Roman Fedorovich von Ungern-Sternberg. Mad Baron

"Are you kidding, baron?" Sometimes in old memoirs you can find a lot of interesting and instructive things. Here is what we managed to extract from the memoirs of M. F. Kamenskaya. At the beginning of the last century, Ivan Petrovich Martos was the rector of the Academy of Arts. It was a famous sculptor: in Moscow, on

Ungern von Sternberg Roman Fedorovich - was born on 01/22/1885. Baron, Lutheran. From an old German-Baltic (Ostsee) count and baronial family, included in the noble matricules (lists) of all three Russian Baltic provinces. The main blood of the Ungern family is Hungarian-Slavic. The baron grew up in Reval with his stepfather, Baron Oskar Fedorovich von Goyningen-Hühne. In 1896, by decision of his mother, he was sent to the St. Petersburg Naval Cadet Corps, upon admission to which the baron changes his name to Russian and becomes Roman Fedorovich; a year before his end, during the Russo-Japanese War, he leaves his studies and goes to the front as a volunteer of the 1st category in the 91st Dvina Infantry Regiment. However, when Ungern's regiment arrived at the theater of operations in Manchuria, the war had already ended. For participation in the campaign against Japan, the baron was awarded a light bronze medal and in November 1905 he was promoted to corporal. In 1906 he entered and in 1908 graduated from the Pavlovsk military school in the 2nd category. From June 1908 he served in the 1st Argun regiment of the Trans-Baikal Cossack army with the rank of cornet. At the end of February 1911 he was transferred to the Amur Cossack Count Muravyov-Amursky Regiment. In July 1913, he resigned and left for Kobdo, Mongolia, where he served in the hundred of Yesaul Komarovsky (future white general) as a supernumerary officer; then returned to his family in Revel (now Tallinn, Estonia).

With the outbreak of World War I, he entered the 34th Don Cossack Regiment. During the war he was wounded five times. For exploits, courage and courage during the war, the baron was awarded a number of orders. So in the fall of 1914, on the outskirts of East Prussia, Baron Ungern accomplished a feat, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. During the battle on September 22, 1914, he, being at the Podborek manor, 400-500 steps from the enemy trenches, under real rifle and artillery fire, gave accurate and correct information about the location of the enemy and his movements, as a result of which measures were taken that led to represents the success of subsequent actions. At the end of 1914, the baron transferred to the 1st Nerchinsk Regiment, during his service in which he was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 4th degree, with the inscription "For Courage". In September 1915, the baron was seconded to the detachment of special importance of the Northern Front of Ataman Punin, whose task was partisan operations behind enemy lines. During his further service in a special detachment, Baron Ungern received two more orders: the Order of St. Stanislav, 3rd degree, and the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree. Baron Ungern returned to the Nerchinsk regiment in August 1916. During this period, he was promoted to podsauls, as well as to captains - "for military distinctions"! In September 1916 he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 3rd class. However, for the excess that occurred later - disobedience and an antidisciplinary act - he was the commander of the 1st Nerchinsk regiment, Colonel Baron P.N. regiment G. M. Semyonov. After the February Revolution, Semyonov sends War Minister Kerensky a plan for “using the nomads of Eastern Siberia to form parts of a“ natural ”(born) irregular cavalry from them ...”, which was approved by Kerensky. In July 1917, Semyonov left Petrograd for Transbaikalia, where he arrived on August 1 with the appointment of the Commissioner of the Provisional Government in the Far East for the formation of national units. Following him in August 1917, his friend, the military foreman Baron Ungern, was also sent to Transbaikalia, where together they actually began to prepare for the upcoming civil war with the Bolsheviks.

After the beginning of the formation in Manchuria by Semyonov of the Special Manchu detachment, Baron Ungern was appointed commandant of the Hailar station with the task of putting in order the infantry units located there, decomposed by Bolshevik agitation. The baron is initially engaged in the disarmament of pro-Bolshevik-minded units. Both Semyonov and Ungern at that time earned themselves a dark reputation for repressions against the civilian population, which very often had nothing to do with the Bolsheviks. After the appearance in the winter-spring of 1918 in Transbaikalia of numerous echelons with pro-Bolshevik soldiers returning from the collapsed German front, the Semenov detachment was forced to retreat to Manchuria, leaving behind only a small piece of Russian land in the region of the Onon River.

In the Civil War, he took part on the side of the White movement, commanding the Foreign Cavalry Division (later - the Native Cavalry Corps, the Asian Cavalry Division) in the troops of Ataman Semyonov in Transbaikalia. In October 1918 he was promoted to major general. On December 9, 1918, Baron Ungern was appointed commander of the Native Cavalry Corps (later transformed into the Asian Division). Ungern is in fact the absolute ruler of Dauria and the adjacent section of the Trans-Baikal Railway. During the campaign, in the absence of Ungern, he was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel L. Sipailov, and order was maintained by a small contingent of Cossacks and Japanese. The forces of Semyonov and Ungern did not actually affect the overall outcome of the Civil War in any way. In November 1919, the Red troops approached Transbaikalia. In March 1920, the Reds take Verkhneudinsk and the Semyonovites retreat to Chita. In August 1920, the Asian division of Baron Ungern leaves Dauria and goes to Mongolia in order to storm Urga, the capital of Outer Mongolia (now the city of Ulan Bator), occupied by Chinese Republican troops. There is a version that Ungern's division in this movement was to become the vanguard, followed by Semyonov himself, according to the plan.

The first assault on Urga began on October 26, 1920 and ended in failure - among the Chinese there were several decisive commanders who managed to keep units from fleeing, after which the Chinese advantage in firepower and numbers appeared. The fighting lasted until November 7, and during the second assault, the Ungernists were very close to success, but the position of the Chinese was saved by the courage of one of their officers, who managed to lure the retreating Chinese into a counterattack. Ungern lost about a hundred people killed and was forced to retreat to the Kerulen River, where the baron began to restore discipline, shaken after the defeat, with harsh measures. In December 1920, Ungern again approaches Urga, having replenished his forces with a hundred Tibetans under the command of the cornet Tubanov. This time, the baron finally heeded the advice of other senior commanders of the Asian division, including an experienced career officer, Colonel Ivanovsky, who arrived from Semyonov, and for the first time the plan for the third assault was developed by the only meeting of commanders of individual units in the history of the detachment.

Ungern's troops were replenished with Mongolian and Buryat detachments that joined him, and when in January 1921 two Chinese regiments were defeated on the outskirts of Urga, this opened the way for the baron to the coveted capital. Ungern's troops before the third assault were determined by the size of the Asiatic division itself - 1,460 people. The Chinese garrison numbered 10 thousand fighters. The spiritual and secular ruler of Outer Mongolia, the Bogdo-gegen, was in the hands of the Chinese as a hostage. Ungern, inspired to take a daring step by the Mongol princes, who wanted to restore the monarchy in the country and put an end to strife, sent a special detachment to save him, which stole the prisoner from the city, occupied by ten thousand enemy troops. After that, the Asian division carried out an assault, which ended with the capture of Urga on February 3, 1921. Urga met the Asiatic Division and Ungern as liberators. However, at first the city was given to the troops for plunder, after which the baron severely suppresses all the robberies and violence of the Chinese against the Mongols in the city. The baron took part in the solemn coronation of Bogdo-Gegen in February 1921. For services to the ruler, Ungern was granted the title of “tsin-wang” (radiant prince) and khan (usually available only to Genghisides by blood) with the words “Great bator, who revived the state, commander ”, many subordinates of the baron received the posts of Mongolian officials.

Ungern equips the city and the local Mongolian authorities (the “experienced revolutionary” Damdinbazar was appointed prime minister of the puppet government) and manifests himself as a cruel despotic ruler, starting his rule with a massacre directed against the Chinese and Jewish population of the Mongolian capital, as well as persons suspected of “ leftist sentiments. The Jewish pogrom that took place in Urga resulted in the wholesale extermination of Jews. Despite this, the baron carried out a number of progressive measures: he opened a military school in Urga, strengthened the Mongolian economy (opened the National Bank), and improved healthcare. Realizing that in Mongolia few people consider him a welcome guest and that the country's leadership is constantly looking towards the Bolsheviks (in 1921 it was already clear that the White Cause was lost in Russia and that Urga should start building relations with Bolshevik Russia), Baron Ungern is trying to start contacts with the Chinese monarchist generals in order to restore the Qing dynasty with the help of their troops.

Contrary to Ungern's expectations, the Chinese were in no hurry to restore either the dynasty or to implement Ungern's plan - and the baron had no choice but to move to the Soviet Transbaikalia, because the Mongols, in turn, seeing that Ungern was no longer going to fight with China, had already begun to change their relation to the Asian division. Baron Ungern was prompted to leave Mongolia as soon as possible by the impending end of the stocks he had captured in Urga in a very short time. Immediately before the campaign, Ungern made an attempt to contact the white Primorye. He wrote to General V. M. Molchanov, but he did not answer the baron.

On May 21, 1921, Lieutenant General Ungern issued Order No. 15 to "Russian detachments on the territory of Soviet Siberia", which announced the start of a campaign on Soviet territory. The order was written by the famous Polish-Russian journalist and writer Ferdinand Ossendowski. The order said:

... among the people we see disappointment, distrust of people. He needs names, names known to all, dear and honored. There is only one such name - the rightful owner of the Earth, the Russian Emperor All-Russian Mikhail Alexandrovich ... In the fight against the criminal destroyers and defilers of Russia, remember that as the morals in Russia completely decline and the depravity of mind and body is complete, one cannot be guided by the old assessment. There can be only one measure of punishment - the death penalty of various degrees. The old foundations of justice have changed. There is no "truth and mercy". "Truth and ruthless severity" must now exist. The evil that came to earth to destroy the Divine principle in the human soul must be rooted out...

The purpose of Baron Ungern's campaign in Soviet Russia lay in the context of the revival of the empire of Genghis Khan: Russia was supposed to unanimously revolt, and the Middle Empire was supposed to help her get rid of the revolution. However, by the time the Asian division invaded Russia, the peasantry had already given a little breath - the surplus appropriation was canceled, replaced by a solid tax in kind, and the New Economic Policy began, which significantly muted the discontent of the peasants. And one of the largest peasant uprisings - Tambov - was already suppressed by the Bolsheviks. As a result of mass support, Ungern failed to receive, which was the main reason for the failure of the Northern Expedition of the Asian Division. And the Mongols themselves, who were ready to fight with Baron Ungern against the Chinese, were not at all interested in a campaign against Soviet Russia. Coming out on a campaign to the north, Baron Ungern sent Colonel Ivanovsky to Ataman Semenov with a request to open a second front and support the offensive of the Asian division, but the former Kolchak commanders refused to obey Semenov, although this speech significantly increased the chances of occupying the white parts of the Far East. In Urga, Lieutenant Colonel Sipailov was left with a commandant's team and a small contingent of the Mongolian military school, and a barrier consisting of 300 riders of the Buryat division with a Russian machine-gun team attached to it was put up directly in front of the city.

