World One War: The Murdering 'White' Russian

In the wake of revolution in Russia, one man, cold and ruthless, slaughtered his way across Asia.

Baron Roman Nikolaï Maximilian Von Ungern-Sternberg was a German- Russian hero of World War One who, as a lieutenant General, commanded troops during Russia’s Civil War.

During the midst of the slaughter of the Russian Civil War, in 1921, Sternberg’s forces took control of Mongolia from Chinese troops.  Sternberg’s invasion of southern Siberia in order to support anti-Bolshevik rebellions led to his defeat by Russian Communist forces in the summer of 1921.

The personality of Sternberg remains a mystery too many as there has been little wrote on his exploits in Asia during and after the First World War.  What is known is a shocking reminder of what humanity is capable of.  Independent and brutal, Sternberg was a warlord in pursuit of pan-monarchist goals in Mongolia and territories east of Lake Baikal during the Russian Civil War.

Sternberg’s goals included the restoration of the Russian monarchy and the reawakening of the Great Mongol Empire which had controlled most of Asia during the Middle-Ages.  During the quest to create his ambitions, Sternberg ruthlessly and chillingly persecuted those he viewed as his opponents, particularly Bolsheviks and Russian Jews.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, Sternberg joined the Russian Army as part of the 34^th Regiment of Cossack troops.  He took part in Russian offensives in what was East Prussia.  Throughout the war he gained a reputation as a brave, yet reckless and mentally unstable officer.  Despite being decorated several times, he was discharged from the army for failing to obey orders.

Following the February revolution of 1917, Ungern transferred to the Caucuses, where Russia was fighting Turkey.

After the October Revolution in 1917, which brought the Bolsheviks into power, Stern berg declared his support for the Monarchy and the infant ‘White’ Movement.  Appointed governor of Dauria, Sternberg distinguished himself by his extreme cruelty to the local populace and his own troops. His often erratic behaviour led to him being often referred to as the ‘Mad Baron’.  Although extremely anti-Bolshevik, Sternberg refused to recognise the authority of Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak, who led the ‘White’ Movement.

Whilst in Asia, Sternberg formed the Volunteer Asiatic Cavalry Division which included Russians, Buryats, Tatars, Mongols and a whole host of various ethnic peoples of Asia.  Like many units of the violent period, Sternberg’s troops plundered as a means to supply their force.  Plundering trains passing through Dauria to Manchuria had a considerable effect on Russian and Chinese Merchants who were left poor.  

Sternberg, believing that Monarchy was the Wests only option in order to avoid self-destruction, began to pursue the idea of restoring the Khan Mongolian Empire.  Organising a military expedition into Mongolia, which at that time was occupied by Chinese troops, Sternberg wanted to restore the rule of the Khan as part of his vision of monarchies from the Far East to Europe.

In order for his plan to be implemented, he travelled to both Manchuria and China between February and September 1919.  Establishing contacts with monarchists, he married Manchurian princess Ji in an Orthodox ceremony.  The marriage was political as one of Ji’s relatives was the commander of Chinese troops in Western Asia.

Following the defeat of the ‘White’ armies at the hands of the Bolsheviks, Sternberg decided to implement his monarchist plans and on the 7^th August 1920 formed his forces into a guerrilla army.

Crossing the border of Mongolia, his forces assaulted the capital of Mongolia, Urga, but suffered heavy losses at the hands of Chinese forces.  In February of 1921, Ungern’s detachment captured Chinese positions around Urga and following heavy fighting, secured parts of Urga.  Wasting no time, Sternberg launched an all-out assault on the remaining Chinese positions on the 4^th of February.  The capital was taken following savage street-to-street fighting.  The following month, Sternberg’s forces captured a fortified Chinese base at Choiryn in the south of Mongolia.

The Bolsheviks began infiltrating Mongolia as early as 1917; however the soviets didn’t make an all-out invasion until 1921 in order to bring Sternberg to heel.  Sternberg organised a military campaign to meet this invasion force, but, believing to be invincible, the Bolsheviks had gained support from the terrorised masses.  When Sternberg finally advanced on the Bolshevik forces, very few flocked to his banner.

Sternberg’s forces made a two pronged advance on the Red forces, whereas the Bolsheviks advanced upon Sternberg in various columns.  Furthermore, the Bolsheviks had the upper hand in regard to equipment and technology.  Their force was armed with armoured cars, airplanes and armoured trains.  As a result of the Bolshevik military strength, Sternberg was summarily defeated on more than one occasion.

Following the capture of Urga, the Bolsheviks failed to fully corner Sternberg.

Advancing into Russia itself, Sternberg’s forces penetrated deep into Russian territory.  In response the Bolsheviks declared martial law. Despite Sternberg’s forces capturing many settlements and towns, his forces realised that their offensive was ill prepared or timed.  Retreating back to Mongolia, Sternberg’s forces wanted to abandon the campaign and head towards Manchuria where numerous ‘White’ Russian Émigrés had stopped.

Sternberg’s troops mutinied and plotted to kill him…

Failing to assassinate Sternberg, his forces command completely collapsed, and on the 20^th August 1921 he was captured by Bolshevik forces.  His trial on September 15^th lasted six hours and 15 minutes, and was subsequently executed by firing squad on the evening of the same day.

This example of the murdering ‘White’ Russian is merely an example of the degrading state military units and figures were in towards the end of the First World War and into the subsequent ‘little’ conflicts of the early 20s.  Sternberg acted how other military figures acted at the time.  The results of Russia’s Civil War were tremendous and affected every life in Russia and Asia during its bloody years between 1917 and 1923.  The estimates of the conflicts dead range between 2 million and reach as high as 8 million.