I was first introduced to the "Back of Beyond" warfare in Central Asia and Mongolia during the 20's, largely associated with the Russian Civil War, from the Tim's Miniature Wargaming Blog, but it was episode #239 of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff that sparked my interest in the period again, and specifically Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg (Ungern for the remainder of this review).
For my recent cruise, I got a copy of James Palmer's The Bloody White Baron to read, and was not disappointed.
Baron Ungern is indeed a colorful character, but he is also a brutal, sadistic man, who perpetrated, or at least allowed his men to commit, horrible crimes against the local population, Bolsheviks, refugees, as well as the Jewish population. Even the most fervent Ungern fan/apologist who can explain the atrocities were simply more direct and efficient than the same acts committed by the Bolsheviks at the time, should have great difficulty explaining his actions towards Jews in Dauria and Urga that rival, or may even give pause to those orchestra the atrocities in Nazi Germany decades later, albeit on a much more localized scale.
Palmer spends adequate time covering Ungern's background and the eccentricities of Buddhism in Central Asia at a slower pace, before delving into the madness in a Post-Great War world.
Reading Palmer's book will allow me to venture into the original "source" material of Ferdynand Ossendowski's Beasts, Men, and Gods, which creates the initial legend of the Bloody White Baron to the world with more legend than impressive and honest truth.
For my recent cruise, I got a copy of James Palmer's The Bloody White Baron to read, and was not disappointed.
Baron Ungern is indeed a colorful character, but he is also a brutal, sadistic man, who perpetrated, or at least allowed his men to commit, horrible crimes against the local population, Bolsheviks, refugees, as well as the Jewish population. Even the most fervent Ungern fan/apologist who can explain the atrocities were simply more direct and efficient than the same acts committed by the Bolsheviks at the time, should have great difficulty explaining his actions towards Jews in Dauria and Urga that rival, or may even give pause to those orchestra the atrocities in Nazi Germany decades later, albeit on a much more localized scale.
Reading Palmer's book will allow me to venture into the original "source" material of Ferdynand Ossendowski's Beasts, Men, and Gods, which creates the initial legend of the Bloody White Baron to the world with more legend than impressive and honest truth.
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