The Viewpoint of the French Military Mission in Russia of the Situation in May-August 1918 271

Abstract

The article is devoted to the viewpoints of the leaders of the French military mission (especially generals Niessel and Lavergne) on the key events of Russian history during March-August 1918, such as the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk treaty, the possibility of cooperation with Soviet Russia, the revolt of the Czechoslovak Legion, and the necessity for an Allied intervention. The author comes to the conclusion that the officers’ perception of key issues differed considerably: one part of the French military mission (represented by Nissel) felt hostility to the Bolsheviks, and the other part (represented by Lavergne) sympathised with Soviet power. Nevertheless, the leaders of the French military mission judged the Soviet regime by its military capacity and the ability to sustain military activity against the Central Powers. Referring to the reports of Generals Nissel and Lavergne, the author confirms the opinion that the members of the French military mission were not involved in the organisation of the Czechoslovak revolt in May 1918. This paper is based on documents from G. Clemenceau’s collection, as well as from the Russian section of the General Staff’s Second Bureau and of the French Military Mission in Russia, and the French Ministry of Defense Archive.

Keywords

• французская военная миссия
• Первая мировая война
• русско-французские отношения
• союзническая интервенция.