White Eagle

A bearded Archpriest whose rich vestments recalled the pomp of Holy Russia stood, last week, with streaming eyes beside the deathbed of Peter Nicholaie-vich, Baron Wrangel. The place was merely a retired suburban villa, near Brussels, Belgium; but, as Death came to the lanky care-worn Baron, men recalled how recently and with what high courage he and his Cossack army all but succeeded in overthrowing the Soviet regime.

To his troops Baron Wrangel was "The White Eagle," and to him they were "White Knights" pledged to fight for Holy

Russia. Even today some 30,000 of these "Knights" maintain themselves by agricultural labor in Bulgaria & Jugoslavia (TIME, Dec. 27, 1926); and stand ready, as a functioning, militant unit to render fealty to the Russian whom they recognize as "Tsar"--the Grand Duke Nicholai Nicholaievich, who resides in prudent retirement near Paris (TIME, April 19, 1926).

In 1926, when Baron Wrangel found himself failing in health, he offered the allegiance of his "White Knights" unreservedly to the Grand Duke Nicholai and himself retired to live quietly in Brussels. There he has been attended by only a few faithful followers, among them the Russian Archpriest who, last week, administered to him last rites.

The year 1920 saw General Baron Wrangel at the zenith of his power. He was then recognized by France as the Supreme Head of the so-called Government of South Russia.

To explain how that regime came to exist is to recall the three principal White Russian Commanders whom the Allies had previously put in the field against Red Russia. One army struck North from Estonia under General Nikolai Nicholaievich Yudenich, who in 1919 advanced until he could see the spires of Petrograd, only to be driven back. A second White Army and Government was dominated by Admiral Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak. In 1919 he advanced from Siberia until he was within 450 miles of Moscow. Later, when he was driven back, he signed a ukase transferring the Siberian Government over which he held sway to a third White Commander, General Anton Deniken, whose armies then dominated Southern Russia.

Thus Anton Deniken found himself supreme over two White Russian Governments. The glory went to his head. He conducted himself with the imperiousness of a Romanov, and finally he antagonized the chief of his Cossack officers, Baron Wrangel.

The antagonism spread to other officers and then throughout the army. Eventually, after Deniken had suffered military reverses, he was obliged to flee to Constantinople, and the army chose Baron Wrangel as its leader by acclaim.

The new Commander-in-Chief displayed a penetrating grasp of realities. His first step was to conciliate the peasants, over whose lands Deniken had been content to send his armies roughshod. The recognition shortly accorded to Wrangel by France greatly enhanced his prestige, and in 1920 he advanced against Moscow, relying on the Russo-Polish war which was then raging to engage the attentions of a major part of the Red Army.

Unfortunately the Poles proceeded shortly to make peace with Soviet Russia, whereupon the whole might of the Red Army was thrown against Wrangel. Outnumbered, he was driven back--back & back upon Sevastapol. There he embarked his "White Knights" upon ships furnished by the Little Entente and withdrew his whole army to Constantinople.

That retreat marked the political and military eclipse of Baron Wrangel. His misfortune was made complete when Fate snatched from him his wife, her immensely valuable jewels, and his personal fortune which he had converted into cash. These three most valued possessions were lost when the yacht Lucullus sank in collision with the British steamer Adria off Constantinople harbor. After that triple misfortune Baron Wrangel gradually became little more than a lanky, itinerant White Hope.