DOI: 10.25136/2409-868X.2019.11.31244

Abstract: The object of this research is the changes in the policy of rendering British aid to the White Forces of Siberia and Southern Russia in July 1919 and their causes. The subject of this research is the information on these matters, contained in the meeting protocol of the British War Cabinet of July 25, 1919 and related decision. Within the framework of the question “Situation in Russia”, were comprehensively discussed the reasonableness and possibilities of rendering British aid to A. V. Kolchak’s army in Siberia and A. I. Denikin’s army in Southern Russia. The author applies narrative method of research for description of documents that have not been previously introduced into the scientific discourse by the Russian scholars. The comparative method is used for correlation of data collected from various sources. The scientific novelty consists in the comprehensive examination of the claimed topic based on the meeting protocol of the War Cabinet of July 25, 1919, as well as other newly introduced documents from the United Kingdom National Archive. The author comes to the conclusion that the escalation of social tension in British society, major defeats of A. V. Kolchak, successful offensive operations of A. I. Denikin, along with the lack of financial resources for supporting the White Forces on all fronts, led to curtailing of British aid to Kolchak’s army and increased support of Denikin’s army, since his military achievements at the moment theoretically allowed counting upon invasion of Moscow.  

DOI: 10.25136/2409-868X.2019.2.29289

Abstract: The object of this research is the role of British War Cabinet in organization of intervention in Far East and Siberia. The subject of this research is the actions of British government pertinent to the agreement of the terms and conditions of intervention with the United States, Japan, and Soviet authorities in December 1917 – August 1918, which was a challenging task due to the clash of interests of the United States and Japan and their approaches towards resolution of the problems in these regions, not to mention the equivocal position of the Soviet Russia in discussing the “intervention upon agreement”, i.e. integration approved by the Soviet authorities. The main research methods are the following: chronological, comparative and narrative, substantiated by the strict chronological framework and the nature of the involved sources, some of which are used for the first time. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that the attraction of the vast amount of sources from the National Archive that have not been previously introduced into the scientific discourse, allows studying the insufficiently covered within the Russian historiography topic on the role of United Kingdom in organization of intervention in Far East and Siberia with regards to agreeing the terms of intervention with the United States, Japan, and Soviet government. The conclusion is made that using its political leverage, the British government not only actively participated in conversations with Japan, United States, and Soviet authorities, but practically formed the agenda for such negotiations, persistently encouraging the partners to follow their directives.