ABSTRACT
Ataman Semenov’s armored trains became the most notorious in a civil war that saw extensive action on the railways on all fronts. Red, White and nationalist forces employed armored trains in the Baltic countries, the southern front and the Caucasus as well as Siberia to control large areas and keep long lines of communication and supply open. Armored trains often ‘dominated the tactical thinking of the combatants’.1 By design, railways snaked through industrial, agricultural and population centers-strategic targets that meant victory. Across the desolate, sparsely populated expanses of Siberia, the fickle automobile quickly fell victim to the harsh climate and rough roads and even the timehonored cavalry saw seasonal limitations, requiring shelter during winter’s darkest bonechilling weeks. Flying machines (of which Semenov had eight in autumn 1918) stood on the cutting edge of technology and were still an expensive, high-maintenance novelty. The railway was the all-weather lifeline of military and political powers.
