Page:The Bohemian Review, vol2, 1918.djvu/168



During the last six months the military situation in Russia and Siberia has cleared up considerably. A month ago there were two Czechoslovak fronts, as Trotzky called them, or rather three according to his reckoning: one in Eastern Siberia, one on the Volga and one in the Ural Mountains to the northeast of the Volga.

Now there is practically only one left. The two fronts in European Russia have been so extended as to become a single front, and the campaign in Eastern Siberia is to all intents and purposes over. While the appearance of the Allied forces contributed very largely to the downfall of the Bolshevik power on the Pacific, most of the real fighting was done by the Czechoslovaks. At the beginning of September the Czechoslovak forces of 15,000 which had taken over Vladivostok were marching west once more under General Dieterichs, supported by Japanese, American, British, French and Chinese troops. Their objective was to re-establish contact with the main Czechoslovak forces which were supposed to be hard pressed around Irkutsk by superior numbers composed of German and Magyar prisoners dressed in Red Guard uniforms. It seemed that this relief expedition would have to race with time to break through before winter set in.

What a surprise the world received in the first part of September, when the Czechoslovak force under General Gajda appeared suddenly on the Manchurian border, after overcoming a most determined opposition from the Bolsheviki. A telegram from Olovannaya in Transbaikalia summarizes the wonderful achievements of this small Czechoslovak troop as follows:

“There was severe fighting all the way and the Czechoslovaks were forced to leave the railway continually in order to strike at the enemy from the rear. This strategy was successful in every instance and caused the enemy heavy losses.

“Thirty-nine tunnels on the trans-Siberian railroad had been mined, but the Bolshevik forces were taken by surprise and only one tunnel was successfully blown up. While clearing away the debris the Czechoslovak artillery had to be hauled by man-power over steep ridges.

“In the meantime Czechoslovaks had seized Listvinichskay, near Irkutsk, on the west bank of the Lake Baikal, where they found two small damaged steamships. These vessels were repaired and after two guns were mounted and several machine guns set up they steamed to the eastward towing barges filled with soldiers.

“By a ruse the Czechoslovaks managed to land near Misovoya, though larger vessels came out to give battle.

“Shots from the Czechoslovak guns shattered the gasoline and set fire to the enemy steamships. The Bolshevik seamen became panic stricken and permitted the Czechoslovaks to land and attack them from the rear.

“In the battle of Misovoya the Bolshevik forces lost forty complete trains out of sixty. Of their forces, estimated to number 20,000, some 6,000 were killed and 2,000 taken prisoners. The others fled into the woods and their defeat demoralized the troops further to the east.

“Thanks to the skill of the Czechoslovak engineers, the bridges on the trans-Siberian railway were repaired before the retiring enemy had time to rally. Consequently, Verkneudinsk and Karimokaya were occupied virtually without fighting. This accounted for the unexpectedly rapid advance of the Czechoslovaks to Tchita and other towns, which were found to be orderly.”

The best appreciation of the great valor and resourcefulness of the Czechoslovaks is contained in a message sent by Lloyd George to the president of the Czechoslovak National Council. It is as follows:

“On behalf of the British War Cabinet I send you our heartiest congratulations on the striking successes won by the Czechoslovak forces against armies of German and Austrian troops in Siberia. The story of the adventures and triumphs of this small army is indeed one of the greatest epics of history; it has filled us all with admiration for the courage, persistence, and self-control of your countrymen, and shows what can be done to triumph over time, distance and lack of material resources by those holding the spirit of freedom in their hearts. Your nation has rendered inestimable service to Russia and to