Siberian intervention facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siberian intervention |
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| Part of the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War and Eastern Front | |||||||||
 Allied commanders of the Siberian intervention. Front row: William S. Graves (3rd), Otani Kikuzo (4th) and Yui Mitsue (5th). |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Mongolian People's Party |
Allied Powers:  Mongolia |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Leon Trotsky Jukums Vācietis Sergey Kamenev Mikhail Tukhachevsky Mikhail Frunze Vasily Blyukher Yakov Tryapitsyn  Aleksandr Samoilov Sergey Lazo  A. Krasnoshchyokov Damdin Sükhbaatar |
 Alexander Kolchak Grigory Semyonov Mikhail Diterikhs Ivan Kalmykov † R. von Ungern-Sternberg  Otani Kikuzo Yui Mitsue Shiōden Nobutaka William S. Graves Robert L. Eichelberger Alfred Knox John Ward MP James H. Elmsley Bogd Khan |
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| Strength | |||||||||
| 600,000 |
70,000 Japanese ~ More than 140,000 |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| 7,791 698 killed/missing 2,189 died of disease 1,421 wounded 3,482 evacuated sick/frostbitten (Jan-June 1922 only) |
Unknown 5,000 dead from combat and disease 48 killed 33 killed 19 killed |
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The Siberian intervention was when several countries sent their soldiers to Siberia, a large region in Russia, between 1918 and 1922. This happened during the Russian Civil War. The main goal was to help forces that were against the new Bolshevik government in Russia. Japan kept its troops in Siberia even after other countries left.
Contents
Why Did the Siberian Intervention Happen?
After the October Revolution in 1917, Russia's new Bolshevik government signed a peace treaty with Germany. This meant Russia stopped fighting in World War I. This was a big problem for the Allied Powers (like Britain, France, and the U.S.). It allowed Germany to move many soldiers from Russia to the Western Front.
The Czechoslovak Legion's Journey
About 50,000 soldiers from the Czechoslovak Legion were in Russia. They were fighting for the Allies. When Russia left the war, these soldiers were stuck. They decided to fight their way to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. They used the Trans-Siberian Railway, which was controlled by the Bolsheviks.
Allied Goals in Russia
Britain and France decided to get involved in the Russian Civil War. They had three main goals:
- To stop Allied military supplies in Russia from falling into German or Bolshevik hands.
- To help the Czechoslovak Legion and get them back into the war.
- To restart the Eastern Front against Germany by supporting anti-Bolshevik forces.
The United States, led by President Woodrow Wilson, agreed to send troops. They wanted to help the Czech Legion. China also sent troops to protect its citizens and interests. Japan, Britain, and France also sent soldiers. Japan sent a very large number of troops, much more than initially asked for.
Who Participated in the Siberian Intervention?
Many countries sent soldiers to Siberia. Each country had its own reasons for being there.
British Empire Forces
The British Army sent about 1,800 soldiers to Siberia. These troops came from different regiments. They were among the first Allied forces to land in Vladivostok in August 1918. Britain also sent a military mission of 500 officers and non-commissioned officers. Their job was to train and equip the anti-Bolshevik forces.
Canada's Role
Canada sent the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force. It had 4,192 soldiers and arrived in Vladivostok in October 1918. Most Canadian soldiers stayed in Vladivostok. They did routine training and policing duties. They saw very little fighting.
China's Involvement
China sent 2,300 troops to Vladivostok. They wanted to protect Chinese people and their businesses. Chinese soldiers fought against both Bolsheviks and Cossacks.
Italy's Contribution
Italy sent a group of soldiers called the "Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Estremo Oriente." They were joined by Italian former prisoners of war. These Italian forces helped the Czechoslovak Legion. They used heavily armed trains to control parts of the Siberian railway. Their main operations were around Irkutsk, Harbin, and Vladivostok.
France's Small Force
France sent a small force of 500 soldiers to Vladivostok in August 1918. These were colonial troops from French Indochina.
Japan's Large Presence
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Japan was asked to intervene in Russia in 1917 but refused at first. Later, Japan saw a chance to protect itself from future threats from Russia. They wanted to create a separate buffer state in Siberia.
