Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov Ataman Semyonov Born September 25, 1890 Kran!ha "illa#e, $ran%baikal &bla%t, '%%ian (mpire Died A#%t )0, 19*+ ,a#ed 55- .o%co/ Allegiance '%%ian (mpire Service/branch 0mperial '%%ian Army White .ovement Years of service 1911121 Rank 2ietenant 3eneral Battles/wars World War 0 '%%ian 4ivil War Awards &rder of St5 3eor#e ,t/ice- Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov, or Semenov ,'%%ian6 789:;<89= >9?@<=A;B9C DEFGH;B- ,September 1),25-, 1890IA#%t )0, 19*+-, /a% a Japane%e1%pported leader of the White movement in $ran%baikal and beyond from Kecember 191L to Movember 1920, 2ietenant 3eneral and Ataman of Naikal 4o%%ack% ,1919-5 O1P Contents 1 Nio#raphy 2 $he '%%ian 4ivil War in $ran%baikal ) 0n eQile * 'eference% 5 (Qternal link% Biograhy Semyonov /a% born in the $ran%baikal re#ion of ea%tern Siberia5 Ri% father, .ikhail Setrovich Semyonov, /a% of partial Nryat de%cent5 Semyonov /a% a flent .on#olian and Nryat lan#a#e %peaker5 Re Toined the 0mperial '%%ian Army in 1908, and #radated from &renbr# .ilitary School in 19115 Re /a% commi%%ioned a% a yesaul ,4o%%ack en%i#n- and di%tin#i%hed him%elf in battle a#ain%t the 3erman% and A%tro1 Rn#arian% in World War 0, earnin# the Saint 3eor#eU% 4ro%% for cora#e5 O2P Accordin# to Syotr Wran#el6 O)P Semenov /a% a $ran%baikalian 4o%%ack 1 dark and thick%et, and of the rather alert .on#olian type5 Ri% intelli#ence /a% of a %pecifically 4o%%ack calibre, and he /a% an eQemplary %oldier, e%pecially cora#eo% /hen nder the eye of hi% %perior5 Re kne/ ho/ to make him%elf poplar /ith 4o%%ack% and officer% alike, bt he had hi% /eakne%%e% in a love of intri#e and indifference to the mean% by /hich he achieved hi% end%5 $ho#h capable and in#enio%, he had received no edcation, and hi% otlook /a% narro/5 0 have never been able to nder%tand ho/ he came to play a leadin# role5 Re /a% %ome/hat of an ot%ider amon# the hi% fello/ officer% beca%e of hi% ethnicity5 While %ervin# in the 4aca%% in World War 0 he met another officer %hnned by hi% peer%, Naron Vn#ern1Sternber#, /ho%e eccentric natre and di%re#ard of the rle% of etiWette and decorm repelled other%5 Re and Sternber# tried to or#ani!e a re#iment of A%%yrian 4hri%tian% to aid in the fi#ht a#ain%t the $rk%5 0n Jly 191L, Semyonov left the 4aca%% and /a% appointed 4ommi%%ar of the Srovi%ional 3overnment in the Naikal re#ion, re%pon%ible for recritin# a re#iment of Nryat volnteer%5 O*P !he R"ssian Civil #ar in !ransbaikal After the &ctober 'evoltion, Semyonov %tirred p an anti1Soviet rebellion, bt %%tained a defeat and fled to .anchria5 0n A#%t 1918, he mana#ed to con%olidate hi% po%ition% in the $ran%baikal re#ion /ith the help of the 4!echo%lovak 2e#ion%, and impo%ed hi% rthle%% re#ime5 0n hi% rle over thi% re#ion, he ha% been de%cribed a% a Xplain bandit O/hoP dre/ hi% income from holdin# p train% and forcin# payment%, no matter /hat the natre of the load nor for /ho%e benefit it /a% bein# %hipped5X O5P $he %o1 called Siberian Srovi%ional 3overnment appointed Semyonov commander of a detached nit /ith the headWarter% in 4hita5 0nitially, Admiral Alek%andr Kolchak ref%ed to reco#ni!e SemyonovU% athority, bt he had no choice bt to accept Semyonov a% de facto leader and confirm Semyonov a% 4ommander1in14hief of the 4hita military di%trict5 0n early 1919, Semyonov declared him%elf Ataman of the $ran%baikal 4o%%ack Ro%t /ith %pport from the 0mperial