The Mad Baron
- The Random Leftist
- Oct 31, 2019
- 6 min read
Hello, ladies and gentlemen for a Halloween special we here in WSN media have decided to write an article dedicated to a man that embodies everything we stand against we value here in WSN media. A man who was so fanatic and enthusiastic that even ardent reactionaries feared him. Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg, a man who’s fanaticism and cruelty, would become something of modern Legend.
He was born in Graz, Austria, in the year 1886. Roman, despite being born in the Austro-Hungarian empire, Roman was primarily loyal to the Russian empire and aristocracy for he was of Baltic German nobility, which made him a beneficiary of Tsarist rule. Both his parents were of baltic German roots, but his father had some Hungarian roots, and also claimed to be descended from Genghis Khan. This instilled Roman with interest in the Mongol empire of old. In 1888 when Roman’s family moved to Reval (modern-day Tallinn). Their life got rather rough. Around 1891 Roman’s father was sent to a mental asylum and Roman’s mother soon after divorced him and married another Baltic-German nobleman. Growing up, Roman was something a bully, though his antics easily exceeded the cruelty of the average school bully. With him claiming to have killed his neighbor’s owl at age twelve. At school, Roman displayed a keenness for.
Along with his antisocial behavior, Roman was very elitist, taking great pride in his noble heritage and thinking lowly the lower classes and boasting of the various estates his family-owned. He despised democracy and wholeheartedly supported the absolute monarchy. Due to his belief of being descended from Genghis Khan, Roman thought that the best way Russian could expand its influence and preserve absolute monarchy on a global scale was by unifying the people of southern Russia and Central Asia.
At the age of 17, Roman would enroll in the Marine Cadet Officer’s school in St. Petersburg, the then Capital of Russia. There Roman continued his reputation for bad behavior. With one of his classmates calling him “a man who bullied the bullies.” When the Russo-Japanese war broke out, Roman would drop out of school and go to fight against the Japanese. It’s disputed where he arrived in time to engage in the fighting or arrived right after the battle had concluded. What is not disputed is that while Roman was away at the east, the Russian revolution of 1905 occurred and though the rebels were put down. One of Roman’s estates was burned down. This act would greatly intensify his disliking for the lower classes.
The events of 1905 gave Roman a new resolve. In the following year, Roman enrolled in the Paval Military school and after successfully graduated. After graduating, Roman would become an officer in a Cossack host located in Eastern Siberia. Their Roman world view would be further developed. While in Siberia, Roman got to see the cultural and religious practices of many steppe people, taking particular interest in the Mongols. His religious beliefs also shifted during this time. With Roman adopting a sort of synthesis of Buddhism and Christianity, that also managed to allow him to keep drinking and engage in violence. He was so enamored with Buddhism that he attempted to form an “order of military Buddhists. However, due to some of the rules he implemented, he didn’t his ordered had very little members. However, not everything was good for the future Baron for, during a drunken brawl with another soldier, he was cut on the head with the other soldier’s sword, which many historians believe left an impact on Roman’s psychology and influenced some of his future actions. In 1913 he retired and became a reserve officer. Only to be dragged back into service the following year.
During the first world war, he’d begin to gain notoriety. Roman was transferred into the 34th Cossack Regiment. Where he fought against the Germans, on the battlefield, he’d often fight on the front lines and ignore orders given to him by his superiors. However, Roman was forgiven for his disobedience, for he risked his life constantly and overall being successful, winning a plethora of awards. Some historians believe that this lack of regard for his own life was due to Roman’s unhinged mental state caused by the head injury he received during that drunken brawl.
However, Roman’s recklessness could only go so far. After engaging in multiple Drunken brawls with his fellow army men, Roman was court-martialed and sentenced to two months in prison. After serving his time, Ungern was back on the battlefield the time fighting against the Turks. Just like during the Russo-Japanese war, much had transpired while Roman was away. Russian was no longer the Autocracy Roman so faithfully believed in but rather a republic. While fighting against the Turks, Roman would meet fellow future white army general Grigory Semyenov, who, just like Roman, was loyal to the Tsar despite being ethnic minorities. It also helped the Grigory was of Mongol blood.