In July 1918, President Wilson asked Japan to send 7,000 troops. Japan agreed to send 12,000 troops, but they insisted on their own command. Japanese troops started landing in Vladivostok in August 1918. By the end of the month, 18,000 Japanese soldiers had arrived. The Japanese General Otani Kikuzo took command of all Allied forces.
United States Expeditionary Force
The American Expeditionary Force, Siberia, was led by Major General William S. Graves. It had 8,763 soldiers. The first American troops arrived in Vladivostok in August 1918. They were assigned to guard parts of the railway.
General Graves believed his mission was to protect American property and help the Czechoslovak Legions leave Russia. He did not think his job was to fight the Bolsheviks. He often disagreed with other Allied commanders who wanted more active fighting.
Other Participants
Smaller groups of soldiers from Poland, Serbia, and Romania also arrived in Vladivostok in late 1918.
The Allied Intervention in Action (1918–1919)
The Allied intervention began in August 1918. Japan sent over 70,000 troops. This large number made other Allies worried about Japan's true intentions. The Americans landed their forces in August and September.
The British, Italian, and French troops joined the Czechs. They wanted to re-establish a front against the Bolsheviks. However, the Japanese refused to go west of Lake Baikal. The Americans also stayed behind, partly to watch the Japanese. By November, the Japanese controlled many ports and towns in Siberia.
Japanese forces supported anti-Bolshevik groups. They helped set up a short-lived government in Transbaikalia. Allied forces also helped defend against the Bolsheviks near the Ussuri River. British armored trains helped in the Battle of Dukhovskaya. This battle helped clear Bolshevik resistance in the area.
The Allied forces did not always work well together. There was a lot of distrust. The Canadian commander, Major General James H. Elmsley, noted that everyone seemed to distrust everyone else. He felt the Czechs were the only honest group.
The Czechs had trouble fighting their way to Vladivostok. They faced obstacles like tunnels on the railway. They eventually defeated Bolshevik forces and continued their journey.
The Americans decided not to fight the Bolsheviks. They focused on guarding the railway and military supplies. The Americans and Japanese became rivals over trade in Siberia. Japan was more interested in controlling trade than in helping the anti-Bolshevik forces.
A Canadian force arrived in Vladivostok in October. They hoped for trade benefits from a friendly Russian government. British forces traveled west to Omsk. They stayed there for the winter and may have played a role in the coup that brought Admiral Alexander Kolchak to power.
Some British Royal Marines later formed a unit called the 'Kama River Flotilla'. They used armed boats to attack Bolshevik forces along the Kama River. They sank a Bolshevik flagship and destroyed another boat.
By October 1918, an independent Czech state was declared. This made the Czech Legion want to return home. The Canadians also wanted to leave Russia by April 1919. The last Canadian forces left Siberia in June 1919.
What Happened Next?
Allied Withdrawal (1919–1920)
In the summer of 1919, the anti-Bolshevik government in Siberia collapsed. By August 1919, plans were made to withdraw British forces. By November, most British troops had left. The remaining Allies quickly tried to leave as the Bolsheviks advanced.
On January 12, 1920, some British and Canadian soldiers were captured while fleeing. The last British military mission members left Siberia by February 1920.
On February 7, 1920, the anti-Bolshevik leader Admiral Kolchak was executed. Over the next few months, the Americans and other Allies left Vladivostok. The Czechoslovak Legion was also evacuated.
However, Japan decided to stay. They worried about communism spreading close to their controlled areas like Korea and Manchuria. But other countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, pressured Japan to leave. Facing high costs and opposition at home, Japan finally withdrew its forces in October 1922.
Lasting Impact
Effects on Japanese Politics
Japan's reasons for being in Siberia were complicated. They said they were there to protect supplies and rescue the Czech Legion. But Japan also strongly disliked communism. They wanted to gain back losses from past conflicts with Russia. They also saw a chance to create a buffer state or even take over some territory.
Supporting different anti-Bolshevik leaders put Japan in a difficult spot when the Red Army won the Russian Civil War. The intervention also caused disagreements within Japan's government and army. The Siberian Expedition cost Japan about 5,000 lives and a lot of money.
More to Explore
- North Russia intervention
- Southern Russia intervention
