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Rudolf BangerskisLieutenant General of the White Army.
Date of Birth: 21.07.1878
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Early Life and Military Career
- Service in the Russian Army and World War I
- White Army Service
- Emigration and Service in the Latvian Army
- Service in the Waffen-SS
- Post-War and Death
Early Life and Military Career
Rudolf Karlovich Bangerskis was born on July 21, 1878, in the Livonian Governorate of the Russian Empire (present-day Latvia) to a Latvian family. He joined the Russian army as a volunteer in 1895 and attended military academies, graduating from the Junker School in 1899 and the Nicholas General Staff Academy in 1914.
Service in the Russian Army and World War I
Bangerskis served in the Russian army from 1901, participating in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and World War I (1914-1918). He rose through the ranks and became commander of the 1st Ust-Dvina Latvian Battalion in August 1915. In 1916, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Latvian Rifle Division.
White Army Service
After the outbreak of the Russian Civil War, Bangerskis joined the White Army and served as Chief of Staff of the 7th Ural Mountain Rifle Division in 1918. He later commanded the 12th Ural Rifle Division and the Ufa Group of Troops.
Emigration and Service in the Latvian Army
Following the collapse of the White Army, Bangerskis went into exile in China and then in Europe. He returned to Latvia in 1921 and entered its army, where he held various command positions, including Commander of the 1st Kurzeme Division and Minister of War.
Service in the Waffen-SS
During World War II, Bangerskis served in the Waffen-SS as a general-lieutenant. He was involved in the formation of the Latvian Legion and the 15th and 19th Waffen-SS Divisions. As General Inspector of these units, he was responsible for their operations and was implicated in the genocide of approximately 50,000 Jewish civilians in Latvia.
Post-War and Death
After the end of World War II, Bangerskis fled to Germany, where he was imprisoned in an internment camp. In 1946, he was transferred to a camp for Latvian refugees in Oldenburg, where he remained until his death in 1958. Bangerskis' remains were later reinterred in Latvia, where he is buried in a mass grave.
