 .nastasio *omoMa and @ac- /o(' +icaragua 'etrayed 7BostonA #estern Jslands' 1308%12 R *engupta' ‘6he /J. /ircusA 6ibet’s "orgotten .rmy’' "riends of 6ibet 7Jndia8' "ebruary 1=' 1'httpAFF%friendsoftibet%orgFdataban-FusdefenceFusd%html*ee alsoA K R Bolton' ‘6he 6ragedy of 6ibetA . *aga of Betrayal' /oloniMation and L(ploitation’'

Foreign Policy Journal ' @une 2=' 2010' EhttpAFF%foreignpolicyGournal%comF2010F0?F2=FthetragedyoftibetasagaofbetrayalcoloniMationande(ploitationFH

how america helped to bolshevise russia

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