Ungern planned to cut the Trans-Siberian with his blow, blowing up the tunnels on the most vulnerable section of the Baikal highway. The implementation of this plan could lead to the termination of communication between the Far East and the rest of Bolshevik Russia and would significantly alleviate the position of the white units in Primorye. At the end of May 1921, the Asian division headed for the border of Soviet Russia. Before the campaign, Baron Ungern gathered the largest forces he had ever had: the 1st and 4th cavalry regiments of the captains Parygin and Makov, two artillery batteries, a machine gun team, the 1st Mongolian, Separate Tibetan, Chinese, Chakhar divisions were 1- th brigade under the direct command of General Baron Ungern, numbering 2,100 fighters with 8 guns and 20 machine guns. The brigade attacked Troitskosavsk, Selenginsk and Verkhneudinsk.

The 2nd brigade under the command of Major General B.P. Rezukhin consisted of the 2nd and 3rd cavalry regiments under the command of Colonel Khobotov and centurion Yankov, an artillery battery, a machine gun team, the 2nd Mongolian division and a Japanese company. The strength of the brigade is 1,510 fighters. The 2nd brigade had 4 guns and 10 machine guns at its disposal. The brigade was tasked with crossing the border in the area of ​​the village of Tsezhinskaya and, acting on the left bank of the Selenga, go to Mysovsk and Tataurovo along the red rear, blowing up bridges and tunnels along the way.

Three partisan detachments were also subordinate to the baron: - a detachment under the command of the regiment. Kazangardi - consisting of 510 fighters, 2 guns, 4 machine guns; - a detachment under the command of the ataman of the Yenisei Cossack army Yesaul Kazantsev - 340 fighters with 4 machine guns; - a detachment under the command of Yesaul Kaigorodov, consisting of 500 fighters with 4 machine guns. The addition of these detachments to the main forces of the Asiatic division would make it possible to neutralize the numerical superiority of the Reds, who fielded more than 10,000 bayonets against Baron Ungern in the main direction. However, this did not happen and the baron attacked the numerically superior enemy troops.

The campaign began with some success: the 2nd brigade of General Rezukhin managed to defeat several Bolshevik detachments, but at the same time the 1st brigade under the command of Baron Ungern himself was defeated, lost its convoy and almost all of the artillery. For this victory over the Ungern brigade, the commander of the 35th Red Cavalry Regiment K.K. Rokossovsky (future Marshal of the USSR), seriously wounded in battle, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The position of the Asian division was further aggravated by the fact that Ungern, who believed in the predictions of the lamas, did not begin to storm Troitskosavsk in time, occupied by the then still weak red garrison of only 400 bayonets, due to the negative result of divination. Subsequently, at the time of the beginning of the assault, the Bolshevik garrison was already almost 2,000 people.

Nevertheless, Baron Ungern managed to withdraw his troops from Troitskosavsk - the Reds did not dare to pursue the 1st brigade, fearing the approach of the gene. Rezukhin and his 2nd brigade. The losses of the baron's brigade amounted to about 440 people. At this time, the Soviet troops, in turn, undertook a campaign against Urga and, having easily knocked down the barriers of Ungern near the city, on July 6, 1921, they entered the capital of Mongolia without a fight - General Baron Ungern underestimated the forces of the Reds, which were enough to repel the invasion of the Asian division into Siberia, and for the simultaneous dispatch of troops to Mongolia.

Ungern, having given his brigade a little rest on the Iro River, led it to join Rezukhin, whose brigade, unlike Ungern's troops, not only did not suffer losses, but was even replenished with captured Red Army soldiers. The connection of the brigades took place on July 8, 1921 on the banks of the Selenga. And on July 18, the Asian division had already moved on its new and last campaign - to Mysovsk and Verkhneudinsk, taking which the baron would have been able to fulfill one of his main tasks - to cut the Trans-Siberian.

The forces of the Asiatic Division by the time they entered the 2nd campaign amounted to 3,250 fighters with 6 guns and 36 machine guns. On August 1, 1921, Baron Ungern wins a major victory at the Gusinoozersky datsan, capturing 300 Red Army soldiers (a third of whom Ungern shot at random, determining "by the eyes" which of them sympathizes with the Bolsheviks), 2 guns, 6 machine guns and 500 rifles, however, during the battle at Novodmitrievka on August 4, the initial success of the Ungernists was nullified by a detachment of armored cars that approached the Reds, which the artillery of the Asiatic Division could not cope with. The last battle of the Asian division took place on August 12, 1921 near the village of Ataman-Nikolskaya, when the Bolsheviks suffered significant losses from the artillery and machine-gun units of Baron Ungern - then no more than 600 people left the 2000 Red detachment. After that, the baron decided to retreat back to Mongolia, in order to subsequently attack the Uryankhai region with new forces. The Asian Cavalry Division inflicted very sensitive losses on the Reds - in all the battles taken together, they lost at least 2,000-2,500 people killed. The Reds suffered especially heavy losses on the Khaike River and at the Gusinoozersky datsan.

The baron's idea, according to which the division was to be sent to Uryankhai for the winter, did not receive support from the ranks of the division: the soldiers and officers were sure that this plan would doom them to death. As a result, a conspiracy arose in both brigades against Baron Ungern, and no one came out in defense of the commander: neither from the officers, nor from the Cossacks.

On August 16, 1921, the commander of the 2nd brigade, General Rezukhin, refuses to lead the brigade to Manchuria and, because of this, dies at the hands of his subordinates. And on the night of August 18-19, the conspirators fire at the tent of General Baron Ungern himself, but by this time the latter manages to hide in the direction of the location of the Mongolian division (commander Prince Sundui-gun). The conspirators deal with several executioners close to Ungern, after which both rebellious brigades leave in an easterly direction in order to reach Manchuria through the territory of Mongolia, and from there - to Primorye - to Ataman Semyonov. Baron Ungern makes an attempt to return the fugitives, threatens them with execution, but they drive away Ungern with shots. The baron returns to the Mongolian division, which eventually arrests him and extradites him to the red volunteer partisan detachment, commanded by the former staff captain, cavalier of the full bow of soldiers Georgiev P. E. Shchetinkin.

The reason for the arrest of the baron by the Mongols was the desire of the latter to return home, their unwillingness to fight outside their territory. The division commander tried, at the cost of the head of Baron Ungern, to earn for himself the forgiveness of the Reds. The prince's plan subsequently really succeeded: both Sundui-gun himself and his people, after the extradition of General Baron Ungern, were released by the Bolsheviks back to Mongolia. On September 15, 1921, an open show trial of Ungern took place in Novonikolaevsk in the building of the Novonikolaevsky Theater. E. M. Yaroslavsky was appointed the chief prosecutor at the trial. The whole thing took 5 hours and 20 minutes. Ungern was charged on three counts: firstly, actions in the interests of Japan, which was expressed in plans to create a "Central Asian state"; secondly, an armed struggle against the Soviet regime with the aim of restoring the Romanov dynasty; thirdly, terror and atrocities. Baron Ungern during the entire trial and investigation behaved with great dignity and all the time emphasized his negative attitude towards Bolshevism and the Bolsheviks, especially towards the Jewish Bolsheviks. At the trial, Ungern did not admit his guilt and did not express the slightest remorse. The baron was sentenced to death by firing squad and executed on the same day. Bogdo Gegen, after receiving the news of the execution of Ungern, ordered to serve a prayer service for him in all datsans and temples of Mongolia.

Baron Ungern left a significant mark on history, albeit not the one he had hoped for: it was thanks to the baron, with his complete disregard for danger, who was able to captivate a handful of soldiers into what seemed to his contemporaries insane campaign against Urga, today's Mongolia is a state independent of China - if it weren't for the capture of Urga by the Asiatic division, then both Outer and Inner Mongolia would remain today just one of the many Chinese provinces - since the Chinese troops would not have been expelled from Urga and there would have been no reason to bring units of the Red Army into Mongolian territory in response to the attack of Transbaikalia by Ungern during his Northern campaign. Baron Ungern posed a real danger to Bolshevism in that almost the only leader of the White movement openly proclaimed as his goal not the vague and indefinite idea of ​​the Constituent Assembly, but the restoration of the monarchy.

"Bloody Baron" R.F. Ungern: myths and facts

To date, literature on life and
activities of R.F. von Ungern-Sternberg is large enough. On
During the Soviet period, in the writings about the baron, certain
tendencies associated with the mythologization of his image. Despite the fact that in
modern Russian literature assessment of the activities of R.F. Ungern
has undergone significant changes, the stamps that have developed in the Soviet
time, still continue to exist. One of the first studies on
Wrestling R.F. Ungern wrote A.N. Kislov against the Soviet regime. First
his small work "The Defeat of Ungern" was published in the journal "War and
revolution" in 1931. The author set as his goal an overview of military operations,
therefore, he did not dwell much on the atrocities of the "bloody baron". At
he was the only one who accused R.F. Ungern in the burning of the village of Kulinga with
all residents, including women and children, at the entrance of the Asian horse
divisions in Mongolia. In 1964, the work of A.N. Kislov was published already in the form
monographs under the same title. The author was more eloquent in describing
deeds of the baron, whose image is already firmly established in Soviet literature:
"Brutal bandits robbed and killed peaceful Soviet citizens,
shot communists and Soviet workers, sparing neither women nor
children ... Ungern took with him about a hundred hostages, threatening a cruel
reprisals in the event of any opposition from the residents," -
wrote A.N. Kislitsyn without any reference to the source of information.

The next researcher in the fight against R.F. Ungern
was even more severe. B. Tsibikov's monograph was written in 1947
year, at that time Soviet literature was filled with denunciations
atrocities of fascism. From the point of view of the author, R.F. Ungern was the forerunner
fascist ideology and, accordingly, simply had to be bloody
executioner. To the credit of B. Tsibikov, it should be noted that he did not falsify
data, drawing information from the press of the 20s. For example, he stated,
that by order of R.F. Ungern in Urga over 400 people were killed. Author
described the massacres of Jews in great detail, citing specific
surnames. B. Tsibikov colorfully painted pictures of how the soldiers of the Asian
divisions, taking by the legs, tore the children into two halves, and R.F.
Ungern led the slow burning at the stake caught on the road
a random traveler in order to ask him where the money is kept.

In the future, Soviet authors no longer resorted to
such artistic devices as to depict the atrocities of the baron, but the image
"bloody" was assigned to R.F. Ungern is very strong. In 1957 G.
Kurgunov and I. Sorokovikov wrote in their book: “Ungern is a refined
sadist, for him pleasure is not only in the death of his victim, but in
unbearable torments of this victim, caused by various tortures. Here and
burning the living at the stake, tearing pieces of meat from the back with hooks,
cauterization of the heels with a red-hot iron, etc.” In the monograph "The collapse
anti-Soviet underground in the USSR "D.L. Golikov announced R.F. Ungern
"Fanatic Black Hundreds", indicating that the baron left ashes behind him
burned villages and corpses, he distributed all the property of the "recalcitrant"
members of his gang and was fed by robbery. Based on
newspaper publications during the Civil War, the author stated that Ungern
burned huge villages along with women and children, as well as hundreds
shot the peasants. Similar tendencies persist in the literature and
90s. Author of the monograph "Political History of Mongolia" S.K. Roshchin
wrote that R.F. Ungern was “a tyrant, a maniac, a mystic, a cruel man,
closed, drunkard (in his youth). At the same time, the author did not refuse the baron
and in some positive qualities - asceticism, frenzied energy,
bravery.

