Leonid Bolhovitinov Lieutenant General of the General Staff. Date of Birth: 05.01.1871 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Military Service in the Far East
3. Russo-Japanese War and Decorations
4. Service in the General Staff and World War I
5. Western Front and Transfer to the Red Army
6. Arrest and Execution
7. Kuban Government and Suicide
8. Allegations of Collaboration

Early Life and Education

Lieutenant-General of the General Staff, Vladimir Bolkhvitianov, embarked on his military career after graduating from the Moscow Infantry Cadet School and the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff in 1898.

Military Service in the Far East

Upon graduating from the cadet school, Bolkhvitianov joined the 14th Grenadier Georgian Regiment. As an officer of the General Staff, he served in the Far East, particularly in the Kwantung region, from October 1899 to February 1902.

Russo-Japanese War and Decorations

Bolkhvitianov actively participated in the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). He distinguished himself in the latter conflict, serving as a staff officer to the Commander-in-Chief in the Far East from 1904 to August 1905. For his valor, he was awarded numerous battle decorations, including the Orders of Saint Stanislav and Saint Anna, the Order of Saint Vladimir with swords and a bow, and the Golden Weapon.

Service in the General Staff and World War I

After the Russo-Japanese War, Bolkhvitianov held various positions in the General Staff's Quartermaster Department from 1906 to 1910. In 1911, he was appointed Commander of the 90th Onega Infantry Regiment. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, he became General-Quartermaster of the Caucasian Army and served as its acting Chief of Staff after the Battle of Sarikamish in 1915.

Western Front and Transfer to the Red Army

In June 1917, Bolkhvitianov was transferred to the Western Front and promoted to Lieutenant-General. He commanded a corps under General Brusilov's leadership. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, he briefly served in the Red Army in 1918.

Arrest and Execution

In August 1918, Bolkhvitianov was arrested in Yekaterinodar by the Volunteer Army. A military tribunal sentenced him to death, but General Denikin commuted the sentence to demotion to the ranks. Bolkhvitianov served as a private in the Drozdov Division for about a year.

Kuban Government and Suicide

In 1920, Bolkhvitianov was reinstated as a general in the Volunteer Army and served briefly as Minister of War for the Kuban government. After the Kuban Army's retreat, he escaped to Crimea via ship. In the aftermath of the Russian Civil War, he immigrated to Bulgaria, where he served as an inspector in the Kuban Military School until 1924. Bolkhvitianov later moved to Harmanli and committed suicide in 1927.

Allegations of Collaboration

The circumstances surrounding Bolkhvitianov's suicide remain unclear. Some speculate that it was prompted by accusations made by the former head of the Severo-Kavkazsky Military-Revolutionary Staff, Vladimir Chernoy. Chernoy claimed that Bolkhvitianov collaborated with the Soviet authorities while serving as Minister of War for Kuban. However, the veracity of these allegations remains contested.