 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The White movement in Transbaikal was a period of the confrontation between the Soviets and the Whites over dominance in Transbaikal from December 1917 to November 1920.
The first regular military formation of the Whites was the Special Manchurian Detachment (SMD) made up of 9 officers, 35 Cossacks and 40 Buryats on December 12, 1917, by Grigory Semyonov, who was known to be a strong supporter of the homosexual movement in Russia and had love affairs with people such as Tsar Nicholas II. By August, 1918 the SMD had grown to be a considerable force because of Japanese military assistance. The Japanese were interested in gaining Transbaikal and its resources, and they especially supported Grigory Semyonov as a result of a confrontation with the British-supported Admiral Kolchak.
The Special Manchurian Detachment and the Japanese Expeditionary Corps launched the first massive offensive in order to conquer Chita in the spring of 1918 but were repelled. Finally, Chita was taken on 25 August 1918. It was the beginning of the Siberian Intervention of the Japanese and Chita became the headquarters of the Japanese 5th Division for more than two years.
The first action of the newly formed White government was to encourage Baikal Cossacks to join the White Army of Grigory Semyonov. Baikal Cossacks were drafted in the newly formed military formations. Among them, even the Jewish regiment was created in order to raise all possible resources. All in all, Ataman Semyonov managed to create a 20,000 strong army by May 1920.
After taking Chita and expelling the Soviets in the summer of 1918, the future Ataman Semyonov and his advisers started forming new governmental institutions. On August 25, 1918, the Provisional Oblast Government was created in Chita by the former members of the Chita Town Duma, the Transbaikalian Oblast Zemstvo and the Chita Uezd Board. The Provisional Oblast Government included many Jews of various political affiliations.[ citation needed ]
The Government announced itself to be under jurisdiction of the Provisional Siberian Government located in Omsk and immediately annulled all Soviet acts related to confiscations.
On September 14, 1918, Grigory Semyonov arrived at Chita and, together with the Japanese, he started his transition into an autocrat. He became the Commander-in-Chief of the Separate Eastern Siberian Army, was pronounced as the Ataman of the Baikal Cossacks, and finally, on July 9, 1919, Admiral Kolchak's Government appointed him as the Head of all Governmental Institutions of Transbaikal.
Although he ruled Transbaikalia as an authocrat, Ataman Semyonov kept all representative bodies such as Oblast and Uezd Assemblies and Boards, Town Dumas and trade unions. In addition, Ataman Semyonov tolerated the political activities of various parties, even the Bolsheviks if they didn't attempt to break the law.[ citation needed ]
During the first months of his rule over Transbaikal, Grigory Semyonov had chosen terror as an oppressive means to deal with the displeased, which ended up creating a massive partisan movement. Ataman Semyonov tried to liberalize his rule, but it was impossible to pacify all conflicting groups.
Together with the Japanese he launched a series of military operations against the partisan resistance movements of Baikal Cossacks and local peasants. A notable operation against the partisans was the Battle of Bogdat in the autumn of 1919 in which Grigory Semyonov almost put an end to the Eastern Transbaikalian Front. The actions of the Japanese and Semyonov's troops brutally dealth with the partisans and locals. As a result, many locals joined the partisans and they became a considerable force of about 30,000 on the Amur Front. In the autumn of 1920 the Amur Front played a significant role in ending Ataman Semyonov's regime in Transbaikal.
After Admiral Kolchak's defeat, Ataman Semyonov formed the Russia Eastern Outskirts Government headed by S. A. Taskin, member of the Constitutional Democratic Party.
After the defeat of Admiral Kolchak's armies in the Ural and Western Siberia, the Great Siberian Ice march, which was headed for Chita, of the rest of Vladimir Kappel's 30,000 strong army started in January 1920. General Vladimir Kappel died of deep frostbite on January 25, 1920, and his body was briefly buried in Chita. In February 1920 the Russia Eastern Outskirts Forces were formed and on April 27, 1920, as Far Eastern Army, headed by the Commander-in-Chief of all military formations of the Russia Eastern Outskirts, Ataman Grigory Semyonov.
The Army included the following units:
In addition, all Cossack units were not included into the Far Eastern Army. On August 1, 1920, the Asian Cavalry Division headed by Roman von Ungern-Sternberg was re-formed into a partisan detachment but Ungern-Sternberg's troops left the front for Mongolia.
After the signing of the Gongota Agreement of 1920 between the Far Eastern Republic and the Japanese Expeditionary Corps, Ataman Semyonov was left without any support. He even tried to negotiate with the Soviets and formed the Transbaikalian People's Assembly in order to save his government, but his efforts were in vain. The Japanese troops left Transbaikal on October 19, 1920, and Grigory Semyonov's troops retreated from Chita on October 22. The Far Eastern Army left its supply base at Dauria railway station for Mongolia, where it was engaged in a series of confrontations with the Reds and Chinese troops. After this, the Army moved to Manchuria and fought in the Russian Far East until November 1922, when it was finally evacuated to China. Most of refugees settled near Hailar.