In the 1990s, researchers gained access to
memoirs of contemporaries R.F. Ungern, and most importantly, they can
was freely cited in publications. It suddenly turned out that
the baron's associates were no less strict with his activities than the Soviet
literature.

For the first time adequate coverage of life and activities
R.F. Ungern received in the fictionalized book of Leonid Yuzefovich. TO
unfortunately, the author's approach to the memoirs of the baron's contemporaries was
virtually devoid of criticism. In the work of A. Yuzefovich, R.F. Ungern was
captured exactly as it was reflected in the memoirs of his comrades-in-arms.
At the same time, the assessment of the baron's activities was generally positive. Author
monograph "Baron Ungern von Sternberg" E.A. Belov was careful with
testimonies of associates of the baron. But he was betrayed by objectivity in
description of the actions of the Asian Cavalry Division during a campaign in Russia. On
Based on the testimony of R.F. Ungern during interrogations, the author concludes that
that “in the temporarily occupied territory of Siberia, Ungern behaved like
cruel conqueror, killed entire families of communists and partisans, not sparing
women, the elderly and children." In fact, execution by order
R.F. Ungern of three families from dozens of villages occupied by the division, was
exception (here the baron was guided by some unknown to us, but
very specific reasons). In addition, E.A. Belov in the description
the atrocities of the baron on Soviet territory referred to the
unscrupulous memoirist N.M. Ribot (Rezukhin). Hence the descriptions
mass robbery of the civilian population, rape of women, torture and even
burning at the stake of an old Buryat man. None of this is confirmed by others.
sources and therefore cannot be considered reliable.

S.L. Kuzmin, editor of collections of documents and author
introductory article to them, deliberately distanced himself from the memoirists,
focusing on military and political activities
R.F. Ungern.

Despite the large number of publications on
this topic, the personality and some aspects of the activities of R.F. Ungern and
remain in the shadows. So far there is not enough information to confirm
or to refute the traditional "bloody baron" stamp,
spread both in Soviet literature and in memoirs
contemporaries of R.F. Ungern. The regulation changed the publication of documents and
memoirs, edited by S.L. Kuzmin in 2004. Now
there was an opportunity to highlight this area of ​​\u200b\u200bactivity of R.F. Ungern,
separate facts from myths. How many victims did the "bloody baron" have, who
it fell from his hand, which guided R.F. Ungern, determining
punishment to enemies, own subordinates and "random people", and,
finally, how exceptional his deeds were against the general background
Civil war - these questions will be answered by this material.

The materials published by S.L. Kuzmin are divided into
two blocks 1) documents; 2) memoirs. In turn, in the meeting
documents, materials of the investigation and the trial of R.F. Ungern are highlighted.
Acquaintance with these sources leaves a strange impression. All three
groups of documents depict us their own image of the baron, not
similar to the rest.

Biographical materials, activity documents
R.F. Ungern at the head of the Asian Cavalry Division and his correspondence draw
baron as a purposeful person, strategist, talented commander and
organizer. From the leaders of the white movement A.V. Kolchak, A.I. Denikin,
N.N. Yudenich R.F. Ungern was distinguished by the fact that he was a convinced monarchist and
did not think of any other state structure for Russia.
The commanders-in-chief of the white armies stood on positions of non-determination,
believing that the army should not participate in politics. Baron from the very
the beginning of the revolution already had his own plan for the creation of the Middle Kingdom,
uniting all the nomadic peoples of the Mongolian root, "in its own
organizations not subject to Bolshevism. These nomadic peoples were to
further liberate Russia, and then Europe, from the "revolutionary
contagion."

Ungern began to put his plan into practice as early as
Caucasian front. In April 1917, he formed a detachment of
local residents of the Aisars, who brilliantly proved himself during the fighting
actions. His initiative was supported by Yesaul G.M. Semenov, who wrote
A.F. Kerensky about national formations and June 8, 1917
who left for Petrograd to put these plans into practice. Activity
R.F. Ungern and G.M. Semenov was continued after the October Revolution
already in the Far East, where they entered into a struggle with the Soviet regime.

Having spent almost the entire Civil War on the most important
railway point of communication of the Far East with China station Dauria,
R.F. Ungern continued to work on the realization of his ideas about
restoration of the monarchy on a worldwide scale. The main hope in this
relation was China, where a civil war also continued between
republicans and monarchists. Traces of global designs are already visible in
letter from R.F. Ungern to G.M. Semenov on June 27, 1918, where he suggested,
so that the Chinese who are in their detachments fought with the Bolsheviks, and
Manchus - with the Chinese (probably Republicans), Ungern believed that
it will be beneficial for Japan as well. November 11, 1918 in a letter
P.P. Malinovsky R.F. Ungern was interested in the preparation of a peace conference
in Philadelphia and found it necessary to send there representatives from Tibet and
Buryatia. Another idea that R.F. Ungern tossed to his
correspondent, was about organizing a sorority in Harbin and
building ties with Europe. The last line of the letter read:
"Political affairs occupy me entirely."

At the beginning of 1918 in Manchuria, G.M. Semenov collected
peace conference, which was attended by representatives of the Kharachens and
bargut. A brigade was created from the harachens as part of the white troops. Second
The conference was held in February 1919 in Dauria. she wore
general Mongolian character and was aimed at creating an independent
Mongolian state. At the conference, a temporary
the government of "Great Mongolia", the command over the troops
handed over to G.M. Semenov. During the Civil War, R.F. Ungern began to cook
their officers to work with the Mongols. As can be seen from the order
Alien division dated January 16, 1918 (probably a mistake, in
reality in 1919), its commander paid special attention to training
personnel to the Mongolian language. From January 1919, R.F. Ungern was
appointed G.M. Semenov responsible for the work of gold mines,
under the control of the chieftain.

Obviously, potential adversaries
R.F. Ungern and G.M. Semenov were not only Bolsheviks, but also Kolchakists. IN
in case of successful actions of the Eastern Front and the capture of Moscow, to power
republican-minded generals would come from the entourage of A.V. Kolchak. TO
R.F. Ungern prepared for the continuation of the war with the revolution in any person,
forming detachments of Buryats, Mongols and Chinese.

Regarding the departure of parts of the Asian Cavalry Division to
Mongolia is not completely clear. This was the period of the collapse of the white movement on
Far East. Its leaders were not sure of the future and
started looking for an escape route. In his monograph, E.A. Belov cites
information that during this period R.F. Ungern asked for an Austrian
government to give him a visa to enter the country, but did not receive permission.
The baron's decision to go to Austria could have been dictated by others.
motives. E.A. Belov cites a draft international treaty,
compiled at the headquarters of G.M. Semenov. It provided for the introduction to Russia
troops of Great Britain, France, America and Japan for the purpose of restoration
monarchy and subsequent annexations of the territory. Possibly in Europe
R.F. Ungern was destined for the role of a diplomat, which he already played with
February to September 1919 during his trip to China.

S.L. Kuzmin believed that by order of G.M. Semenov
R.F. Ungern was supposed to conduct a partisan raid through Mongolia in order to
cut the railroad and then raise an uprising against the Bolsheviks
in the region of Irkutsk - Nizhneudinsk - Krasnoyarsk. G.M. Semenov wrote that
he had a single plan in case the white movement was defeated on
Far East. In this case, the base of the white army should have been
moved to Mongolia. According to G.M. Semenov, the agreement on this was
reached between the representatives of the principality of Khamba, the authorities of Mongolia,
Tibet and Xinjiang. Detachments of Chinese troops were to take part in the campaign.
monarchist general Zhang Kui-yu. Mongolia was to be liberated
from the Chinese Republican troops, after which the fighting
planned to be transferred to China. Capture operation
Mongolia was prepared in complete secrecy. Everything stated by G.M. Semenov is quite
confirmed by the diplomatic efforts undertaken by R.F. Ungern
after the lesson of Urga.

This "Mongolian" plan was not destined
come to life in its full form due to the denial of support
G.M. Semenov of both the Japanese and Chinese monarchists. Instead of what
to "retreat to Urga", the ataman himself fled to China, and most of his
troops ended up in Primorye. The fall of Chita happened much earlier than
G.M. Semenov was expecting, so the partisan raid of the Asian Cavalry Division
turned into an independent operation to create a new base in Mongolia
white movement.

After the capture of Urga, R.F. Ungern stepped up his
diplomatic activity. To the Chinese and Mongol princes and
emissaries were sent to their generals. The baron sent letters to many
prominent figures of Mongolia and China. Lame Yugotszur-khutukhte, appointed
Bogdo-gegen commander of the troops of the eastern outskirts of Khalkha, the baron wrote about
that his diplomatic assistance is necessary for an agreement with
the head of the monarchists Sheng Yun, the princes Aru-Kharachiin-wang and Naiman-wang.
R.F. Ungern in his letter proclaimed the unification of Tibet, Xinjiang,
Khalkha, Inner Mongolia, Barga, Manchuria, Shandong into one
Middle State. The baron also provided for the possibility of a temporary
defeats in the fight against the revolutionaries: "Temporary setbacks are always
are possible, so when you collect enough
troops, I could, in case of failure, retreat with the remnants of the Khalkhas to
to you, where I would have recovered and, having united with you, began to continue what I had begun
sacred work under your guidance." R.F. Ungern's plan for the unification of forces
Russian counter-revolution, the Mongols and the monarchists of China was calculated
for a long period. The campaign in 1921 in Russia was only the first step in
practical implementation of these projects. Change of own officers is not
gave the baron the opportunity to take further steps in this direction.

Many contemporaries considered the campaign of R.F. Ungern in
Transbaikalia adventure. But there may be another way to look at this question.
V. G. Bortnevsky, who studied the activities of white emigration, noted that
In 1921, emigrants began in firm confidence in the proximity of a new campaign
against the Bolsheviks. This hope was reinforced by the news of an uprising in
Kronstadt, mass peasant uprisings and unrest of workers,
strife in the party leadership. Materials of the collection "Siberian Vendée"
show that in 1920-21 Siberia was engulfed by anti-Bolshevik
uprisings. The regions liberated from whites have already experienced all the "charms"
requisitions. The uprisings were led by former partisans
commanders. It was obvious that in 1921, after the harvest, the struggle
start with renewed vigor. This peasant mass and wanted to lead
R.F. Ungern. He could not foresee that the policy of the Soviet government
will change and there will be a transition to the NEP.

