Far Eastern Front in the Russian Civil War

Far Eastern Front in the Russian Civil War

During the Russian civil war, there was some extreme fighting in the Far Eastern part of the former Russian Empire. The fighting in this front expanded from Outer Mongolia, through Eastern Siberia, and in the ussuri and Amur districts of Outer Manchuria in Russia.

Combatants

The fighting forces in this region were the Red Army, Kuban Cossacks, Communist Mongolian militias, and the Far Eastern Republic on the Communist side. On the White side, there were local White army units, pro-white Mongolian militias, Mongolian government forces Beiyang army unit from China. Also Allied intervention forces arrived which included 70,000 Imperial Japanese soldiers and 10.000 U.S Marines.

Different Agendas

During the beginning of the war Japanese and U.S forces invaded Outer Manchuria and Eastern Siberia.

The Japanese Goals

The Japanese during the Bolshevik revolution were already spreading influence and gaining privileges in Chinese Manchuria outside their sphere of influence in South-East Manchuria. The Japanese were stunned that the Bolshevik revolution successfully took power. While the Americans were interested in supporting Kolchak's white government, the Japanese were more into taking over Russian ports and coastal territories. In 1918 Japan occupied Vladivostok with the United States Marines. One of the most famous pictures were taken when Japan took the Vladivostok Eastern Siberian railway station which showed a line of dead communist soldiers with Japanese soldiers pointing their bayonets at the dead bodies. The Japanese had plans of rapid expansion starting in Amur and Ussiri river region all the way to Lake Baikal. In response to the Russians set up of the Far Eastern Republic, the Japanese backed the Provisional Priamur Government.

The American Aims

The United states was interested in helping Admiral Kolchak's government in Siberia, who was in need of help. Why Japan wanted to expand its control of the far east. The United States wanted to press the Red Army out of Siberia and allow the White Movement to establish control of Russia and defeat the Bolsheviks. Also a big factor was the United States government feared that communism would spread through the U.S if the Bolsheviks won the civil war. This was how the Red Scare in America began.

Communist/Bolshevik Response

The Bolshevik Agenda in the Far East was just like all its agendas on the other fronts - retake or hold on to territory of the former Russian Empire. The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic [the R.S.F.S.R for short], Goal was to stop the Allied advance into Siberia due to fighting in western, eastern, southern, Northern, Cuacuas, and central Asian fronts. The Soviets set up the Far Eastern Republic, a buffer state to hold off the White and allied armies.

Mongolia

The war expanded into Mongolia as White armies in the far east retreated. While others retreated to Japan or China some tried to hold on to Mongolia which was a Czarist puppet state. As the war dragged on Mongolians were forced to take sides some joined Reds by either by entering their armies or forming militias to help the reds fight the Whites. The same can be said about the Mongolians who went with the whites except that they were part of the puppet government forces or militias. Both sides used terror tactics to force the population into line with them. The communists burned Buddhist temples and killed shamans and white supporters.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the civil war was the Whites went into exile around the world. The Americans left Siberia and the Russian far east in 1920 with the rest of its allies. While Japan would keep holding it even after the Whites were defeated. Due to the closeness of communist territory to Japanese and Japanese held territories Japan would not withdraw until October 1922. With the war over the Soviet Government in Russia got to keep all of Russia's pre-war territories in the far east. Future clashes over the border in the region would continue into the next decade with Japan invading twice in 1938 and 1939. Russia would clash with China in 1929. During the end of World War II The U.S.S.R with Mongolia invaded Manchuria northern China, Inner Mongolia, and Northern Korea. After World War II the Soviets let Chinese communist forces use occupied Manchuria to invade the Republic of China.

Sources

• Atlas of world war one Publisher Author Unknown
• Atlas of world war two Publisher unknown Author Unknown
• Conflict of the Twentieth Century World War One Publisher Fraklin Watts
• Conflict of the Twentieth Century World War Two Publisher Franklin Watts
• Conflict of the Twentieth Century Rise of dictators 1919 -1939
• Franklin watts library edition
• Wikipedia Russian civil war and its links