The Heroic Age of the Late Qing Dynasty

"Commander-in-chief, the Russians can still hold on. It seems that their perseverance is much stronger than we imagined." Liu Gongbu said with emotion.

"If we were to lead a force like the Russian Army, equipped with the same weapons and equipment, could we win against our field army?"

When Liu Gongbu and his generals heard this question, their expressions suddenly darkened. Indeed, if both sides were equally matched, it was hard to say which side would prevail. By this point, the field army's generals were also impressed by the Russian army's perseverance. These serfs truly deserved the title of "the Tsar's Gray Beasts."

The field army's relentless artillery bombardment and constant tightening of the encirclement from all directions further narrowed the Russian army's living space. The Russians were running low on war supplies, especially during the enemy's assault on Kulun, where these supplies were almost completely depleted. Furthermore, their logistics had not been adequately replenished, and the Russian army's resilience was remarkable.

"We fired so many shells, which was a fatal blow to the morale of these old Russians. However, after this battle, our artillery has completely become an elite artillery unit!"

Zhang Feng nodded. He naturally believed this. If so many artillery shells could not feed an elite artillery unit, then these artillerymen should be brought to a military court.

The sooner the Russians are dealt with, the better. It's already September, and in a month, the cold winter will arrive in the north. The field army still has to fight further north to reclaim its homeland. Once the weather turns cold, large-scale combat operations will have to be suspended.

"Commander-in-Chief, urgent message from Wuhan."

The messenger delivered a telegram to Zhang Feng. Zhang Feng took it, read it twice, and then said, "Comrades, we have not reached a consensus in our negotiations with the Russians. Russia does not accept our conditions, and the conditions proposed by Russia are too harsh. Therefore, it seems that we will have to continue this war. As for when it will end, it depends on how long the Russians can hold out. To be on the safe side, the Central Military Commission, Chairman Zhang Yinghao, ordered us to quickly eliminate the enemy in Kulun, then move north to capture strategic locations such as Kyakhta. It would be best to use cavalry to sweep Irkutsk, Baikal Port, and Upper Udinsk, destroy the railways, slow the Russian advance, transport everything that can be transported, and eliminate the Russian army's manpower. It would be best to mobilize the local people who are oppressed and exploited by Russia to immigrate and deplete their national strength."

"The Russians rejected our terms? That doesn't matter! After we deal with the Russian troops here, Russia won't have many troops left in the entire Siberian region. If Russia is unwilling to return those territories to us, then we will take them ourselves. It's best to force Russia to the negotiating table as soon as possible."

"That's right. If we can't get it on the battlefield, the Russians won't get it at the negotiation table. We are not to be trifled with."

Zhang Feng nodded: "Immediately increase the artillery bombardment on the Russian army. All mortars and flying thunder cannons should also join in. The infantry and artillery will attack in coordination and advance step by step. I want to see how long the Russian army can hold out."

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."

By this time, the surrounded Russian army was living a miserable life. Shells rained down relentlessly, claiming the lives of countless lucky Russian soldiers. Their ammunition was running low, their water supply cut off, and their morale shattered. Almost all of the Russian troops knew their retreat was cut off, their invasion of Mongolia had failed, and the battle would soon be over.

Inside the encirclement, all the Russian troops trembled under the ravages of artillery fire. The wounded, untreated, cried out in agony, their cries drowned out even by the blast of artillery shells. Many soldiers had blank expressions, unsure of their fate.

The Russian army was now extremely short of medicine, with even clean gauze scarcely available. As a result, the wounded received no medical treatment and could only wait to die. To avoid the field army's artillery fire, many Russian soldiers followed the field army's example and dug anti-artillery holes in the trenches and built individual shelters in the grass. However, this could only withstand small-caliber mortar shells at best, and more often than not, it provided them with a little psychological comfort.

The Russian headquarters was located behind a small mound. The Russians had hollowed out the mound and used wood to support it, creating a simple temporary headquarters. Lieutenant General Bolivar and other senior Russian generals gathered there to discuss their next strategy.

"General, we can't go on like this. The field army's artillery bombardment has caused us great casualties. Countless officers and soldiers have been killed or injured, and the morale of the troops has been greatly affected. If we continue like this, we will soon collapse and be wiped out by the field army." A lieutenant general of the infantry army named Vladimir said helplessly.

