Has anyone on the board ever heard of Dmitri Leonidovich Horvath (1858-1937) before?
He was Lili Dehn's maternal uncle. She mentions him at least once in her memoirs: "The great event at Revovka was the visit of my uncle Horvat who came from Siberia to see my grandmother once a year. He was head of the Siberian railways..."
Until recently I never realized that he had played a significant role in the White Movement in Siberia. Let alone that he had staged not one but two attempted coups in 1918!
Gen. Horvath was described as a charismatic man, sophisticated and extremely opportunistic. He served as the general manager of the Chinese Eastern Railway and as governor of the railway zone. He had a large treasury at his disposal, served as the commander of the local Russian troops, had the power to appoint judges, and recruited a “police force” made up of Chinese mercenaries who served as his personal militia. Ultimately, Horvath answered not to the Tsar, but to the French directors of the Russo-Asiatic Bank and the railway’s stockholders. From his office at Harbin he ruled as a virtual potentate from 1902 until 1918.
After the Revolution, Horvath refused to commit to either the Whites or the Bolsheviks. At the time he controlled the largest workforce in Manchuria and both groups vied for his support. He received them all courteously attempting to play one side off the other. He only joined the White Movement after they appeared to have gained an advantage locally.
In March 1918, Horvath was approached by Col. Kurosawa Jun. On behalf of the Japanese Government, the Colonel promised to recognize Horvath as the Russian leader in Siberia, and to provide him with military and financial support. However, he asked a great deal in return. He demanded that Horvath allow Japanese ships to freely navigate the Amur River, that they be given unlimited fishing rights, and have unchecked use of Siberia's mines and timber. He also wanted Horvath to de-fortify Vladivostok and open the port. Horvath refused his offer and instead appealed to the US Government for help.
On May 16th, Horvath was chosen to command the "All-Russian troops in Eastern Siberia." His troops would gain a reputation for being quite brutal.
At Harbin on July 14, 1918, Horvath appointed a Provisional War Cabinet. The members were a diverse group including former Duma members, among them a Constitutional Democrat, two socialists, Kerensky's former Vice Minister of Communications, and a director of the Russo-Asiatic Bank. There was also General Flug, the former Military Governor of Vladivostok, and last, but not least, he appointed Admiral Kolchak (then serving as commander of Russian forces at Harbin) as a provisional member.
Unity within the hodgepodge cabinet was short-lived. On July 25th, 1918, Adm. Kolchak announced the creation of the All-Siberian Government at Omsk, claiming authority over all Siberia. Not to be out done, on August 25th Horvath proclaimed himself to be dictator of Siberia.
From "King's Complete History of the World War," by William C. King (1922) Page 594:
"After the Allies had sent troops into Siberia, and the Czecho-Slovaks, had succeeded in expelling the Bolsheviki out of Vladivostok, General Horvath proclaimed himself supreme ruler of the Far East and started with a motley army to crown himself as "Emperor of the East" in the Cathedral of Vladivostok. The allied powers, however, gave Horvath no encouragement in his Imperial designs. Instead they disarmed his army, and gave their support to the local officials who had set up a regional government for Vladivostok and the vicinity.”
Horvath did not give up, however. He made a second attempt at a coup d'etat on October 7th, 1918. This attempt was thwarted by the Czech and Slovak soldiers at Omsk. Two days later Kolchak and Horvath reached an agreement and joined forces.
After Kolchak's defeat in 1919, Horvath returned to Harbin, where he spent the rest of his life working for the Chinese as a railway management consultant.