Many actions of R.F. Ungern were calculated as
times for the peasant masses. During the uprisings in Siberia, repeatedly
the slogan “For Tsar Michael” was put forward, and R.F. Ungern raised a flag with a monogram
Michael II (although the Romanov dynasty did not fit in at all with
creation of the Middle Empire). A common slogan was "against
Jews and commissars. R.F. Ungern immediately became an anti-Semite. In the troops
G.M. Semenov was a Jewish company, agents of R.F. Ungern himself were
brothers Volfovichi, but in Urga the baron staged an ostentatious Jewish pogrom. IN
Order No. 15, he ordered the extermination of Jews along with their families.

If successful on Russian territory
R.F. Ungern could not dream, like other white military leaders, to reach
Moscow. His task was to create the Middle State, and only then
liberation from the revolution of China, Russia and Europe. On his journey, he
had to stop, for example, on the Ural line. Release this
territory from Soviet power was theoretically possible, but to withstand
the offensive of the five million Red Army is impossible. R.F. Ungern was supposed to
rely on the help of one of the great states. Most likely they
should have been Japan. Who, no matter how her emperor, was to take care of
restoration of destroyed thrones? In 1932, in one of the parts
In China, the Japanese succeeded in restoring the monarchy. To the puppet throne
of the state of Manchukuo, a representative of the Qin dynasty, Pu Yi, was planted.

Latest Activity Investigator
R.F. Ungern S.L. Kuzmin believed that one of the motives,
forced the baron to make a trip to Siberia, was incorrect information,
reported by defectors. They talked about the weakness of the Soviet government and
discontent of the population. Analysis of the documents of the Siberian Bureau of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) and
Siberian Revolutionary Committee suggests that
R.F. Ungern was very well aware of the situation in the Far East.

The food crisis in the Far East has sparked conflict in
command of the army and in the top party leadership. In the end of April
1921, the Politburo in Moscow decided to replace the commander-in-chief
DVR G.Kh.Eikhe V.K. Blucher, "since the army is close to decay." Due
With the decision taken, a split occurred among the communists of the Far East. By
By order of the Dalbureau, G.Kh. Eikhe was placed under house arrest. thirty
April 1921, I.N. Smirnov informed V.I. Lenin by direct wire and
L.D. Trotsky that, thanks to the inactivity of G.Kh. Eikhe, the army
decomposed, his authority finally fell. G.H.Eikhe introduced in all
headquarters of the Semenovites and Kappelevites, which paralyzes the confidence of the military masses in
command. I.N. Smirnov demanded to remove the Dalburo, recalling its members
together with G.Kh.Eikhe to Moscow. In turn, G.H. Eikhe telegraphed
L.D. Trotsky that the Bufer government is ignoring the instructions of the center and is
along the separatist path, the “guerrilla-schemer” is clearly manifested
current” (which he repeatedly reported). Reorganization work
partisan detachments in regular units met a fierce
resistance at the top of the partisan command, which decided to
a real coup in the army, as G.Kh.Eikhe reported.

In the spring of 1921, the FER was in a serious crisis,
caused, among other things, by the actions of the Asian Cavalry Division in
Mongolia. In the light of the foregoing, R.F. Ungern's plan was quite
real outlines. That is how the RVS of the Fifth Army assessed him in his
letter to V.I. Lenin: “If Ungern succeeds, the highest Mongolian circles,
having changed their orientation, they will form a government with the help of Ungern
autonomous Mongolia under the de facto protectorate of Japan. We will
faced with the fact of organizing a new White Guard base,
opening the front from Manchuria to Turkestan, cutting us off from everything
East". I.N. Smirnov’s message to the Central Committee of the RCP looked even more pessimistic
(b) May 27, 1921. He stated that the internal situation of the FER is good
known to the enemy. I.N. Smirnov regarded the position of the FER army as
hopeless and predicted catastrophic consequences.

R.F. Ungern was tried twice. The first trial of the baron
was done by his associates. The officers of the Asian division, having made up
conspiracy, decided to kill their commander. For many years after these
events in their memoirs, they continued to condemn the baron for
ruthlessness and cruelty. The second trial took place in Novonikolaevsk 15
September 1821. This time, Ungern was judged by his communist enemies.

Ungern's defender at the trial in Novonikolaevsk
said: “A man who, during his long military career, subjected
himself the possibility of being constantly killed, a fatalist who, on his own
captivity looks like fate, of course, personally does not need protection. But
in need of protection, in essence speaking, that historical truth around
named after Baron Ungern, ... which was created. For the sake of this historical
truth, the researcher often has to take on the functions of an investigator,
which is simply necessary in the Ungern case, since his enemies are in white,
so in the red camp were interested in distorting the historical
reality. The officers of the Asiatic Cavalry Division had to be justified
their rebellion against the commander during the fighting, and the red
wanted to use the "bloody baron" in their propaganda.

At the trial, R.F. Ungern was accused of
offensive by his troops against the population of Soviet Russia (in
as a system of conquest) were used methods of mass cutting
(up to the children who, according to R.F. Ungern, were cut out on that
case, so as not to leave "tails"). Regarding the Bolsheviks and
"Red" Ungern used all types of torture: breaking in mills,
beating with sticks in the Mongolian way (the meat lagged behind the bones and in
in this form, the person continued to live), planting on ice, on a red-hot roof
etc.

From this it was concluded that Ungern was guilty:
“in brutal massacres and tortures a) of peasants and workers, b)
communists, c) Soviet workers, d) Jews who were massacred
without exception, e) slaughtering children, f) revolutionary Chinese, etc.

Let's see how proven these accusations were.

Under interrogation about the measures taken by him
Punishment Ungern said that he used the death penalty. To a question on
about the types of execution, he answered: "they hung and shot." To the question "A
did you use the Mongolian way to beat until they fly off
pieces of meat? - Ungern, apparently with surprise, answered: “No, then
he will die…” Ungern admitted that he put people on the ice and the roof. Under interrogation
at Ungern's trial, they asked how many sticks he ordered to be given in
form of punishment. Ungern answered that only soldiers were punished with sticks,
they beat on the body and gave up to 100 blows. In the literature one can find
an indication that 200 strokes put a person on the verge of death. Such
statement raises serious doubts. For example, common in
Russia in the 18th - first half of the 19th centuries was punished with gauntlets (the same
sticks) led to death in the region of 4000 blows, there are cases when
survived and received 12,000 blows. Information about getting away from punishment
someone died with sticks in the Asian Cavalry Division, not available.

Apparently, the investigators were unable to understand
the meaning of the punishments imposed by the baron. They believed that landing on
ice and on the roof was a kind of torture, so sometimes “on
hot roof.

During the interrogation of the accused, the judges were interested in
for which R.F. Ungern beat the adjutant during the First World War. His
they asked: “Did you often beat people?” “Not much, but it happened,” answered
baron.

R.F. Ungern was repeatedly asked if he ordered
he burn villages. He answered in the affirmative, but at the same time explained,
that the "red villages" were burned empty, since the inhabitants of them
fled. When asked if he knew that the corpses of people
grinded in wheels, threw themselves into wells, and generally repaired all sorts of
atrocities, R.F. Ungern answered: “This is not true.”

The only specific question about the executions of families
was asked by R.F. Ungern during interrogation on August 27 in Troitskosavsk. Baron
admitted that he ordered to shoot 2 families (9 people) in Novodmitrovka
along with the children. At the same time, he added that in Kapcharaiskaya there was
another family was shot, about which the investigators had no information.

The command staff and political workers were shot 232
regiment and headquarters of the 104th Kannabih regiment. In the Gusinoozersk datsan
robbery of a convoy R.F. Ungern ordered all the lamas to be flogged. For embezzling money
they hanged the centurion Arkhipov, gave the order to shoot Kazagradni for
that he serves both him and the Reds.

Only one name was mentioned during interrogations.
a civilian executed by order of R.F. Ungern is a veterinary
doctor VG Gey, an old member of the Tsentrosoyuz cooperative. From the answer of R.F. Ungern
it can be concluded that he was asked whether the murder of Gaius was caused
mercenary interests. He replied that Gay had metal money
almost completely non-existent. Questions about the fate of Gay's family were not asked.

In a summary compiled by interrogation investigators
R.F. Ungern on September 1 and 2, 1921, it was said that he first
denied "the massacre of the entire male population of the village of Mandal", and then
confessed that this was done with his knowledge. In this case, the baron
apparently, he went to meet the investigators and took the charge.
M.G. Tornovsky mentions the village of Mandal, but without any comments.
Things were different with the capture of the village of Maimachen.
Chahar commander Naiden-van conducted this raid on his own, without
baron's permission. The capture of Maimachen was accompanied by robbery and possibly
killings of civilians. After this incident, the Chahars were
sent by the baron back to Urga.

Only once R.F. Ungern was asked whether he knew
whether it is about violence against women perpetrated by L. Sipailov. R.F. Ungern
He replied that he did not know such things and considered these rumors to be nonsense. During
interrogation R.F. Ungern recalled that there was one woman whom he ordered
put on ice (spent the night on the ice of a frozen river).

To questions about the motives of his cruelty with his
subordinates R.F. Ungern answered that he was cruel only with bad
officers and soldiers and that such treatment was caused by the demands
discipline: “I am a supporter of cane discipline (Frederick the Great, Paul I,
Nicholas I). This discipline kept the whole army.

Oddly enough, but investigators and judges do not
did not make an effort to find out the scale of the crimes of R.F. Ungern. IN
published materials of the investigation and court lack evidence
witnesses, only a few times it is mentioned that they were. What
the baron denied the robberies and executions of civilians imputed to him, and
also the burning of villages together with women and children, the court did not take into account
accepted. The specific crimes in which the baron confessed
guilty, were the execution of three families (2 families of 9 people, number
the third is unknown), his associates Arkhipov, Kazagrandi and
cooperator Gay. The number of Jews executed by order of R.F. Ungern,
no members of the Centrosoyuz and captured Red Army soldiers were identified. IN
the materials of the investigation indicated that the captured Red Army soldiers Baron or
released, or accepted into the ranks of the division. There were times when he took
command posts of captured communists.

It appears that the communist investigators were
amazed at the modesty of the "cruelty" of the baron. All identified crimes
wave fit into the daily practice of the Bolsheviks themselves. But
R.F. Ungern at the trial had to correspond to the image of the "bloody baron" and
serve as a scarecrow for the population of Russia. Hence the attempts to give
disciplinary punishments practiced by the baron, a type of torture (planting
on a red-hot roof, beating with sticks until the meat is separated), and explicit, not on
than the unfounded multiple exaggeration of the victims of the activity
R.F. Ungern.