"General Vladimir, what do you think we should do now? The Chinese have surrounded us. We lack food, ammunition, medicine, and even clean water. What else can we do?"

"If we continue to stay here, we will surely die. We might as well break out. Maybe there is still a chance of survival," Lieutenant General Vlakild suggested.

"Break out? That's also courting death. We have no food, no heavy firepower, and not enough horses. Even if we break out, we will die. We will be divided and surrounded by the Chinese and eaten bite by bite. Although, the Chinese encirclement is still very fragile. But don't forget, they still have tens of thousands of cavalry wandering around. Once we are dispersed, it will be extremely easy to be hunted down by those Chinese cavalry. Being hunted down by cavalry in the absence of weapons and ammunition will be a nightmare for everyone." said the Lieutenant General, commander of the Russian Ural Cossack Cavalry Corps.

The cavalry was the one who understood the power of the cavalry the best. He knew very well that if the Russian infantry broke out now, they would face the pursuit of endless cavalry units, and in the end they would still be slaughtered.

"Damn it, this doesn't work and that doesn't work. What should we do? Are we just going to wait here to die?" Lieutenant General Vladil was very angry.

In reality, isn't the Russian army's current behavior simply a predatory act? The field army's encirclement may be weak, with numerous loopholes. Yet, the Russian army still dares not break out. The tens of thousands of field army cavalry roaming nearby have become a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. When the Russian army is concentrated, the field army cavalry dares not attack. However, if the Russian army were to break out, those wolves-like field army cavalry would surely pounce. At that moment, the Russian army would truly experience what it means to be without a path to heaven or a gate to earth.

If possible, the Russians would have loved to continue this standoff. However, the lack of food, weapons, and ammunition made it impossible for them to continue. If they forced it to continue, they would undoubtedly die. Everyone's eyes fell on Lieutenant General Bolivar. After all, he was the commander of the Russian army. Faced with such a situation, it was naturally his responsibility to make the decision.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have contacted St. Petersburg. Mr. Sukhomlinov's intention is that we should decide for ourselves. However, His Majesty the Tsar seems to want us to fight to the end for the Russian Empire!" said Lieutenant General Bolivar.

Speaking of this, he felt a pang of sadness. He knew that the Russian Empire was desperately trying to build up its strength and prepare for a counterattack against the field army. However, Siberia was too far from Russia's European heartland. A Russian counterattack might take more than half a year to prepare. For their surrounded army, this was undoubtedly a distant solution. Therefore, they had effectively become a discarded pawn.

The stubborn Tsar hoped they would continue fighting, thus accumulating bargaining chips for negotiation, even if it meant a mortal blow to the field army. This would at least weaken the field army, show the Chinese that the Russians were not afraid of sacrifice, and create easier conditions for defeating the field army in the future. But for them, such a request was undoubtedly too cruel. No one wanted to die; everyone wanted to survive. Especially under the constant pressure of the enemy, the psychological pressure on the Russian army was extremely great.

"General, are you saying that St. Petersburg has abandoned us?" Lieutenant General Vladimir trembled. Although he already knew the outcome, he still wore an expression that suggested he couldn't believe it. However, he was also saddened. Even though the Russian expedition had suffered heavy losses, they still had around 100,000 troops. Could they just abandon them like that?

"Even if St. Petersburg wants to rescue us, it can't do so in the short term. Our military forces in the entire Siberia and the Far East have long been exhausted. Moreover, the road to the south for support has been cut off by those yellow monkeys, and the railway has also been cut off. Perhaps now many of those yellow monkeys' cavalry have entered the empire and are wreaking havoc." said Lieutenant General Bolivar.

"How dare these yellow monkeys?"

"Hehe, now the land east of Chita is completely occupied by those yellow-skinned monkeys. How can we still dare to do anything?"

"Aren't we negotiating with the Forward Party government? It's almost impossible for us to win this war. Why can't we negotiate? Why are so many of us going to die?" The cavalry lieutenant general was a little angry.

He was a typical example of someone caught in a fire. He was doing well in the Ural region, but was suddenly transferred to Mongolia to reinforce him, resulting in the annihilation of his corps. Although he knew that if he could return alive, the cavalry could be reorganized, but now the cavalry corps he had led for many years was annihilated, and the sadness in his heart was beyond words.

