The Russian admiral Aleksandr Vasilievich Kolchak (1873-1920) commanded the White forces during the Russian civil war and proclaimed himself supreme ruler of Russia.

Aleksandr Kolchak was born in St. Petersburg. He received his military training at the Russian Naval Academy, graduating in 1894. Between 1900 and 1902 Kolchak participated prominently in two Arctic expeditions sponsored by the Russian Academy of Sciences. His work with the academy was interrupted by the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), but he returned and assisted in the preparation of a third expedition, whose purpose was to establish a northern sea route to the Far East. The academy awarded him its gold medal for his work.

During the Russo-Japanese War, Kolchak served as a destroyer commander and later directed a battery in besieged Port Arthur, where his heroism earned him the Sword of St. George. Stung by the Russian navy's humiliating defeat at the hands of Japan, he and...