R.F. Ungern was sentenced to death in
Kremlin. On August 26, 1921, V.I. Lenin transmitted by telephone to the Politburo
his conclusion on the case of the baron, ending with the words: “... to arrange
public trial, hold him as fast as possible, and shoot him.” On
the next day, the conclusion of V.I. Lenin in the same edition was approved
Politburo. The party leaders did not take into account at all that 17
January 1920, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a resolution on
the abolition of the death penalty against enemies of Soviet power. In that
respect, the trial of R.F. Ungern was in strong contrast with a similar
case heard in early March 1921. In the Soviet newspapers
the process was covered under the title "The bloody feast of the Semyonovshchina." were to court
fourteen participants in the massacre of prisoners in the Red
barracks of the city of Troitskosavsk on January 8 and 9, 1920. In those days it was
up to 1000 people were killed. City Council in order to stop executions,
was forced to ask for the entry of Chinese units into the city. Although in hand
Soviet authorities were far from being the main culprits of the events in the Red
barracks, but some of them were charged with participating in the murders:
prisoners were chopped with swords, stabbed with bayonets, beaten with rifle butts and tried
poison with poison. The result of this noisy process was the verdict: seven
defendants - to twenty years of community service, one - to ten
years, one - to ten years probation, three were acquitted, and one
expelled from DVR.

The court of the baron's associates was strict, but one can
to assume that it is just as little objective as the Bolshevik.
Many researchers have noticed that the officers and ranks of the Asian Cavalry
divisions that left their memories were directly related to
uprising against R.F. Ungern. They were interested in blackening
baron to relieve himself of responsibility for the failure of the campaign and the murder
commander. At the same time they tried to shift to the baron
responsibility for everything bad that was done by the division during the campaign
to Mongolia. Hence the attempts to present R.F. Ungern as innately cruel
a person who showed this quality in all periods of his life.

What could R.F. Ungern present to his judges from
white camp? It turns out that very little (if we
take it on faith). Indeed, by order of the baron, people not only
hanged and shot, but even burned alive. Justify these actions
impossible, even referring to the emergency situation of that time. But
you can try to understand why R.F. Ungern acted one way or another than
he was guided in sentencing, what goals he set for
yourself. Were the baron's contemporaries right, led by the poet Arseny
Nesmelov (A.I. Mitropolsky), who claimed that R.F. Ungern with his
did he simply satisfy his sadistic passion with cruel deeds?

The main accuser of R.F. Ungern was destined to become
M.G. Tornovsky. He collected material for many years to
write an "impartial" picture of the activities of the Asian Mounted
divisions. Of the ten specific individuals killed on the orders of R.F. Ungern and
listed by M.G. Tornovsky (Chernov, Gay, Arkhipov, Lee, Drozdov,
Gordeev, Parnyakov, Engelgart, Ruzhansky, Laurents), from other memoirists
meet: A.S. Makeev - 6; N.N. Knyazev - 3; M.N. Ribo - 2; at
Golubeva - 1.

M.G. Tornovsky (1882 - after 1955) - graduate
Irkutsk military school. During the First World War he was a commander
battalion on the Russian-German front. He received the rank of colonel and was
seconded to work at the Irkutsk military school. After the revolution
left for Harbin, where he joined the anti-Bolshevik organization "Committee
defense of the Motherland and the Constituent Assembly". Later in the army of A.V. Kolchak
commanded the 1st Jaeger Regiment. In 1919 he was sent to headquarters
A.V. Kolchak, but on the way he received news that the admiral had been shot, and
stayed in Urga.

During the siege of the city by R.F. Ungern M.G. Tornovsky
was imprisoned by the Chinese, where he spent about two months. 10 or
On January 11, 1921, he was released by order of the Minister of War from
Beijing. After the announcement in Urga about the admission of volunteers to the Asian Cavalry
division M.G. Tornovsky appeared at the headquarters of R.F. Ungern and introduced himself
General B.P. Rezukhin. He was appointed to the post of chief of staff.
M.G. Tornovsky recalled that he “didn’t have a heart for the Semenovites”,
because their activities were well known to him. Colleague
M.G.Tornovsky lieutenant A.I.Orlov and centurion Patrin, who transferred in 1919
year from G.M. Semenov to A.V. Kolchak, generally fled from Urga, so as not to
serve with R.F. Ungern. It is surprising that the baron appointed
chief of staff of an officer unknown to him. In the eyes of R.F. Ungern
M.G. Tornovsky was compromised even by the fact that he was a member of the “Committee
defense of the Motherland and the Constituent Assembly". Not to mention the fact that
for obvious reasons, the regimental commander left the theater of operations and
during the year he was engaged in entrepreneurship in Urga, while
The Asian division was in continuous combat. R.F. Ungern is generally very
suspicious of Kolchak's chief officers, preferring not
take them into service. Most likely, M.G. Tornovsky was identified in
headquarters for a closer look. After two weeks of work, apparently,
having received a favorable review from B.P. Rezukhin, R.F. Ungern appointed him to his
personal headquarters. M.G. Tornovsky himself admitted that he had no
there was not a single person and he did not receive tasks (except for interrogation
Colonel Laurence).

R.F. Ungern was extremely cold with his new
subordinates. On February 5, M.G. Tornovsky entered the service in the Asian
cavalry division, and already on March 17 he was wounded and out of action for two
month. Until the division left Urga, M.G. Tornovsky did not have access to
information and used only rumors about what was happening. Says a lot
the fact that, going on a campaign, R.F. Ungern did not leave his
former chief of staff (still walking on crutches and unable to
get on the horse by yourself). On June 14, M.G. Tornovsky caught up with the division and
received the appointment of a "marching quartermaster", although the quartermasters at that time
the division had no time. Thus, the description of the fighting
Asian cavalry division in his memoirs, the author also conveyed with
other people's words.

Soon a new circumstance appeared, very
set M.G. Tornovsky against the division commander. According to
memoirist, Captain Bezrodny arrived on the Selenga River, bringing a lot
documents that compromised Kolchak's officers. About
M.G. Tornovsky Bezrodny managed to obtain evidence that he
bows before V.I. Lenin and sympathizes with his activities. The denunciation was
is based on a conversation that really took place, where M.G. Tornovsky
noted that Lenin will go down forever in the history of Russia. Only
the intercession of General B.P. Rezukhin forced R.F. Ungern to abstain
from reprisals against an imaginary Bolshevik. Although the memoirist later received
task to propagate in the villages the goals of the anti-Bolshevik campaign,
he never earned the trust of R.F. Ungern. This is a "recruiting and campaigning
bureau” recruited only three volunteers in 15 days of work. IN
As a result, on August 10, by order of R.F. Ungern, M.G. Tornovsky was
defined as a simple horseman in the first regiment, where, however, he was placed
senior over the orderlies.

M.G. Tornovsky stated that he knew nothing about
conspiracy. A complete surprise for him was the murder of B.P. Rezukhin. Tem
nevertheless, M.G. Tornovsky was elected by the officers as a brigade commander and took
her to China. He never saw R.F. Ungern again. Even from this brief
the review shows that M.G. Tornovsky had no reason to love R.F. Ungern.
They served together for a very short time and their relationship did not work out. Considering
all of the above, M.G. Tornovsky can hardly be considered impartial
witness. Most of his memoirs are recorded from other people's words.
The memoirs of R.F. Ungern's associates generally repeat in many places
each other. This is understandable, not one of the fighters of the Asian Cavalry Division
could be simultaneously in all places of action of its units.
It turns out that there are practically no witnesses to the "atrocities" of the baron. All
memoirists convey rumors or other people's stories. To be through
objective, we will use the testimony of the most "impartial"
prosecutor M.G. Tornovsky, who compiled the memoirs of his
predecessors.

The most impressive of the punishments applied
R.F. Ungern, was the massacre of ensign Chernov. First execution
Chernov was described by Golubev (1926), who apparently served in the Asian Cavalry
division (no other information about him). According to his story, after
the failure of the first offensives on Urga, the Asian division retreated to Aksha,
with a large convoy with the wounded. The former commandant was in charge there
Dauria Colonel Laurens and ensign Chernov. Having agreed among themselves
they decided to kill the sick who had money. Later to
lighten the convoy, they gave the order to poison the seriously wounded, but the paramedic did not
followed this instruction. When R.F. Ungern received information about
abuses in the wagon train and infirmary, he ordered the arrest of the ensign
Chernov, flog him, and then burn him alive at the stake. Further
the message about the crime and execution of Chernov was repeated with various
variations by many memoirists. For example, in 1934 N.N. Knyazev wrote,
that Chernov was burned for the murder and robbery of several wounded
riders lying in the infirmary. Obviously, R.F. Ungern specifically
gave the execution of Chernov a demonstrative, demonstrative character, so that
prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.

According to Golubev, Lieutenant Colonel Laurents
was an accomplice in Chernov's crime. M.G. Tornovsky, who personally
interrogated Laurenz, confirmed this message. According to his testimony,
Laurenz was accused of robbing the Mongols and wanted to poison the wounded,
were in the hospital. It can be assumed that M.G. Tornovsky
Indeed, it was instructed to interrogate Laurets about his official
activities, but he did not know anything about the actual accusation.
Lieutenant Colonel Laurents, as commandant of Dauria, was the closest collaborator
R.F. Ungern. He, together with the commander of the Annenkov regiment, Colonel
Tsirkulinskiy was wounded during the second assault on Urga. Then Tsirkulinskiy and
Laurentz received a special assignment and were sent to China.

About the mission of Lieutenant Colonel Laurenz, you can get
information from a letter to R.F. Ungern by an unknown military foreman 25
January 1920: “Lieutenant Colonel Laurenz for accurate reconnaissance of the situation on
travels to Hailar, probably to Harbin…”. Two letters survive
Laurents to R.F. Ungern on February 1 and 7, where he reported on the implementation
tasks. On March 2, 1921, R.F. Ungern wrote to Zhang Kun that he
did not believe Colonel Laurenz, since he fled.

The mission of Laurenz and Tsirkulinsky turned out to be
risky. The Chinese began arresting people associated with the baron.
Tsirkulinsky was arrested while trying to transport from
medicines in Urga. He was in a Chinese prison and was tortured.
The cargo was confiscated. For his loyalty, R.F. Ungern forgave
Tsirkulinsky, not only the loss of cargo, but also the desertion of an officer hundred
Annenkovskiy Regiment, whose commander Tsirkulinskiy was before being wounded.
When he returned back, R.F. Ungern appointed him head of defense
Urgi. Apparently, Laurenz behaved differently and, performing the task of the baron, did not
showed stamina and loyalty to the white cause, for which he was shot.

During the trial of R.F. Ungern, mention was made of
several names of persons shot by order of the baron. special attention
the priest F.A. Parnyakov used the judges. On the subject given to him
R.F. Ungern answered that he ordered the priest to be killed because he
was chairman of a committee. Later the Bolsheviks
continued to “play the card” of F.A. Parnyakov: “A Christian who believes in
God, sends another Christian - the priest Parnyakov to the next world,
because he is red… Baron Ungern is a religious man, I am in this
I have no doubt, and this emphasizes the fact that religion never
saved anyone from the greatest crimes, ”angrily exclaimed
prosecutor E. Yaroslavsky.