His words also reflected the sentiments of many Russian generals. In their view, this advance into Mongolia was too risky. With the enemy well prepared, victory was impossible. In this case, ending the war through peace talks was the best option.

"The conditions proposed by St. Petersburg are too different from those proposed by the Qing rebel government. We demanded that the enemy troops withdraw from Russian territory, but were rejected by the Qing rebel government. The Qing rebel government demanded that we return all the Chinese territories we have occupied since the Treaty of Nerchinsk. Naturally, we cannot agree to such conditions. Therefore, the negotiations are about to break down." said Lieutenant General Bolivar.

As a lieutenant general, Bolivar naturally had his own channels to get information from the country. Furthermore, Governor Anuchin was always keeping an eye on the situation, so any news he had was relayed immediately.

“Damn it! How could this happen?”

The news of the breakdown of negotiations undoubtedly meant that their idea of ​​ending the war in a dignified manner had been shattered. The war would continue, and besides death, it seemed that there were few other options left for them.

"Gentlemen, what should we do now? Should I continue to hold on until I starve to death? Or should I break out and fight a decisive battle with the field army?" asked Lieutenant General Bolivar.

No one answered him, because neither of these two options was what everyone wanted. No matter which choice they made, they would end up dead, and everyone hoped to survive.

"General, is there any other option?" The cavalry lieutenant general hesitated for a moment and then said.

Bolivar glanced at the cavalry lieutenant general with an inexplicable look in his eyes, and then said: "For example?"

Bolivar could not utter the words of surrender, otherwise he would bear all the responsibility for the defeat and surrender. As long as his subordinates said the words of surrender, he could go along with it, and only in this way would his chances of survival in the future be greater.

"We have been abandoned by St. Petersburg, and His Majesty the Tsar hopes that we will fight to the death. However, we are short of bullets and medicine. How can we continue to fight? Are we going to rush forward with rifles and die? So, we have become abandoned pawns. In this case, why should we continue to fight? We might as well surrender to the Chinese. In this way, we may still have a chance to survive." said the cavalry lieutenant general.

In fact, when he was surrounded by the field army before, he wanted to surrender. However, the field army's attack was too fierce and sudden, so he didn't find a chance to surrender. Later, he broke out of the encirclement by luck, and naturally the matter was abandoned. But now he was unwilling to die with Bolivar.

"Surrender? How can we surrender? How can we surrender to those despicable yellow monkeys?" Lieutenant General Vlakild said angrily.

Meetings are like this: someone raises an opinion, someone else counters. This is especially true in the event of defeat and surrender, where there will undoubtedly be a reckoning. Whoever first proposes surrender will inevitably bear the greatest responsibility.

"Besides this, is there any other way for us to survive?"

Lieutenant General Vlaguild was stunned. Aside from surrender, it seemed there was no chance of survival. He opened his mouth, but ultimately, nothing came out. He noticed a hint of hostility in the eyes of the other generals. It was clear that everyone wanted to survive, even willing to surrender to the field army. If he forcefully opposed it, the ultimate outcome would most likely be that he would be the first to be eliminated by those who wanted to surrender and save their lives.

Lieutenant General Bolivar seemed to be in hesitation. In fact, he was just pretending. Now the situation was completely clear. It was only a matter of time before his men would be defeated. He was still so young, so it would be best if he could survive.

"Everyone, you should know what will happen to our families in Russia if we surrender to the field army, right?" asked Lieutenant General Bolivar.

Tsar Nicholas II always hated surrender. According to custom, the generals who surrendered would likely face the death penalty unless Tsar Nicholas interceded for them. Their families would also be implicated, with exile to the most deplorable conditions or even execution. This sent a chill down the spine of the generals who wanted to surrender.

"The law does not punish the masses. There are so many of us. His Majesty the Tsar should not be so cruel, right? What's more, we just want to survive. They abandoned us first. We don't really want to betray the Russian Empire. After the war is over, we can continue to serve His Majesty." said the cavalry lieutenant general.

The other generals nodded repeatedly, unwilling to pass up this opportunity. The law does not punish the masses; this is true in every country. Furthermore, to become generals, they must have extraordinary connections and status. As long as they stick together and don't commit treason, they won't be hanged.

