Alexander Dutov

For Russian footballer, see Aleksandr Dutov.

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Alexander Dutov

Alexander Ilyich Dutov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Ильи́ч Ду́тов) (1879—1921), one of the leaders of the Cossack counterrevolution in the Urals, Lieutenant General (1919).

Dutov was born in Kazalinsk in Syr-Darya Oblast (now Kazaly in Kazakhstan). He graduated from Nikolayev cavalry School, and Nikolayev Engineering Institute, now Military engineering-technical university (Russian Военный инженерно-технический университет), and General Staff Academy (1908). He was Assistant Commander of the Cossack regiment during World War I. After the February Revolution, Dutov was appointed head of the All-Russian Cossack Army Union, then Chairman of the counterrevolutionary All-Russian Cossack Congress (June, 1917), and then Chief of the Army Administration and ataman of the Orenburg Cossack Army (September).

In November, Dutov raised a revolt against the Soviet authorities in Orenburg. In June 1918, Dutov with the help of the Czech Legion organized a struggle for complete termination of the Soviet authority in the Urals. He was in charge of the Detached Orenburg Army in Aleksandr Kolchak's army.

In 1919 he tried to convince General Grigory Semyonov to join him as a stronger force to fight the Red Army. Semyonov refused despite a significant diplomatic effort from Governor Vasile Balabanov claiming he was governor only since the provisional government in St Petersburg collapsed in the revolution.

In 1920 General Dutov helped a number of Russian leaders including Vasile Balabanov, the Administrator of Semirechye to escape to China.

After his army's defeat by Red Army, Dutov escaped to China, where he was assassinated in Suiding by a Bolshevik agent Мahmud Khadzhamirov (Махмуд Хаджамиров) in February 1921.

See also

• Russian Civil War
• White Movement