What did the baron's associates write about the priest, whose
death was used by the Bolsheviks to expose religion?
Colonel V.Yu. Sokolnitsky, chief of staff of the Kaigorodov detachment, wrote,
that Fyodor Parnyakov was a Bolshevik and chairman of one of the
cooperatives of Urga. Member of the Military Board of the Yenisei Cossack
troops of K.I. Lavrentiev, during the siege of Urga, imprisoned by the Chinese in
prison, claimed that Fr. Fedor Parnyakov played a provocative role in
fate of Russian prisoners. He slowed down their transfer to a warm room.
Quite specifically described the activities of F.A. Parnyakov, who lived from 1820
years in Urga M.G. Tornovsky. He called the priest "Bolshevik
figure", one of the main conductors of communist ideas.
F.A. Parnyakov and his comrades M.G. Tornovsky accused of the death of about 100
Russian people shot on their denunciations in Urga and its environs. IN
elsewhere, the memoirist wrote that F.A. Parnyakov and his sons were
involved in a terrorist group of revolutionaries since 1905. Myself
the priest was "a drunkard, a bawdy, an undoubted atheist." It's obvious that
R.F. Ungern gave the order to shoot the priest at the request of some residents
Urga, who considered F.A. Parnyakov a Bolshevik and an agent of the Chinese.

Doctor S.B. Tsybyktarov headed the hospital under
Russian consulate in Urga. After Ungern took the city, he was
arrested on charges of Bolshevism and shot. On this occasion
M.G. Tornovsky in his memoirs suggested that S.B. Tsybyktarov was
slandered or killed by someone in order to requisition his property. From
memoirs of D.P. Pershin, who accompanied S.B. Tsybyktarov to the baron
after his arrest, it follows that the latter was very remorseful for saying
speeches at a meeting in Urga in the presence of escort Cossacks. R.F. Ungern himself
spoke about S.B. Tsybyktarov: “In Chita, at a meeting, I heard him
crucified for the communists and for all sorts of freedoms.

After the capture of Urga, some
Kolchak chief officers. M.G. Tornovsky wrote what kind of panic rumors
Lieutenant Colonel Drozdov was shot. On this occasion, A.S. Makeev
recalled that R.F. Ungern liquidated the panic moods by shooting
lieutenant colonel Drozdov, who spread rumors. After that more
no one dared to doubt the "stability of Urga life."

In Urga, a former Kyakhtian was arrested and shot
Commissioner A.D. Khitrovo. According to the memoirs of D.P. Pershin, two days before
Khitrovo's arrest came to him and told him about the horrors of Semyonovism in
Troitskosavsk. He condemned the atamanism and considered it the cause of the collapse
A.V. Kolchak. A.D. Khitrovo took part in the decision of the Troitskosava
city ​​government to invite the Chinese to the city to stop
the arbitrariness of the Semenovites. D.P. Pershin recalled that several members
city ​​government were shot by the Bolsheviks for inviting
Chinese. A.D. Khitrovo did not escape this fate, but by order
R.F. Ungern.

M.G. Tornovsky recalled that R.F. Ungern
confiscated a large tannery in Urga and put it in charge
Gordeev (formerly a major tanner-breeder on the Volga). Soon
Gordeev was hanged for an unimportant act. What is this "insignificant
deed"? M.G. Tornovsky mentioned that Gordeev stole 2500 dollars and
some amount of sugar. K.I. Lavrentiev also pointed out that Gordeev
was shot for stealing sugar from the warehouses of the plant. Hundred Commander
Asian cavalry division received 30 rubles a month, in comparison with this
the theft of 2500 dollars was a very serious matter (marauders R.F. Ungern
hung for a stolen piece of fabric).

Since 1912, a cooperative has been operating in Mongolia
Tsentrosoyuz engaged in the procurement of meat and skins. After the revolution
the leadership of the Centrosoyuz refocused on contacts with the Soviet
Moscow. Employees of the cooperative supplied money and food
red partisans, at the same time disrupted the supply of meat to the white front.
Before the occupation of Urga, R.F. Ungern was set up for total extermination
employees of the Centrosoyuz as Bolsheviks. But before the assault on Ungern
two Trans-Baikal Cossacks, grassroots employees of the cooperative, ran across, and
transmitted information about all employees of the Centrosoyuz. During the last
battle for Urga, former White Guards from among the employees of the cooperative
joined the fighters of Ungern and began to exterminate their former colleagues
Bolsheviks. In the future, R.F. Ungern continued repressions against members
Tsentrosoyuz, suspected by him of Bolshevism. So was killed along with
family veterinarian VG Gay. M.G. Tornovsky, who described his death
mentioned that R.F. Ungern had information that V.G. Gey was in
constant communication with the headquarters of the 5th Soviet army in Irkutsk.
F. Ossendovsky in his book “Animals, people and gods” wrote about V. G. Geyya: “He
conducted business on a grand scale, and when in 1917 the Bolsheviks seized
power, began to cooperate with them, quickly changing his beliefs. March 1918
of the year when Kolchak's army drove the Bolsheviks out of Siberia, the veterinarian
arrested and tried. He was, however, quickly released: after all, he was
the only person capable of delivering from Mongolia, and
he really immediately handed over to Kolchak everything that was in his
the presence of meat, as well as silver received from the Soviet commissars.

For theft, R.F. Ungern often shot and
their own officers, even honored ones. M.G. Tornovsky, apparently from
memoirs of A.S. Makeev, borrowed the story of the execution of the adjutant of the baron and
his wife Ruzhansky. Adjutant, having received 15,000 on a forged document
rubles, fled, hoping to capture his wife as a nurse in the hospital, but they
were caught and executed. After that, the position of adjutant received
A.S. Makeev.

Most memoirists describing the conclusion
Ungern epic, mentioned the execution of Colonel P.N. Arkhipov. He
joined the Asiatic Cavalry Division before the last assault on Urga,
bringing with him a hundred cavalry of 90 Cossacks. M.G. Tornovsky dedicated
the death of P.N. Arkhipov is a separate subsection of his work. At the end of June
R.F. Ungern received news from L. Sipailov that P.N. Arkhipov concealed
part of the gold seized during the capture of the Chinese bank (according to various
according to 17-18 pounds or three and a half pounds). Colonel in everything
confessed and was executed (according to various sources, he was shot, hanged or
suffocated after being tortured).

Despite the fact that R.F. Ungern was forced
resort to the services of executioners and informers, this does not mean that he
treat these people with respect and love. The baron tolerated them until
pores as long as they were needed. N.N. Knyazev pointed out that during the withdrawal period
from Troitskosavsk R.F. Ungern gave a written order to the general
B.P. Rezukhin to hang his main executioner L. Sipailov when he
will come to the squad. At the same time, the head physician of the division was severely punished.
A.F. Klingenberg. The reprisal against him was remembered by many memoirists.
M.G. Tornovsky described this massacre with a doctor (June 4, 1921) as follows:
R.F. Ungern, seeing a poorly bandaged wounded man, ran up to
A.F. Klingenberg and began to beat him first with a tashur, and then with his feet, in
As a result, he broke his leg. After that, the doctor was evacuated to Urga. At
careful consideration of the biography of A.F. Klingenberg, one must admit that
the baron could have had another reason, besides poor nursing, for
punishment of his head physician. The memoirist Golubev described
activities of A.F. Klingenberg: having fled from the Reds from Verkhneudinsk, he
began to work as a doctor in Kyakhta, where he made friends with local Jews. Caught
mobilized in the division of R.F. Ungern after the capture of Urga, A.F. Klingenberg
led the massacre of the Jews. At the head of the Cossacks, he came to
apartments of his old acquaintances, confiscated money and valuables, and then
shot the hosts. Then A.F. Klingenberg became an informant and denounced
baron about conversations among the wounded in the hospital, "shortening the lives of many."
For this, he was shot by order of Colonel Tsirkulinsky already
after White abandoned Urga.

There is no clarity on the circumstances of the death of the other two
physicians. M.G. Tornovsky reported on the execution of the Korean dentist Lee and
medical paramedic from Omsk Engelhardt-Ezersky. Moreover, the last
was burned in the same way as Ensign Chernov. M.G. Tornovsky did not know the reason
these executions. They were mentioned in passing by A.S. Makeev (about Lee), D.D. Aleshin and
N.M. Ribot (about Engelhardt-Ezersky). If you take these messages for granted,
then some unusual partiality of the baron to
medical workers. G.M. Semenov recalled that when he was in
Hailar R.F. Ungern gave the order to shoot Dr. Grigoriev, who led
propaganda against the baron. Among the orders of R.F. Ungern on a separate
The Asian Cavalry Brigade retained the order dated December 20, 1919 according to
about the arrest of the doctor of the Ilyinsky brigade. The baron ordered the arrest
medic for one day and two nights for the same thing, for which he has already arrested
his two weeks ago: “I’ll see who gets bored earlier: should I plant,
should he sit down, ”wrote R.F. Ungern (note that contrary to opinion,
established in the historical literature about the regime at Dauria station, speech in
the order is only about arrest, physical impact is not at all
provided). Doctors answered the baron with dislike, one of them -
N.M. Ribot - took an active part in a conspiracy against the commander of the Asian
cavalry division. It is obvious that R.F. Ungern was a monarchist of the ultra-right
beliefs. In his eyes, anyone who did not share him was a Bolshevik.
views on government. Thus, among these
"Bolsheviks" fell almost the entire Russian intelligentsia of that time.
R.F. Ungern had to face close encounters during the actions of the division in
mostly with doctors. With them, as with representatives of the "revolutionary
intelligentsia, ”he was sometimes, to put it mildly, excessively harsh.

R.F. Ungern's suspicion of new people,
falling into the division, was fully justified. At different levels
party leadership, including at the highest level, in Moscow,
directives were repeatedly issued to send agitators to the detachments of the baron with
the purpose of their destruction. In a monograph on the activities of the VChK-GPU,
published in the 70s, it was argued that the capture of R.F. Ungern was
organized by the plenipotentiary representative of the GPU of Siberia I.P. Pavlunovsky. IN
the baron's detachments were operated by Soviet agents, who organized
conspiracy in the Asiatic Cavalry Division. Although such a statement
seems very doubtful, but the Chekists face such a task
definitely set themselves.

A very telling example is the description in
memoirs of the massacre of R.F. Ungern over the only horse artilleryman
division captain Oganezov. In the description of M.G. Tornovsky, Oganezov was
sent to graze cattle as punishment for the fact that his battery fired with
closed position. Another version of this event is given by N.N. Knyazev. By
according to his memoirs, Oganezov was punished for firing at the hill, where in
this time there was a baron. We will never know what happened
these events. Other memoirists do not mention them. But if you combine
both stories, it turns out that Oganezov fired at the hill where he was
R.F. Ungern after his prohibition to shoot from closed

The Mongols called Baron Ungern "the white god of war". He dreamed of restoring the empire of Genghis Khan and saving the monarchy throughout the world. In his aspirations, the baron was paradoxical and bold, but he was betrayed by his own officers.

Heir of Attila, pirates and Teutons

The full name of Baron Ungern is Robert-Nikolai-Maximilian (Roman Fedorovich) von Ungern-Sternberg. The future "white god of war" was born in Austria, during one of the parental trips.

