Foreign military intervention in Russia 1918-1921 was another attempt by the "highly cultured world community" to solve its economic, geopolitical tasks at the expense of the resources of an independent state. Moreover, the moment turned out to be very suitable. The coming to power of the Bolsheviks further split the civil society of the former Russian Empire. This circumstance was decided to take advantage of Europe and the United States, who planned the invasion long before the revolutionary upheavals. The article will be devoted to questions of foreign military intervention in Russia: reasons, goals, consequences.
Big bets
Russia with its enormous resources has always been regarded by the “Western partners” as a kind of raw materials appendage. At the beginning of the 20th century, the USA, the state appointed by the world gendarme, did not yet have the levers of influence on world politics that it currently uses. And Great Britain, thanks to the professionalism of its government and special services, has always been distinguished by its ability to skillfully disguise real power.
Russia was assigned the role of a colony. Especially the “mistress of the seas” was interested in the northern direction - the ice-free port of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. The only thing that confused the British in this situation was the lack of their own resources for organizing foreign military intervention in Russia. Allies were needed.
US concerns
At this time, the ocean was very closely monitored developments in Europe, preferring not to intervene in the First World War and wait. Nobody was going to play nobility, as Russia did, plainly not even having time to carry out mobilization, but having thrown the armed forces into battle, saving France. The Americans perfectly appreciated the combat readiness of their troops, which at that time was at a low level.
When the United States nevertheless sent its millionth group to help the Entente, led by General Pershing three months before the end of the war, they received such losses that shocked them. But even from this situation, they were able, as history has shown, to derive maximum benefit for themselves. This is largely made possible by the brilliant actions of American diplomacy.
David francis
The activities of this American ambassador on the eve of military foreign intervention on Bolshevik Russia once again show the methods of European states. His business trip was a debut in the diplomatic field. Prior to this appointment, he had little interest in the state of affairs in the Russian Empire. Nevertheless, the instructions received from his government were quite ambitious: the withdrawal of Russia from the victorious countries in the war with Kaiser Germany, the organization of international isolation and the liquidation of its position in world markets.
During the spring-summer of 1917, two political figures were particularly distinguished: the military general Kornilov and the minister-chairman of the Provisional Government Kerensky, who was very impressed with Western states. His subversive activities eventually led the Russian Empire to a large-scale fratricidal war.
One of the strongest advantages of American policy in relation to the Russian Empire is the understanding that it is unlikely to directly influence Russians. But if they are properly consulted, then they themselves are capable of perfectly destroying their own country even without organizing foreign military intervention in Russia.
Kerensky had such an adviser - Colonel Raymond Robins. That the activities of Kerensky satisfied the “owners” is also evidenced by the fact that it was the Americans who organized his escape.
The invasion of Russia as the final stage of World War 1
The real reasons for foreign military intervention in Russia are the desire to split the independent state into several smaller ones with puppet governments. In historical science, the most popular point of view is that intervention (military, political, economic and other interference in the internal affairs of an independent state by other countries) occurs immediately after the outbreak of the civil war unleashed due to the forcible seizure of power by the Bolsheviks.
With a more thorough analysis of those events, it becomes obvious: the bloody chaos of fratricidal hostility, the occupation by foreign invaders of the most attractive regions of Russia - this is just the final stage of World War 1. Not all participants in this conflict were satisfied with the results. To bring these goals to their logical conclusion, foreign military intervention in Russia was needed.
If with the seizure of the western territories of the state by the advancing parts of Kaiser Germany, everything is more or less clear (there is a war going on, the enemy is advancing, capturing the territory), then the invasion of the allied states of the Entente into certain areas and areas looks more than cynical.
Secret Franco-English Agreement
This memorandum marked the beginning of foreign military intervention on Bolshevik Russia. British Deputy Foreign Minister Robert Cecile and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of France Georges Benjamin Clemenceau met on December 23, 1917 for a very important business. Russia at that time emerged from the war. Germany removed troops on the Eastern Front, transferring them westward. It became apparent to the Allies that a rather complicated campaign was ahead.
The famous French builder of the "Iron Curtain around Bolshevism" and the representative of the British Crown signed an agreement in which they delineated spheres of influence. England was more interested in the Caucasus and the "Cossack" region. France stopped in the Crimea, Ukraine and Bessarabia. Military foreign intervention in Russia has begun.
Japanese participation
On December 30, 1917, the first conquerors of “wild barbarians” appeared in Vladivostok. They came from the Land of the Rising Sun. Well prepared for this campaign. The reason was an unexpected concern for the people who, by the will of fate, found themselves on the hospitable Russian land.