"Well, okay. As my representatives, you go and negotiate with the field army. If they can guarantee the safety of our lives and property, then we will surrender. As for our families, I will ask His Excellency Sukhomlinov and Governor Anuchin to protect them as much as possible." Lieutenant General Bolivar sighed.

He knew that his generals had already colluded and were willing to surrender in order to save their lives. Even he, as the commander, could not stop them at this moment. Otherwise, he would most likely be killed, or even bear all the blame. To survive, these people were determined to do whatever it took. Anyone who tried to stop them was their enemy and would be destroyed immediately.

Furthermore, Lieutenant General Bolivar himself did not want to die like this; he wanted to return to St. Petersburg alive. Even if it meant the end of his military career, he would not hesitate. Having done his best, saving his own life was the most important thing.

"Yes, General."

Lieutenant General Bolivar nodded. That was great. No one could stop them from surviving.

Soon, a group of Russian soldiers, carrying a tall white flag and escorting a general, carefully left the Russian defense zone and headed towards the field army's defense zone. Every time they advanced a distance, they would stop and wave the white flag in their hands to indicate their identity and avoid being hit by the field army's blind bullets.

Zhang Feng and his men had spotted the tall white flag from a distance, and he had considered whether the Russians would surrender. Now that some Russian soldiers had emerged, he couldn't think of any other reason. However, speculation was the worst thing to do in such matters, so Zhang Feng ordered the artillery positions not to fire at the Russians waving the white flag, allowing them to escape the encirclement.

"General, shall we continue to advance?"

A Russian soldier asked quietly. The field army's encirclement wasn't tight; they hadn't even seen a single field army soldier along the way. Even so, his calves were trembling.

"Of course we keep moving forward." The middle-aged general nodded and said.

Afterwards, they advanced another two kilometers before encountering patrolling field army cavalry. After explaining their purpose, the middle-aged general was taken directly into Kulun City. By then, Zhang Feng had returned to the temporary headquarters and met the Russian general at Ganden Monastery.

Seeing an unbelievably young yellow man standing before him, the middle-aged general was stunned for a moment, then a surge of anger rose within him. He had requested to negotiate with the field army commander, but the field army had sent a brat to deal with him. Wasn't this too much of a bully? However, thinking of his own predicament and the predicament of the besieged Russian troops, he had to suppress his anger.

"I am Victor, Lieutenant General of the Russian Army. I have been sent by Lieutenant General Bolivar to contact your army. I hope to meet with your supreme commander for negotiations."

Lieutenant General Victor emphasized the word "highest", and his meaning was very clear. He wanted the field army not to send anyone to fool him, as this was a matter of great importance to the surrender of the Russian army.

After hearing what Lieutenant General Victor said as relayed by the translator, Zhang Feng and the others couldn't help but laugh.

"Commander-in-chief, this old Russian really doesn't recognize a great man!" said Political Commissar Cai Zhongsheng.

Lieutenant General Victor saw Zhang Feng and the others laughing, and his rage burned even more. He felt insulted. Under normal circumstances, he would have rushed over, using his fists to show those yellow monkeys who dared to laugh at him how powerful he was. However, this time, he could only suppress his anger.

Zhang Feng didn't tease the Russian officer and said directly: "I am the supreme commander here, the commander-in-chief of the field army stationed in Mongolia!"

When the translator relayed Zhang Feng's words, Lieutenant General Victor was stunned.

"You're really too young!"

Victor thought to himself. When he was Zhang Feng's age, he was still seducing girls with a violin. But Zhang Feng had already become the commander of a field army. The gap between them was really huge.

"General, it's a great honor to meet you," Victor said modestly. Even the Russians could only submit to the powerful.

"General, you and I are now at war. You can tell us what you want us for now." Zhang Feng nodded and went straight to the point.

The field army had not yet promulgated a military rank system, so Zhang Feng was not a general. However, in Victor's eyes, he was a general.

"General, I am here on behalf of the besieged Russian army. I hope you can give us a way out. We are negotiating now and there will be results soon," said Lieutenant General Victor.

"Of course, our field army is peace-loving, so we are very willing to stop the killing. Although you have invaded China, more than half of the Russian army has been buried on the grassland. I also feel sorry for it. So, what do you want me to do?" Zhang Feng smiled.

Lieutenant General Victor couldn't help but twitch his lips. Weren't the Russian troops killed by the field army? Now they are pretending to be unwilling to kill, but the cannons outside are still firing without stopping, with no intention of stopping.