The Ungern family descended from Hans von Ungern. In 1269 he was a vassal of the Archbishop of Riga.

Baron Ungern said about his ancestors: " I come from the ancient family of Ungern von Sternberg, it mixed German and Hungarian - from the Huns of Attila's blood. My warlike ancestors fought in every major European battle. They took part in the crusades, one of the Ungerns fell near the walls of Jerusalem under the banner of Richard the Lionheart. Eleven-year-old Ralph Ungern died in the tragically ended campaign of children..

The baron also had Teutonic knights in his family, and, as he himself assured, a wandering knight nicknamed "The Ax", the robber knight Ralph Ungern and the 17th-century alchemist Wilhelm Ungern, who was called "Satan's brother".

Religion

Roman Ungern approached questions of faith with his characteristic originality. In the protocol of the interrogation of Baron Ungern, he calls himself a person who believes in God and the Gospel and practices prayer. This is indirectly confirmed by Ungern's letters, they often contain quotations from Holy Scripture.

However, during a conversation with the occult writer Ferdinand Ossendowski, Ungern said: " I have spent my life fighting and studying Buddhism. Grandfather joined Buddhism in India, my father and I also recognized the teaching and confessed it".

Baron Ungerni professed the Buddhist philosophical doctrine of Chittamatra, one of the Mahayana currents, common among Tibetan lamas. One of its provisions says that reality is a game of the mind and a figment of the imagination.

Another baron, Wrangel, recalled Ungern, who had renounced reality: " Ragged and dirty, he always sleeps on the floor among the Cossacks of his hundred, eats from a common cauldron and, being brought up in conditions of cultural prosperity, gives the impression of a person completely detached from them."

In terms of Buddhism, Baron Ungern managed to achieve a high status among the Mongolian lamas: in February 1921, after the capture of Urga by Ungern, they recognized him as an avatar of Mahakala, the six-armed god of war and destruction.

In search of war

The military career of Roman Fedorovich also developed non-trivially. In 1902, his stepfather gave him to the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. Ungern, from childhood, was distinguished by self-will and the absence of any concept of discipline.

After three years of uneven study, he was expelled from the corps, but the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War did not allow the 20-year-old baron to sit still - he entered the 91st Dvina Infantry Regiment as a volunteer of the 1st category, which never ended up at the front.

Ungern literally yearns for war, it beckons him. The baron goes to replenish in the 12th Velikolutsky regiment, goes to Manchuria, but by the time he arrives, the hostilities end there as well.

In November 1905, Ungern received the rank of corporal. From 1906 to 1908 he studied at the Pavlovsk military school, after graduating from which he was enrolled in the 1st Argun regiment of the Transbaikal Cossack army with the rank of cornet. In the regiment, he is weird again: arranges a bet, participates in duels. In 1910, a court of honor still takes place over him, Ungern is transferred to the 1st Amur Cossack Regiment.

Two years later, he is promoted to centurion, but the baron makes another "feint": he resigns and goes to Mongolia. Rides alone, without supplies and bed. Ungern's formal goal is to join the Mongol rebels in their fight against China. After debates and assurances of good morals, Ungern is allowed to serve only as a supernumerary officer in the convoy of the Russian consulate. The First World War begins, the future "white god of war" rushes towards it.

In the First World War, having finally reached the front, Roman Ungern shows miracles of courage bordering on fanatical fatalism. They said about him: "Either he wants to die, or he is absolutely sure that the bullets do not take him." For his exploits, Baron Ungern was awarded five orders, including St. George of the 4th degree with the inscription "For courage".

In September 1916, Ungern received a promotion: from the centurions, he was first promoted to sub-sauls, and then to yesauls. Then one of the nicknames "podesaul-baron" will stick to him. It would seem - serve, but Ungern cannot just serve, he gets into another scandalous story (a drunk beat the commandant), the result of which is being sent to the Caucasian front. According to one version, Wrangel, who did not like the "Cossack-Buddhist" Wrangel, poisoned him there.

On the Caucasian front, Ungern took the initiative. Together with his friend Georgy Semenov, he creates Assyrian volunteer detachments. They did not have a serious impact on the course of the war: the First World War smoothly flowed into the Civil War. Ungern and Semyonov are again going to Transbaikalia.

Idea fix: monarchist

Ungern was a "warrior of the world." And a staunch monarchist. For him, the idea of ​​a monarchy was a fixed idea. He dreamed of the renewal of Eurasia under monarchist banners, believed that it was the Asian peoples that were best awakened and directed against the "decaying West" and the leprosy of the revolution.

The Black Baron dreamed of creating a power that would unite the nomads of the East from the shores of the Indian and Pacific Oceans to Kazan and Astrakhan. Its first grain was to be Mongolia, the support - China, the ruling dynasty - the house of Qin, which the Chinese overthrew during the Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1913. Baron Ungern hated the revolution as much as he believed in the monarchy.

"White God of War"

In Dauria, Ungern established a rigid regime of personal power. A former hooligan, now he firmly believed in discipline, a former alcoholic, he introduced "prohibition" in his division. Any violator of the law, regardless of rank and rank, was subjected to the most severe punishments. In the Gusinoozersk datsan, Ungern flogged all the lamas for robbing a convoy (from the protocol of interrogation).

Ungern was torn between love for the monarchy and hatred for the revolution. Having already planned a liberation campaign against Urga, in the autumn of 1920 he clashed with the troops of the Far Eastern Republic. The forces are unequal, Ungern hides in the Mongolian steppes, again puts together a detachment and tries to storm Urga twice, but in vain. He retreats again, but in order to collect reinforcements.

Under his banner are Russians, Buryats, Mongols, Buddhist priests and monks. The ruler of Tibet - the Dalai Lama XIII called Ungern a fighter for the faith and sent a regiment of guards to help. This disposition of the Dalai Lama was due to the fact that the Chinese arrested the "living Buddha" - the Urga high priest and ruler of Mongolia, Bogdo Gegen. The Mongols believed in the strength of the baron. Since the end of 1920, 35-year-old Roman Ungern has already been called Tsagan-Burkhan, "the god of war."

Betrayal

The "White God of War" in the spring of 1921 went with his Asian division to the north - to fight the Bolsheviks and revive the empire of Genghis Khan. He hoped for support from Semenov, but this time the old friend showed no interest in the mission of the baron, because before that he recognized Ungern's detachment as partisans and parted ways with the baron ideologically.

The Reds were increasingly stronger. The baron again had to return to Mongolia, but he understands the insufficiency of his resources for the fight and decides to leave for Tibet - to enter the service of the Dalai Lama.

These plans were not destined to come true. The officers of the Asiatic Division plot against their commander. In August 1921, Ungern is captured by the Reds. On September 15, immediately after the trial in Novonikolaevsk (today Novosibirsk), he was shot, although on January 17, 1920, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars issued a decree abolishing the death penalty against enemies of Soviet power.

They say that before the execution, Robert-Nicholas-Maximilian von Ungern-Sternberg gnawed his Order of St. George so that his enemies would not get it.

Baron Robert-Nikolai-Maximilian (Roman Fedorovich) von Ungern-Sternberg was born on December 29, 1885 (old style). He came from an old German-Baltic (Ostsee) count and baronial family, included in the noble matriculae of all three Russian Baltic provinces. The baron grew up in Reval with his stepfather Baron Oskar Fedorovich von Heuningen-Hühne. In 1896, by decision of his mother, he was sent to the St. Petersburg Naval Cadet Corps, upon admission to which the baron changed his name to Russian and became Roman Fedorovich. A year before graduation, during the Russo-Japanese War, von Ungern went to the front as a volunteer of the 1st category in the 91st Dvina Infantry Regiment. However, when Ungern's regiment arrived at the theater of operations in Manchuria, the war was already over. For participation in the campaign against Japan, the baron was awarded a light bronze medal and in November 1905 he was promoted to corporal. In 1906 he entered and in 1908 graduated from the Pavlovsk military school in the 2nd category. From June 1908 he served in the 1st Argun regiment of the Trans-Baikal Cossack army with the rank of cornet. At the end of February 1911 he was transferred to the Amur Cossack Count Muravyov-Amursky Regiment. In July 1913, he resigned and left for Kobdo (Mongolia), where he served in the hundred of Yesaul Komarovsky as a supernumerary officer.

With the outbreak of World War I, Roman Fedorovich entered the 34th Don Cossack Regiment. During the war he was wounded five times. For exploits, courage and courage during the war, the baron was awarded a number of orders. At the end of 1914, the baron moved to the 1st Nerchinsk Regiment. In September 1916, he was promoted from centurions to sub-sauls, and then to yesauls. In October 1916, he was removed from the regiment for breach of discipline. In 1917, Ungern went to Vladivostok, and from there he ended up on the Caucasian front in the 3rd Verkhneudinsky regiment, where he ended up again with his friend from the previous regiment, G. M. Semenov.

In July 1917, Semyonov left Petrograd for Transbaikalia. He was appointed commissar of the Provisional Government in the Far East for the formation of national units. Following him, Baron Ungern went to Transbaikalia. In Irkutsk, Ungern joined Semenov. Having learned about the October Revolution, Semenov, Ungern and 6 other people left for Chita, from there - to the Dauria station in Transbaikalia, where it was decided to form a regiment.

2 Civil war

In December 1917, Semyonov, Ungern and 5 other Cossacks disarmed the demoralized Russian garrison at Manchuria Station. Here Semyonov began to form a Special Manchurian detachment to fight the Reds. At the beginning of 1918, Ungern was appointed commandant of Art. Hailar. The baron disarmed the pro-Bolshevik units stationed there. Successful operations inspired Semyonov and Ungern to expand their operations. They took up the formation of national detachments, including representatives of the Mongols and Buryats. After the appearance in the winter-spring of 1918 in Transbaikalia of numerous echelons with pro-Bolshevik soldiers returning from the collapsed German front, the Semenov detachment was forced to retreat to Manchuria, leaving behind only a small piece of Russian land in the region of the Onon River. In the spring and summer of the year, on the Daurian Front, the Manchurian detachment fought protracted battles with the Reds, in which Ungern participated. After the Soviet power in Transbaikalia fell, Semenov approved his headquarters in Chita in September 1918. Ungern received the rank of major general. He moved from Hailar to Dauria.

On September 1, 1918, a Separate Cavalry Native Brigade was formed in Dauria, on the basis of which the Native Cavalry Corps was later formed, then transformed into the Asian Cavalry Division under the command of Ungern. From Dauria, Ungern made raids against the red partisans of Transbaikalia.

In November 1919, the Red troops approached Transbaikalia. In January-February 1920, they launched a broad offensive. In March, the Reds took Verkhneudinsk, the Semenovites retreated to Chita. In June-July, the Whites launched the last broad offensive in Transbaikalia. Ungern acted in directions to the Alexander and Nerchinsk plants in coordination with the troops of General Molchanov. But the Whites could not withstand the pressure of the superior forces of the Reds. Ungern began to prepare a withdrawal to Mongolia. On August 7, 1920, the Asian division was transformed into a partisan detachment.