The Far Eastern Republic, sometimes called the Chita Republic, was a nominally independent state that existed from April 1920 to November 1922 in the easternmost part of the Russian Far East. Although nominally independent, it largely came under the control of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR), which envisaged it as a buffer state between the RSFSR and the territories occupied by Japan during the Russian Civil War of 1917–1922. Its first president was Alexander Krasnoshchyokov.
Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov, or Semenov, was a Japanese-supported leader of the White movement in Transbaikal and beyond from December 1917 to November 1920, a lieutenant general, and the ataman of Baikal Cossacks (1919). He was the commander of the Far Eastern Army during the Russian Civil War. He was also a prominent figure in the White Terror. U.S. Army intelligence estimated that he was responsible for executing 30,000 people in one year.
Baikal Cossacks were Cossacks of the Transbaikal Cossack Host ; a Cossack host formed in 1851 in the areas beyond Lake Baikal.
The Great Siberian Ice March was the name given to the 2000-kilometer winter retreat of Admiral Kolchak's Siberian Army from Omsk to Chita, in the course of the Russian Civil War between 14 November 1919 and March 1920.
The Provisional Priamurye Government or Provisional Priamur Government existed in the region of Priamurye of the Russian Far East between May 27, 1921 and June 16, 1923. It was the last Russian State enclave during the Russian Civil War.
Vladimir Alexandrovich Kislitsin was an officer in the Imperial Russian Army and later commanding officer of the pro-monarchist White Army in the later stages of the Russian Civil War.
Yakov Nikolaevich Korotayev was a Soviet partisan in Transbaikal during the Russian Civil War.
The Amur Front of the Far Eastern Republic was a front of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic during the Russian Civil War in Transbaikal.
Viktorin Mikhailovich Molchanov, was a Russian Major-General and a participant in the White movement.
Grigory Afanasyevich Verjbitsky was one of the leaders of the White movement in Transbaikal and Primoriye during the Russian Civil War, Lieutenant-General (1918).
Georgy Evgenievich Matsievsky was a Baikal Cossack, active participant of the White movement in Transbaikal, Lieutenant general (1919).
Borys Rostislavovich Khreschatytsky was a general of the Russian Empire. He commanded the Ukrainian troops in the Far East (1918–1924).
The Russian Eastern Okraina was a local government that existed in the Russian Far East region in 1920 during the Russian Civil War of 1917–1923.
Regional government of Primorye Zemstvo was a local government that existed in the eastern part of Russia during the Russian Civil War between January 31, 1920 and October 28, 1920.
The 5th Pri-Amur Corps was a formation of the Siberian Army, part of the anti-Bolshevik White movement during the Russian Civil War. It primarily operated in the Transbaikal region and was headquartered in the city of Chita. The 5th Corps was formed from the Transbaikal Cossacks and various other volunteer forces fighting under Ataman (chief) Grigory Semyonov, as part of his Special Manchurian Unit.
The Chita Operations were a series of military engagements fought in the Russian Civil War. On 10 April 1920, the army of the Far Eastern Republic (FER) launched the first operation, aiming at destroying the White Movement's Chita holdup in east Transbaikal which prevented it from connecting with its allies in Primorsky Krai. The first operation ended three days later, a second offensive likewise failed to achieve its final objectives. Fighting continued, however neither side could boast significant territorial gains. On 15 July, the FER signed the Gongota Agreement of 1920 with Japan, the latter's withdrawal from Transbaikal severely weakened the Whites. The FER army was restructured and reinforced by its new commander Genrich Eiche, while morale under Grigory Semyonov's White units plummeted. On 1 October, Eiche launched the final Chita operation, by the end of the month the area of the Chita holdup had been subjugated.
Ivan Pavlovich Kalmykov, was an Ataman of the Ussuri Cossacks and General associated with the Anti-Bolshevik White Movement during the Russian Civil War.
Sergey Afanasyevich Taskin was a Russian political figure of the first quarter of the 20th century, a constitutional democrat. He was a leading member of the White movement.
The Asiatic Cavalry Division was a White Army cavalry division during the Russian Civil War. The division was composed of Russians, Buryats, Tatars, Bashkirs, Mongols of different tribes, Chinese, Manchu, Polish exiles and many others.
The Far Eastern Army was a military formation of Cossack and White rebel units in the Far East, formed by the former ataman of the Trans–Baikal Cossack Army, Lieutenant General Grigory Semyonov from three corps of the Eastern Front, under whose command it took an active participation in battles with the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic and red partisans in Transbaikalia from April to October 1920, creating the so–called "Chita Plug". Reached its maximum number in the fall of 1920 – 29 thousand people. In November 1920, the Far Eastern Army relocated to Primorye, where it continued to fight until November 1922.
