«Was there Kolchak?»: the reasons and results of the Russian naval officer participation in political history

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the political and military activities of Admiral A. V. Kolchak during the Russian Civil War. As part of the discussion, the author addresses not only national, but also universal history, considering the experience of English and American colonialism in China. The author believes that Admiral Kolchak's activities in Siberia are the reflection of the Anglo-French contradictions and attempts by the British and Americans to create a figure equal to Yuan Shikai, given the deformation of the colonial aspects of the Entente countries' policy in relation to Russia and the growing contradictions among the anti-Bolshevik forces. The relevance of the attempt to implement the Chinese scenario for Russia increased or decreased depending on the course of formation of the Versailles-Washington system implying contradictions between the United States, the British Empire and Japan. Within the framework of the study, questions are considered about the possibility of Admiral A. V. Kolchak to influence other leaders of the «White Cause», his political and military dependence on the Entente countries, as well as the economic and social possibility of creating a structure in Siberia capable of defeating Soviet Russia.