When the bolshevik revolution had occurred, Roman and his new friend denounced the new regime and declared war. The troops of both men would head to east Siberia and joining the rest of the white army. However, both men disliked the then commander of the white army admiral Kolchak for his xenophobic views and opted to align themselves with the Empire of Japan. The Japanese gave the two men many resources, with Semyenov leading an entire army of Cossacks and Roman to gather a division comprised of volunteers from Russian, Mongolia, China, and Japan. Roman’s forces would be given the nickname the savage division.
After gathering their forces Roman and Semyenov would part ways. Roman would publish a manifesto stating his opposition to democracy and desire to have Grand duke Mikhail installed as Tsar of Russia. Embarrassingly by the time Roman published his manifesto, Mikhail was already dead, and after learning about that, Roman diverged his focus to the east. Roman would come to view Genghis Khan as a great purging force, and he wished to bring about a similar purge of the Bolsheviks and the Jews. In hopes of building strong ties with the Chinese, Roman married the daughter of the warlord of Manchuria.
After the white army was handed crushing defeat after crushing defeat, Roman would have his forces pull out of Russia, and on the 1st of October 1920, Ungern’s forces began their invasion of China. During that time, Mongolia was being occupied by China. During this time, Roman also adopted many strict military disciplines. Allegedly after finding a group of drunken soldiers, Roman forced them to march naked into the middle of an icy river and had them fight off wolves with their bare hands. He’d fight against the Chinese for many months until being able to drive them on the 5th of February 1921. Many of the Chinese officers he captured and their soldiers were absorbed into his forces. Roman would install the Bogd Khan (the local monarch of Mongolia and a significant figure in the Buddhist religion) As an absolute monarch of Mongolia. Roman set up his headquarters in a looted Chinese house.
Here the carnage begins. Though not the official monarch Roman was the dictator of the country. He’d order the mass executions of Jews and people believed to be Bolshevik Sympathizers. With Roman declaring a pogrom. Those who sheltered Jews were forced to hand them over at the threat of death. Many gruesome torture methods were used, such as being burnt alive and the previously mentioned forced marches and being fed to animals. Being a staunch believer in reincarnation, Ungern thought he was showing mercy to his victims by killing them so they could be reincarnated and be stronger in their next life.
However, life in Ungern’s Mongolia wasn’t all bad. He prohibited unjustified looting the houses of regular civilians and had a policy of tolerance for all cultures, with the exception of Jews, of course.
While Roman was Ruling Mongolia, the Bolsheviks where steadily defeating the white army back in Russia, and they had their eyes set on Mongolia. Roman was unaware of this, and in May, he had his forces attack Russia. Only for them to be defeated by the red army. The reds would then further push into Mongolia and capture the Capital. Roman and his forces would retreat to the mountains where they engaged in Guerilla Warfare against the Reds.
He’d engage the Reds a few times, but eventually, it became clear that he had no chance of winning. However, unlike most White army leaders, Roman did not decide to Flee to Manchuria. Instead, being the religious man he was, he decided to head to Tibet. This was the Breaking point for his troops. Though details are disputed, what most historians agree upon is that Roman’s troops mutinied, and on the 20th of August, he was captured by the Bolsheviks.
His trial would commence on the 15th of September. During the trial, being a communist judge took the opportunity to denounce religion and called the actions of Roman as actions typical of all religious fanatics. Roman was surprisingly calm during the trial and hardly even spoke.
After his trial concluded, Roman was sentenced to death. It is debated if Roman either ate or destroyed his Cross of St George, a medal given to him during his military service for the Russian Empire, and one of Roman’s most precious valuables. However, the disputes about Roman don’t end there. For Legend has it that as he was being executed, one of the bullets hit one of his medals, and the shrapnel from that medal left a cut on a soldier’s cheek.
Further Reading: https://amp.theatlantic.com/amp/article/459327/
Comments