Japane%e Army, element% of /hich had been deployed to Siberia5 $he re#ion nder hi% control eQtended from "erkhne1Vdin%k near 2ake Naikal to the Shilka 'iver and to/n of Streten%k, to .anchli, /here the 4hine%e (a%tern 'ail/ay met the 4hita 'ail/ay, and northea%t %ome di%tance alon# the Amr 'ail/ay5 O+P Semyonov handed ot copie% of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion to the Japane%e troop% he became a%%ociated /ith5 OLP 0n Febrary 1919, it i% %aid that he allo/ed a Je/i%h nit to form in hi% 4o%%ack1dominated army5 Ri% mo%t ill%trio% mi%tre%% and partner /a% a Je/i%h cabaret %in#er named .a%hka Sharaban5 O8P After the defeat of the White movement, Admiral Kolchak tran%ferred po/er to Semyonov in the Far (a%t5 Ro/ever Semyonov /a% nable to keep hi% force% in Siberia nder control6 they %tole, brned, mrdered, and raped civilian%, and developed a reptation for bein# little better than th#%5 O9P 0n Jly 1920 the Japane%e (Qpeditionary 4orp% %tarted a limited /ithdra/al in accordance /ith the 3on#ota A#reement %i#ned /ith the Far (a%tern 'epblic, nderminin# %pport for Semyonov5 $ran%baikal parti%an%, internationali%t% and the 5th Soviet Army nder 3enrich (iche lanched an operation to re1take 4hita5 0n &ctober 1920, nit% of the 'ed Army and #errilla% forced SemyonovU% tiny army ot of the Naikal re#ion5 After havin# retreated to Srimorye, Semyonov tried to contine fi#htin# the Soviet%, bt /a% finally forced to abandon all '%%ian territory by September 19215 O10P $n e%ile Semyonov fir%t e%caped to .anchria, then to Ma#a%aki, and later he %ettled in the Vnited State% /here, after a %hort period of time, he /a% acc%ed of committin# act% of violence a#ain%t the American %oldier% of the (Qpeditionary 4orp%5 Semyonov /a% eventally acWitted, and retrned to 4hina /here he /a% #iven a monthly 10001yen pen%ion by the Japane%e #overnment5 Re %ettled mo%tly in Morthern 4hina and .anchria, /here he had tie% /ith the Japane%e intelli#ence commnity and /here he contined to /ield %ome inflence over the eQiled '%%ian and 4o%%ack commnitie%5 Re /a% al%o employed by Syi, the former .anch (mperor of 4hina5 O11P Semyonov /a% captred in Kalian by Soviet paratrooper% in September 19*5 drin# the Soviet inva%ion of .anchria, /hen the Soviet Army conWered .anchko5 Re /a% char#ed /ith conterrevoltionary activitie% and %entenced to death by han#in# by the .ilitary 4olle#im of the Spreme 4ort of the VSS'5 Re /a% eQected on A#%t 29, 19*+5 O12P References 15 &"m " ' Ni%her, Jamie, White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans- Siberian, 'otled#e, 2ondon, 20095 25 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5 )5 &"m " ' Al/ay% With Ronor5 Ny 3eneral baron Seter M Wran#el5 'obert Speller Y Son%5 Me/ Zork5 195L5 *5 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5 55 &"m " ' Morton, Renry Kittred#e ,192)-5 X$he Far (a%tern 'epblic of Siberia5X 2ondon6 3eor#e Allen Y Vn/in 2td5 p+95 +5 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5 L5 &"m " ' $okayer, .arvin ,19L9-5 The Fugu Plan Me/ Zork6 Saddin#ton Sre%% 2td5 p*L5 85 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5 95 &"m " ' 'ichard Sipe%, !ussia under the "olshe#ik !egime, Me/ Zork 199*, p5*+, and Ni%her, White Terror5 105 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5 115 &"m " ' Arnold 45 Nrackman, The $ast Em%eror5 Re/ Zork6 ScribnerU%, 19L5, p5 1515 125 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5