3 Trip to Mongolia

In August 1920, the Asian division left Dauria and went in the direction of Mongolia, occupied by Chinese troops. Ungern's army crossed the border with Mongolia on October 1 near the village of Ust-Bukukun and headed southwest. Approaching the capital of Mongolia, Niislel-Khure, the baron entered into negotiations with the Chinese command. All his demands, including the disarmament of the Chinese troops, were rejected. On October 26-27 and November 2-4, 1920, the Ungernists stormed the city, but were defeated, having suffered significant losses. The Chinese tightened the regime in Urga, establishing control over religious services in Buddhist monasteries, engaging in robberies and arrests of Russians and Mongols.

After the defeat, Ungern's army withdrew to the headwaters of the Kerulen River in the Setsen Khan aimag in eastern Mongolia. Here Ungern received moral and material support from all sections of the Mongolian population. The financial situation of the division improved, including through the capture of caravans heading from China to supply the Chinese garrison of Urga. The division was replenished by separate groups of whites who penetrated from Transbaikalia. Mongolian princes organized the mobilization of the Mongols. The division was dominated by strict cane discipline. The theocratic monarch of Mongolia, Bogdo Gegen VIII, who was under Chinese arrest, secretly sent Ungern his blessing for the expulsion of the Chinese from the country.

4 Assault on Urga

In the two months that have passed since the previous assault, the Asiatic Division has grown to 1,460 men. She had 12 machine guns and 4 guns. The Mongolian population spread rumors that Ungern was forming a large Mongolian army of up to 5 thousand people. This became known to the Chinese command, which during the entire period of occupation did not carry out any fortification work, and could not confirm the accuracy of this information due to the lack of established intelligence.

The very personality of Baron Ungern had a demoralizing effect on the Chinese. One day, when preparations were underway for the assault, he visited the besieged Urga. The baron, dressed in his usual Mongolian attire - in a red-cherry robe, white hat, with a tashur in his hands - simply drove into Urga along the main road, at a medium gait. He visited the palace of the chief Chinese dignitary in Urga, Chen Yi, then returned to his camp past the consular town. On the way back, passing by the prison, he noticed that a Chinese sentry here was sleeping peacefully at his post. This violation of discipline angered the baron. He got off his horse and rewarded the sleeping sentry with several lashes. Ungern explained to the awakened and terribly frightened soldier that it was impossible for the sentry to sleep on guard and that he, Baron Ungern, punished him for this. Then he got back on his horse and calmly rode on. This appearance of Ungern in Urga created a sensation among the population of the city, and plunged the Chinese soldiers into fear and despondency, inspiring them with confidence that some kind of supernatural forces were behind the baron and helping him.

On the night of February 1, 1921, a detachment of Tibetans, Mongols and Buryats headed for the southwestern slope of the Bogdo-ula mountain (south of Urga), where the Bogdo Gegen was under arrest. The main forces of the whites moved to Urga. On the same day, a detachment under the command of Rezukhin captured the advanced positions of the Chinese south of Urga. Two hundred under the command of Khobotov and Neiman approached the city from the southeast. On February 2, Ungern's troops, after fighting, captured the rest of the advanced positions of the Chinese and part of Urga. During these battles, Bogdo-gegen was released from arrest, he was taken to the Manjushri-khiid monastery. This news further demoralized the Chinese.

On February 3, Ungern gave his troops a rest. On the hills around Urga, the whites lit large fires at night, along which Rezukhin's detachment was guided, preparing for a decisive assault. The fires also gave the impression that Ungern was approached by reinforcements that surround the city. On February 4, the baron launched a decisive assault on the capital from the east, first capturing the Chinese barracks and the Maimachen trading settlement. After fierce fighting, the city was captured. Part of the Chinese troops left Urga before and during the fighting. However, small battles took place as early as 5 February.

On March 11-13, Ungern captured the Chinese fortified military base in Choiryn in southern Mongolia; another base, at Zamyn-Uude somewhat to the south, was left without a fight by the Chinese soldiers. The remaining Chinese troops, who retreated from Urga to the north of Mongolia, tried to bypass the capital and make their way to China. In addition, a large number of Chinese soldiers moved in the same direction from Maimachen (near the Russian border near the town of Kyakhta). The Russians and Mongols took this as an attempt to recapture Urga. Several hundred Cossacks and Mongols met several thousand Chinese soldiers in the area of ​​Talyn-Ulan-Khad in the area of ​​the Urga-Ulyasutai tract near the Tola River in central Mongolia. The fighting went from March 30 to April 2. The Chinese were defeated, some surrendered, and some broke south into China. Now all of Outer Mongolia was free.

Urga met the whites as liberators. At first, robberies took place in the city, but soon Ungern severely suppressed them. On February 22, 1921, a solemn ceremony was held for the re-ascension of Bogdo Gegen VIII to the throne of the Great Khan of Mongolia. For his services to Mongolia, Ungern was awarded the title of Darkhan-Khoshoi-Chin-Van in the degree of Khan. It is often mistakenly believed that Ungern became the dictator or khan of Mongolia, and the monarchical government was puppet. This is not so: Bogdo Gegen VIII and his government exercised full power. The baron acted with the sanction of the monarch. Ungern received one of the highest titles in Mongolia, but not power.

5 Campaign in Siberia in 1921

Realizing that the White Cause in Russia was lost, Ungern tried to use the dissatisfaction of the people with Soviet power to restore the monarchy in Russia. He also hoped to use the actions of other white units, the monarchists of Mongolia, Manchuria, China and East Turkestan, as well as the Japanese.

On May 21, Ungern issued order No. 15 to “Russian detachments on the territory of Soviet Siberia”, which announced the start of a campaign on Soviet territory. The order specifically stated:
“... among the people we see disappointment, distrust of people. He needs names, names known to all, dear and honored. There is only one such name - the rightful owner of the Land of the Russian Emperor All-Russian Mikhail Alexandrovich ... In the fight against the criminal destroyers and defilers of Russia, remember that as the morals in Russia completely decline and the depravity of mind and body is complete, one cannot be guided by the old assessment. There can be only one measure of punishment - the death penalty of various degrees. The old foundations of justice have changed. There is no "truth and mercy". "Truth and ruthless severity" must now exist. The evil that came to earth to destroy the Divine principle in the human soul must be uprooted ... "

It should be noted that Mikhail Alexandrovich Romanov was killed in Perm in the summer of 1918. But Ungern did not believe in his death.

In the spring of 1921, the Asiatic Division was divided into two brigades: one under the command of Lieutenant General Ungern, the other under Major General Rezukhin. The latter was supposed to cross the border in the area of ​​​​the village of Tsezhinskaya and, acting on the left bank of the Selenga, go to Mysovsk and Tataurovo along the red rear, blowing up bridges and tunnels along the way. Ungern's brigade attacked Troitskosavsk, Selenginsk and Verkhneudinsk. Ungern's brigade included 2100 fighters, 20 machine guns and 8 guns, Rezukhin's brigade - 1510 fighters, 10 machine guns and 4 guns, parts left in the Urga area - 520 people.

In May, Rezukhin's brigade launched a raid across the border with Russia to the west of the river. Selenga. Ungern's brigade set out from Urga on May 21 and slowly moved north. By this time, the Reds were already moving troops from different directions to the border with Mongolia.

Rezukhin's brigade in Transbaikalia managed to defeat several red detachments. In one of these battles, on June 2, near the village of Zhelturinskaya, K.K. Rokossovsky distinguished himself, who received the second Order of the Red Banner for this. Rezukhin had no connection with the Ungern brigade, as a result of the actions of the Reds, a threat of encirclement was created. On June 8, he began a retreat and with battles left for Mongolia.

Ungern's brigade was defeated in the battles for Troitskosavsk on June 11-13. Then the combined forces of the Bolsheviks and the Red Mongols, after minor battles with the rearguards of Ungern, on July 6 entered Urga, left by the Whites.

Ungern, giving a little rest to his brigade on the river. Iro, led her to connect with Rezukhin. Ungern's brigade approached Rezukhin's brigade on July 7 or 8, but they managed to cross the Selenga and join forces only after 4-5 days. On July 18, the Asiatic division had already moved on its last campaign - to Mysovsk and Verkhneudinsk. The forces of the Asian division at the time of the start of the 2nd campaign were 3250 fighters with 6 guns and 36 machine guns.

On August 1, 1921, Baron Ungern won a victory at the Gusinoozersky datsan, capturing 300 Red Army soldiers, 2 guns, 6 machine guns, 500 rifles and a convoy. The offensive of the whites caused great concern to the authorities of the Far East. Vast territories around Verkhneudinsk were declared under a state of siege, troops were regrouped, and reinforcements arrived. Probably, Ungern realized that his hopes for an uprising of the population did not come true. There was a threat of encirclement by the Reds. On August 3, the Asian division began to leave for Mongolia.

On August 11, the baron divided the division into two brigades. Ungern's brigade went forward, and Rezukhin's brigade came out a little later in the rearguard, repulsing the attacks of the pressing Reds. On August 14-15, the Ungernovites crossed the Modonkul char and went to Mongolia.

6 Captivity and execution

Ungern decided to lead the division to the west - to Uryankhai for the winter, in order to subsequently start the fight again. But then he decided to leave for Tibet. Soldiers and officers did not like these plans. There was a conspiracy.

On the night of August 17-18, 1921, Rezukhin died at the hands of his subordinates. On the night of August 18-19, the conspirators fired at the tent of Ungern himself, but the latter managed to escape. The rebellious brigades left in an easterly direction in order to reach Manchuria through the territory of Mongolia.

On the morning of August 19, Ungern met his Mongolian division. The Mongols did not want to continue the fight. On the morning of August 20, they tied Ungern and took him to the whites. However, they were soon stumbled upon by a reconnaissance group of the Reds. Baron von Ungern was taken prisoner.

The fate of the baron was predetermined even before the start of the trial by Lenin's telegram: “I advise you to pay more attention to this case, to check the solidity of the accusation, and if the proof is complete, which, apparently, there is no doubt, then arrange a public trial, conduct it with maximum speed and shoot.

On September 15, 1921, a show trial of Ungern took place in Novonikolaevsk. E. M. Yaroslavsky was appointed the chief prosecutor at the trial. The whole thing took 5 hours and 20 minutes. Ungern was charged on three counts: first, actions in the interests of Japan, which resulted in plans to create a "Central Asian state"; secondly, the armed struggle against the Soviet regime with the aim of restoring the Romanov dynasty; thirdly, terror and atrocities. A number of accusations of the court are substantiated by facts: in relations with the monarchists, an attempt to create a Central Asian state, in sending out letters and appeals, gathering an army to overthrow the Soviet regime and restore the monarchy, an attack on the RSFSR and the Far East, reprisals against those suspected of being close to Bolshevism, and torture.

Roman Fedorovich von Ungern-Sternberg was shot on the same day in the building of the Novonikolaevsky GPU.