"Your Excellency General, we hope to stop the war with the field army. Of course, the war between Russia and you is something we soldiers cannot intervene in. However, the besieged Russian army no longer wants to fight. We hope to end the state of war with the field army." Lieutenant Victor continued.

Zhang Feng nodded: "What are your specific ideas?"

Lieutenant General Victor's eyes turned, and then he said, "General, we hope you can allocate an area for us to rest and recuperate. We promise not to attack the field army again after the war. When the war is over, we will immediately withdraw to our country."

Originally, Lieutenant General Victor had come to express the Russian army's unconditional surrender. However, after seeing how young Zhang Feng was, he had other ideas. It would undoubtedly be best if they could avoid surrender and simply end the war in a dignified manner.

Zhang Feng was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. The rest of the field army's generals were like this. Everyone looked at Lieutenant General Victor as if he were a clown. Damn, what the hell is this old Russian dreaming about?

Lieutenant General Victor obviously felt the ridicule, and his face suddenly became very ugly.

"General, have you forgotten why you came here? Do you want to go back in and ask your superiors for instructions? You're already surrounded by us, and you probably don't even have much ammunition left. It would be a piece of cake for us to destroy you. What qualifications do you have to negotiate these terms with us? All you have to do now is surrender unconditionally, and we can promise to protect your life and property."

Even though Lieutenant General Victor was in his fifties, soldiers were not as shameless as politicians or diplomats after all, so his face turned red all of a sudden, and he suddenly realized that he seemed to have thought everything was too simple.

"If we fight to the death, you will pay a heavy price to destroy us." Lieutenant General Victor said gritting his teeth.

"Haha, really? Then there's nothing to talk about. We will launch a general offensive in a day. However, I want to see how many of you can still fight to the death after we conquer you tomorrow." Zhang Feng said directly.

Suddenly, the anger on Lieutenant General Victor's face disappeared completely, replaced by deep fear. He knew the true situation of the Russian army at that time. If the field army launched a general offensive in a day, many Russians would die in vain.

"You, you can't do this," Lieutenant General Victor stammered. "This is Mongolia, you're invaders. Okay, stop playing tricks and tell us your true intentions," Zhang Feng said bluntly. If this guy dared to use tricks again, he would be really rude.

"Okay, General. We hope to surrender to your army. As long as your army can guarantee the safety of all our lives and property, and those wounded soldiers can receive medical treatment, we are willing to lay down our arms and surrender to you." Lieutenant General Victor said truthfully.

"First, the Russian army must surrender unconditionally. As I just said, we can guarantee the safety of your personal and private property. As for the wounded, we will try our best to treat them. As for whether they can be saved, it depends on their own luck." Zhang Feng said.

Whether the wounded were lightly wounded or seriously injured, Zhang Feng would not refuse treatment. The lightly wounded could still do hard labor after recovery. The seriously injured, even if they were cured, would likely remain disabled. Zhang Feng could easily send these people back to Russia, adding to the burden on the Russians.

"If we surrender, where will we be accommodated?" asked Lieutenant General Victor.

"If ordinary soldiers who are not injured want us to provide them with food, they must work. Of course, officers above the colonel level can get good treatment without working, but they need to pay for supplies," said Zhang Feng.

Zhang Yinghao had no immediate plans to export the revolution, and he hoped that Russian history would continue as it had in his previous life. Therefore, the soldiers would be forced to work in exchange for food. The Forward Party had no intention of teaching these officers to work. Once these men learned the secrets of labor and understood the unity of officers and soldiers, they would become true rivals for the People's Liberation Army. Furthermore, Zhang Feng wasn't afraid of these officers living off the land. These individuals came from wealthy or privileged families, and as long as they were in his possession, he believed a large ransom would be forthcoming. Indeed, Zhang Feng intended to have Russia pay for the ransom; otherwise, the Field Army would suffer a crushing loss in this battle.

Although Lieutenant General Victor wasn't entirely satisfied with Zhang Feng's answer, he did think it was acceptable if officers above the rank of colonel could be paid without having to work. At the very least, their lives in the prisoner-of-war camp would certainly be less harsh. Of course, no matter how the prisoners were arranged, the officers and soldiers within the Russian army had to be separated and held separately. Only in this way could the chances of a Russian rebellion be largely eliminated.

