Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia, 1918-1920

by Clifford Kinvig

Despite tremendous losses in World War I, a considerable British force landed in Russia in 1918 under the auspices of Winston Churchill. The aim was to influence the military and political outcome of the Russian Revolution. Churchill's Crusade tells the story of that campaign, which ultimately failed, but which shaped historical events for the next sixty years.

Genres: Russia, History, Russian Revolution, World War I

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Megan Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book explaining the part of the Great War that is often left out of textbooks. It is easy to forget about the Russian civil war that started during the Frist World War as well as the Entente's involvement in that war.

[Simon Parkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book by my son in law as a gift as he knew I held a personal interest in the topic as my grandfather fought as a captain in this intervention. I had no prior knowledge of the topic. It’s a heavy and detailed and somewhat difficult book to read and towards the end I started to skim. Because it discusses different fronts the tile line goes back and forwards and this makes it difficult to follow. The individual stories are interesting and provide colour to the wider geopolitical story.,I agree with another reviewer that good maps are really missing. To be honest I think the entire book would benefit from being completely rewritten as it currently reads in a disjointed fashion. Notwithstanding, the conclusion is clear and I did understand the whole thing in the end. It must have taken a huge amount of effort and research to produce and for that I am very grateful. This one is only for enthusiasts of the subject.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, an interesting book on the Allied intervention in the Russian Revolution during and after World War I. It is very much a political history that focuses primarily on the British and Commonwealth involvement. I'll also warn you since it focuses heavily on the political side of events, it is a dry book.

The main impression one walks away with after reading this book, is that other than Winston Churchill and perhaps the General Ironsides, no one had a clear goal as to what would be achieved by intervening in the Russian Revolution. The author also downplays the American and French contributions to this campaign.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rare history of how far Churchill wanted to go after World War I to stop the Russian's from becoming communist.

[Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an outstanding and informative account of the British, French, American, and Japanese invasion of Russia before the Bolsheviks had gotten complete control. Of course, it was a complete failure as the "White" Russians were as hopelessly incompetent and corrupt as the revolutionaries complained that they were. The book focuses mainly on the British side of the invasion. It was a disaster and a tragedy. I do recommend that you read it if you are into history of that era.

[Jeremey M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting book, however I found it a rather dry read that on several times failed to engage me in any meaningful way. On the positive side it was filled with all kinds of information I did not know about the Russian Civil War as well as Winston Churchill. There's a rather interesting passage that highlights Churchill's love of chemical/gas warfare, going as far as to create false reports of the Red Army using it in an attempt to get a green light from British Parliament to do the same.

Unfortunately, in the end these anecdotes are few and far between making the book overall, a rough read.

[Tina Tamman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for anybody interested in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. Some chapters are really excellent. What I fail to understand, however, is why the author decided to focus on Churchill. This aspect does not fully work for me: Churchill fails to come alive.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough and well researched, this is a good read for any student of 2oth century history as it explores a nearly forgotten episode in the wake of WWI and the Russian Revolution. This is not a book about Churchill; he is a significant player but one of very many. Kinvig conveys the chaos and fluidity of the political situation within a convulsing Russia quite well. The glaring weakness of this book is the lack of detailed maps. Anyone wishing to take up this fine book would do well to find detailed maps of at least four regions of Russia to have at the ready: Murmansk/Archangel, Vladivostok, central Russia around Omsk, and the lands between the Black and Caspian seas.