'Enemy Number 1': Admiral Kolchak and the Russian Civil War

Ground News: Compare news coverage. Spot media bias.
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November 1918. In western Europe, the four-year slaughter of World War One was drawing to an end.But across the former Russian Empire, a new conflict had broken out… a civil war that raged from central Europe to the Pacific, claiming an estimated nine million lives. Lenin, the Bolsheviks and their new Soviet Republic battled for survival against their many enemies – collectively known as the ‘Whites’.

The Whites’ great hope: their newly-appointed ‘Supreme Ruler of Russia’, Admiral Alexander Kolchak. Kolchak was a war hero, a man of duty and discipline, who believed above all in service to ‘the motherland’. Millions looked to him to crush the Bolsheviks, avenge the murdered Tsar, and save Russia from chaos and collapse.

This is the extraordinary tale of the life and death of Admiral Kolchak – Russia’s only ‘Supreme Ruler’.
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Some Russian sources consulted for this video:

Admiral Kolchak, the supreme ruler of Russia, Zyryanov P. N.
Admiral Kolchak Dictator at will, Cherkashin N. A.
Alexander Kolchak: Military-theoretical works, Kolchak A. V.
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak: Researcher, Admiral, Supreme Ruler of Russia, Ivan Plotnikov
The Rise and Fall of Admiral Kolchak, Anatoly Vasilyevich Smolin

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#History #Russia #RussianHistory #Kolchak #MilitaryHistory #Military #Lenin #Bolsheviks #Revolution #1917 #1918 #EpicHistoryTV

[stuart]

A man of principle, but certainly not one to compromise. Unfortunately if you don’t bend you break.

[TaskForce_Raccoon]

The man was so loyal to the cause that even his hair turned a patriotic color to show support.

[louismayes]

The Admiral asked the commander of the firing squad, "Would you be so good as to get a message sent to my wife in Paris to say that I bless my son?" The commander responded, "I'll see what can be done, if I don't forget about it."

Kolchaks last words

[therevyfilms]

Damn, just hearing about the hardships those people had to live through.. can only imagine

[rennor]

It is interesting to note that Alexander Kolchak and the Soviet commander who defeated him, Mikhail Frunze, where both of Moldavian/Romanian decent. With Kolchak being descendant from the son of a Moldavian mercenary who joined the Russian Army in the 18th century and was later elevated to the position of landowner and aristocrat during the reign of Empress Elisabeth. While Frunze's father was a Romanian para-medic in Russian service who settled in Turkestan's with his Russian wife in the late 19th century.

[ddc]

I have driven my wife mad narrating historical retellings of our arguments in Charles Nove’s voice. I could listen to this man talk about ageing cheese in his fridge.

[PhoenixAscending]

You can't blame Kolchak for not wanting to give overall command to a foreigner. Can't believe they even proposed it

[build.betteryou]

Tucker: Why did you invade Ukraine?
Putin: Let me start with Kolchak

[MrWolfengard]

My buddy and I could not wait for this to come out! Thank you for your top-notch content and telling the story of Kolchak.

[Mikezedd]

Amazing video! Much thanks from a Polish born Canadian who found this SUPER well done and informative.

[Randomdude]

Is literally NO ONE gonna talk about the quality improvement from the original First World War video opposed to this one. Like come on the graphics at 0:11 are legit chefs kiss

[vovchos]

I have seen many comments in which Kolchak is discussed for refusing to accept help from Poles and Finns. Why did he do it? Obviously, if he had agreed to this, those territories that the Poles and Finns would have occupied in the process of their assistance would have remained with them.
Why did he refuse the help of the French and Czechs? Because they allowed the Japanese to occupy Vladivostok "to suppress the influence of the Reds" without the approval of the Russian government, which they would also have reserved for themselves in exchange for help. And after that, they asked for the gold reserve to be handed over to them for protection. 500 tons of gold at the edge of the world in the semi-wild forests of Siberia, across the border with China, where there are Hong Kong, Macau and other colonies. As you know, it is not difficult to steal this good without a trace.
The British in the north and in the oil fields of (then Russian) Azerbaijan, the French in the Crimea, the Japanese in Vladivostok, the Czechs with gold in one of the wildest places on the planet...So he had every reason not to believe those who, for the help they are providing now, will tear the country to pieces later

[larrythelobster]

I love that you used music/soundtracks from your WWI video (a classic masterpiece by the way). It’s weird, but I feel the music makes it easier for me to understand the time period and political landscape this tale takes place in. Great work, as always.

[elphil]

Thank you Epic History TV for making today a great day with this upload!

[AlexandreAlezzia]

Thanks too much for this superb piece of art, history, video edition, script, and many other skills necessary to do something like this. And of course discipline and leadership.

[TheRetellingYT]

Another great video. This channel puts out some of the highest quality history content.

[flashgordon]

Yet another cracking episode of our history. Thanks for filling the knowledge. ❤️💛💪🏻💪🏻

[bigsarge]

Another incredible history documentary, I always learn!

[FrazzP]

I'd like to point out that Mannerheim's offer was conditional: The Whites acknowledging Finnish independence was just one of them.

East Karelia and Petsamo had to be annexed into Finland, and the western allies had to support the intervention politically and fund it. It wasn't also just Kolchak's refusal that quashed any prospect of an attack, but also that the new Republican form of government adopted in 1919 forbade the now President to declare war alone. Mannerheim lost the first presidential election to a moderare called Ståhlberg.

[Megabob]

Extremely detailed and informative, excellent work as always 👌