Victor discussed some details with Zhang Feng and others before leaving under Zhang Feng's arrangement.

After returning to the encirclement, Victor immediately reported the results of the negotiations to Bolivar and others. Lieutenant General Bolivar was not surprised by the field army's request.

"If everyone has no objection, then we will accept the Chinese conditions," said Lieutenant General Bolivar.

The other generals looked at each other, but in the end no one said anything.

"In that case, Victor, you go tell the field army that we have agreed to their demands. We can surrender to them this afternoon. However, after surrendering, they must ensure the safety of all Russian soldiers' lives and property." said Lieutenant General Bolivar.

"Yes, General." Lieutenant General Victor nodded.

That afternoon, Lieutenant General Bolivar, representing the surrounded Russian troops, handed over his command knife to Zhang Feng. All the Russian troops also laid down their weapons and marched out of their positions, formally surrendering to the field army.

According to the agreement between the two sides, the Russian troops would be provided with food by the field army after entering the prisoner-of-war camp. Those with minor or serious injuries would also receive medical treatment. The Russian surrender marked the end of the Battle of Kulun. The field army, using the latest tactics, achieved a brilliant victory by completely annihilating the invading Russian army at a relatively low cost. This battle also directly established the field army's dominant position in the Mongolian and Central Siberian battlefields.

Lieutenant General Bolivar, before surrendering, had the good sense to send a telegram to St. Petersburg. In it, he stated that, to ensure the lives of the remaining Russian troops were not wasted, and with ammunition and food running out, he had no choice but to surrender, and begged Tsar Nicholas II for mercy. He also sent telegrams to his backers, including the War Department and Governor-General Anuchin, asking them to speak on his behalf.

When Nicholas II received such a telegram, he immediately flew into a rage and cursed Lieutenant General Bolivar and others as traitors to the Russian Empire, sinners, and people who should go to hell.

"Damn it! Come, arrest the entire family of that traitor Bolivar. I'm going to hang them and let everyone know the fate of traitors. The families of all the generals who surrender must not be spared," Tsar Nicholas II said viciously, his face grim with rage. He would rather hear of all the soldiers on the front lines being killed in battle than surrender, especially to those yellow monkeys with pigtails whom he despised. This was unforgivable.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Even though General Bolivar and his men have failed your Majesty's expectations, their families will not be harmed! Your Majesty, please forgive those innocent people."

War Minister Sukhomlinov quickly pleaded for mercy. He could understand Lieutenant General Bolivar's choice. After all, the Russian troops surrounded by Kulun were doomed, and they had even considered them as pawns. At this time, Lieutenant General Bolivar's choice to surrender was undoubtedly an attempt to save as many lives as possible! Such a choice would certainly be a blow to the Russian Empire, but it was what the ordinary soldiers hoped for.

"No! They are traitors who betrayed the Russian Empire. They must not be forgiven easily," Tsar Nicholas II roared in frustration.

He had endured the repeated defeats of the Russian army by the Japanese, and he had been holding back his anger after the Russian army was badly defeated by the field army in the Northeast. Now, Lieutenant General Bolivar had actually led his troops to surrender to the field army. Wouldn't that have played right into his hands?

Sukhomlinov could only look to the other ministers for help. After Lieutenant General Bolivar surrendered, he sent him a telegram, hoping that he could find a way to protect the families of the surrendered generals and officers. Although they had surrendered to the field army, there was nothing they could do. Once they returned to Russia, these generals and officers would still be able to serve the Russian Empire.

The Tsar, in his rage, might not have realized this. However, Sukhomlinov, as the Minister of War, had to consider all of this carefully. Russian imperialism frequently launched aggressive wars. If they were defeated and their families were implicated, who would be willing to promote Russian territorial expansion in the future?

Furthermore, Russia was impoverished and backward, with its common soldiers composed of illiterate serfs. However, its officers came from aristocratic or wealthy families, which ensured a certain degree of combat effectiveness. The loss of these officers would be a devastating blow to the Russian army. If the families of surrendered generals were executed rashly, they would likely become staunch anti-Russian elements, something Russia could not afford.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Kolchak surrendered and relied on the help of the Red Cross to return to Russia after many twists and turns. The Tsarist government not only did not punish him, but instead hailed him as a hero because of his outstanding military performance, and he became famous for a while.