Lot 829

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ALEXANDER KOLCHAK AND THE WHITE MOVEMENT
ALEXANDER KOLCHAK (1874-1920) Russian naval commander and later the Supreme ruler of the counter-revolutionary anti-communist White forces during the Russian Civil War. From his headquarters in Omsk, Kolchak ran his anti-Bolshevik administration and headed the White volunteer army, putting 110,000 men into the field. A string of defeats led to his capture and execution. Rare, fine content manuscript letter sent to Kolchak, then in Omsk, from the White's propaganda office in Paris, 1p. 4to., written between Nov. 18, 1918 and December, 1918, in Russian. A desperate plea for funds, signed by four prominent anti-Bolshevik leaders: "...Intended for Admiral Kolchak. A copy sent to Belorousov. The Union is on the eve of its dissolution due to a lack of funds. Our insistence on financial aid...be paid...[it is] very late, one hundred thousand francs. This uncertain situation can not last. Urgent help is indispenSable. Dissolution of the Union would witness the disappearance of the only effective organization of patriotic Russian propaganda abroad...". The Union was an organization of White Russians founded in Paris to garner support for Kolchak and the Whites in Russia. Boldly signed by four prominent leaders of the White movement, including: NIKOLAI TCHAYKOVSKY (1842-1926) Russian revolutionary, a socialist who came to America in 1878, befriended Mark Twain, returned to Russian in 1905 to head the White government and afterwards fled to Paris; VLADIMIR BOURTSEV (1862-1942) Russian anti-tsarist jailed multiple times in many countries for his anti-Bolshivik totalitariansm efforts; G[RIGORI?] ALEKSINSKI Socialist member of the Douma, exiled to Siberia and managed to flee the Bolsheviks; BORIS SAVINKOV (1879-1925) Revolutionary terrorist, one of the leaders of the Fighting Organisation of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party and responsible for the most spectacular assassinations of imperial officials in 1904 and 1905, likely murdered after his arrest; and one other unidentified signer. Lightly toned, light folds, else very good. Ex-Sotheby's, Paris, November, 2010.

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May 9, 2012 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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