Genrich Eiche

Genrich Christoforovich Eiche (Russian: Ге́нрих Христофо́рович Э́йхе, Latvian: Indriķis Ēķis; September 29 (October 12) 1893, Riga — June 25, 1968 Jūrmala, Latvia) was a Soviet military commander and historian of Latvian ethnicity. He served in World War I as an officer in the Russian Imperial Army before siding with the Bolsheviks and in 1917 being elected Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee of his regiment. Eiche also held leading civil posts. He was the cousin of Robert Eikhe.

Johans Indriķis Mārtiņš Ēķis (Johann Henrich Martin Eiche) was born on 29 September 1893, in Riga, Russian Empire. His father Kristaps (Christof) and mother Lina (née Laudon) were ethnic Latvians from rural areas of the center and north-west of the Courland Governorate respectively. Christoph's income from working as a forwarding agent enabled his wife to concentrate on taking care of Henrich and his older brother Friedrich Wilhelm (born in 1890).

At the age of 12 Eiche took part in several demonstrations and meetings of workers during the course of the 1905 Russian Revolution, witnessing their violent suppression by Orenburg Cossacks. Eiche's political views were further influenced by his cousins who were active members of the Latvian branch of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party.

In January 1906, he enrolled in the Riga Commercial Academy, graduating on 23 December 1911. In January 1912, he began his apprenticeship at the Riga based Helmsing & Grimm shipping agency. In late 1913, Eiche finished his apprenticeship, becoming a full-time employee in the company's import department. In a pursuit of his passion for music Eiche visited Berlin, where he enrolled in a composition correspondence course in the Berlin Conservatory.

His studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, whereupon he was drafted into the Russian Imperial Army as a private on 17 October 1914. After completing Warrant Officers’ Training School in 1915 he was sent to the front. He commanded a squadron, and was a staff captain.

After the February Revolution of 1917 he was elected to the regimental committee, and during the Russian Revolution of 1917 he was elected Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the 245th Infantry Regiment. In November 1917 he was elected to the Council of Soldiers' Deputies of the 10th Army and was a member of the board for the formation of the Red Guard.

He took part in suppressing the insurrection of the Polish corps under General Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki. In March 1918 he voluntarily enlisted in the Red Army. From August 1918 to November 1919 he commanded a regiment, a brigade and the 26th Infantry Division (beginning April 1919) on the Eastern Front. From November 1919 to January 1920 he was Commander of the 5th Army.

From March 1920 to April 1921 Eiche served as Commander-in-Chief of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic. He was recalled to Moscow only after his mission was completed: i.e., the entire Far East was merged into the buffer Far Eastern Republic; all the major White Guard groups in the Far East were eliminated; the Japanese troops occupying the Far East were forced to withdraw from the Trans-Baikal, Amur and Primorye regions; and partisan units were reorganized into the regular army following the pattern of the Red Army of the time.