If you briefly describe the foreign military intervention in Russia by the descendants of proud samurai, then the following comes out ... The Japanese secret services provoked the day before: the murder of the two most famous watchmakers in the city was committed. Very quickly a Russian trace was found in this story. Tokyo blamed the city authorities. The secret plan of Minister of War Giichi Tanaki to invade Russia entered the first phase of its implementation.
70,000 Japanese soldiers and officers lasted longer than all the allies. During this time, they burned entire villages, trying to sow terror and gaining even greater resistance. The villages of Mazhanova, Sokhatina, Krasny Yar, Andreevka, Pavlovka and many others were completely destroyed along with children, women and the elderly.
Such executioners as Major General Shiro Yamada or Captain Maeda and many other monsters, whose descendants still demand the Kuril Islands and lick their lips in the Far East, have remained in the memory of the Russian people. And the question of the "gold reserve", which the White Guards gave to the Japanese "for storage", remains open.
Anglo-Saxon atrocities
Already in March 1918, the British Navy appeared in the Kola Bay. The amphibious assault was motley. It included representatives of many states. They formed the military contingent as necessary: from the most ardent Polish nationalists who dream of “Polish from Mozh to Mozh” to criminals of all stripes who were gathered from all the evil parts of the empire.
This “menagerie” was commanded by Admiral Thomas Kemp. Soon even the most odious representatives of the “white movement” realized that it was still an occupation of their country. But the desire to crush the Bolsheviks was so great that, "clenching their teeth," the White Guards were ready to endure any mockery of their own people, as well as its destruction. Soon they experienced in their own skin what the words and promises of the allies are worth. But this happened after the representatives of the white movement began to be massively arrested and humane, cultural Europeans were arrested and sent to prisoner of war camps. One prison in the town of Whitley Bay is worth it.
Soon the United States joined this company of like-minded people. Very indicative is the motto of 339 Infantry Regiment 85 of the US Army, embroidered on the banner of the unit. The inscription in the Old Russian language reads as follows: "The bayonet decides." The civilian Russian population has the opportunity to see this. There were times when peasants were buried alive in the ground, allegedly for communication with local partisans.
The Poles, who were mainly involved in the protection of prisoners of war, did not lag behind them. The "beast" felt the blood. Foreign military intervention in Russia in 1918-1921 was gaining momentum.
The frenzy of brave Russian warriors
The conquerors began to realize that this campaign would not be an easy walk for them. Russian patriots stubbornly resisted. History knows many examples when superior enemy forces could not break the spirit of the warriors. This war with the exploits of 15 Russian sailors under the command of foreman Matvey Omelchenko, who fought off the attacks of 150 selected American marines, or an unequal battle of the legendary Russian minesweeper T-15 against 17 enemy ships was no exception. At the cost of their own lives, the patriots of their country were able to cover up the departure of their comrades.
Swan, Cancer and Pike
Robbers and rapists soon quarreled with each other. Britain left the lion's share of production to itself, the rest got only crumbs from the master's table. The first to become worried about this state of things were the Americans. This is mentioned in his memoirs by an American diplomat David Francis.
In 1921, Warren Harding, who strongly condemned foreign military intervention in Russia, took over as president of the United States. But this did not happen because a conscientious and honest person came to power. This criticism was a form of power struggle with opponents.
“Hands off Russia”
Ordinary people began to tire of the war unleashed by those in power. Severe weather conditions, the enormous losses incurred by the occupiers, the difficult economic situation and many other factors that did not inspire optimism made it clear that this conflict could not be resolved in the near future.
The destruction of Kolchak’s army showed the Western strategists the strength of the Red Army. Foreign military intervention in Russia in 1918 was conceived as a campaign to dismember the country by the forces of its citizens, which for this only needs to be equipped with weapons and everything necessary, according to the plans of the American and European "elite". The destruction of civilians and the fight against regular forces are two different things. In addition, increased propaganda in the ranks of ordinary soldiers of the European powers. They already began to understand the injustice of this war and demanded to return them home. There was a decomposition and intensification of panic moods.
Despite the most stringent measures, this trend could no longer be stopped.
End of intervention
The Paris Peace Conference in January 1919 determined the outcome of this confrontation. The Soviet side was ready for many concessions so that peace reigned as soon as possible. This is the payment of pre-revolutionary Russian debts, granting concessions, gaining independence by Finland, Poland and many other humiliating conditions. The Soviet side did not skimp, realizing its weakness.
This suited the Entente, which began the withdrawal of its troops.
Conclusion
Summing up the results of foreign military intervention in Russia 1918-1921 briefly, it is necessary to highlight three main points:
- This confrontation has claimed many lives. Colossal damage was inflicted on the economy.
- As a monolithic militarized party with a rigid vertical of power, the Bolsheviks formed precisely in this period.
- European states were not satisfied with the results of this campaign, which subsequently resulted in an even more bloody World War II.