Vladimir Kappel

Kappel was born into a Swedish-Russian family. He graduated from the Saint Petersburg Page Corps and then from the Nikolayevskoye Cavalry School and Nikolayevskaya Academy of the General Staff.

During the First World War he was a Chief of the 347th Infantry Regiment's Staff and an officer in the 1st Army's Staff. He began at the Staff of the Army Corps. On February 1915 he was transferred to the front at the headquarters of Fifth Division of Don Cossacks. He stayed at that post until he was promoted to the rank of staff captain. [2]

He participated in the planning of the Brusilov Offensive, the most successful Russian offensive of the war.

On 15th of August 1916, Vladimir Kappel was made lieutenant-colonel and posted Deputy Head of the Headquarters Operations Office for the South-Western front.

Although he was a self-declared monarchist, Kappel said he would fight under any banner against the Bolsheviks. Kappel's adherents and allies were known in Russian as kappelevtsy (каппелевцы).

Following the Bolshevik Revolution, Kappel commanded the Komuch White Army group (People's Army of Komuch) (June–September 1918) and from December 1919 the eastern front of Aleksandr Kolchak, participating in the Spring 1919 offensive towards Moscow.

Despite his rank, the young officer was often seen with grenades and revolvers on his belt, which earns him a reputation of a Soldier-General and makes him one of the most popular White Generals among the rank-and-file. He insists on arming all of his staff, and often carries his rifle to planning sessions. His relatively young age was also a contributing factor to his reputation as an effective general.

Despite the military prowess of Kappel and his troops, the offensive is met with failure: their supply lines are over-extended, their troops are meagre, ammunition shortages are common, and the Red Army is being reorganized and strengthened. As multiple revolts disintegrate the Army's rear, Kolchak is captured by Soviet allies. Kappel and his Kappelevtsy thus begin a forced march through the Siberian winter, the Great Siberian Ice March, similar to what the Volunteer Army had done in 1918, the Kuban Ice March.

During the march, on 15 January 1920, learns of Kolchak's capture, but soon falls through the ice while crossing the Kan River, worsening his already fragile health. Because of frostbite, the fingers of his right hand had to be removed along with his left foot, without anesthetics. Following this amputation however, his health did not improve. Still advancing towards Irkutsk to rescue Kolchak, the General's troops capture Nizhneudinsk on the 20th. Both of Kappel's legs were frozen and he was dying of typhus.

In the words of his colleague and friend, A. A. Fedorovich:

"He clenches his teeth to not scream out in pain. The general has been hoisted and attached to his horse with what is left of his hands and body. Vladimir greets those who have not laid down their weapons. And he only stops at night."

On the 21st, Kappel hands over command of his troops to General Sergei Wojciechowski due to his failing health. He also sends his wife his wedding ring and one of his Crosses of St. George. On the 22nd, on the verge of death, Kappel orders his troops to accelerate their march towards Irkutsk, to save their gold reserves and Admiral Kolchak from execution. On the 26th, Kappel dies of his ailments near Tulun, about 350km from Irkutsk. His last words to his men are: "Tell my men that I adored them, and that my death in the midst of them proves it."

His command is officially handed over to General Sergei Wojciechowski, who continues their mad dash towards Irkutsk. Kappel's men, bringing his coffin with them (to avoid desecration like with other White Generals' burial sites), reach the city on the 5th of February. Kolchak however, is executed on the same day, mere moments before the Whites could reach him. They then continued their retreat towards Chita, ending their Great Siberian Ice March there.

Kappel's tomb in Harbin, China was pulled down in 1955 when Mao Zedong assumed power in China. On December 19, 2006, the remains of Kappel were identified and transported for reinterment from China to Irkutsk.[3] On January 13, 2007, Vladimir Kappel's remains were interred at Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

• Order of Saint Stanislaus, 3rd class (11 April 1910), with swords and bow (10 February 1916), 2nd class with Swords (7 June 1915)
• Order of St. Anna, 3rd class (8 May 1913 - for the successful completion of the Nicholas General Staff Academy), with swords and bow (25 April 1915), 2nd class with Swords (7 June 1915), 4th class with the inscription "For Bravery" (27 January 1916)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with Swords and Bow (1 March 1915)
• Order of St. George, 4th class (22 June 1919), 3rd class (11 September 1919)
• Gratitude of the Supreme Ruler and Supreme Commander (14 February 1919)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vladimir Kappel.

• (in Russian) Каппель и каппелевцы. Kappel and Kappelevtsy, e-book.