Rise and fall of Grigory Semyonov

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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
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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
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Accordin# to Syotr Wran#el6
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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
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!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 $ran%baikal re#ion /ith the help of the 4!echo%lovak 2e#ion%, and
impo%ed hi% rthle%% re#ime5 0n hi% rle over thi% re#ion, he ha% been de%cribed a% a
Xplain bandit O/hoP dre/ hi% income from holdin# p train% and forcin# payment%, no
matter /hat the natre of the load nor for /ho%e benefit it /a% bein# %hipped5X
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$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
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Semyonov handed ot copie% of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion to the Japane%e
troop% he became a%%ociated /ith5
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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
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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
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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 $ran%baikal
parti%an%, internationali%t% and the 5th Soviet Army nder 3enrich (iche lanched an
operation to re1take 4hita5 0n &ctober 1920, nit% of the 'ed Army and #errilla% forced
SemyonovU% tiny army ot of the Naikal re#ion5 After havin# retreated to Srimorye,
Semyonov tried to contine fi#htin# the Soviet%, bt /a% finally forced to abandon all
'%%ian territory by September 19215
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$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
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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
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References
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Speller Y Son%5 Me/ Zork5 195L5
*5 &"m " ' Ni%her, White Terror5
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