Nikolai Golovin


Nikolai Nikolayevich Golovin was an Imperial Russian general and military historian.

Biography

Since 1908 Golovin was professor of tactics at General Staff Academy.
At the beginning of the First World War Golovin commanded Grodno Hussar regiment. Later he was transferred to staff of the general Lechitsky 9th Army as Quartermaster-General, and in 1916 as Chief of Staff of 7th Army. In 1917 he was Chief of Staff of Romanian Front.
After the Russian Revolution and break-up of the army he retired to Odessa where he lived in obscurity until the victory of the Allies and opening of the Black Sea allowed him to come to Western Europe.
In autumn 1919 he travelled from Paris through Vladivostok to Siberia to join admiral Kolchak's anti-bolshevik "white" forces. It was assumed that Golovin would be the Chief of Staff of Kolchak's army. But when he arrived at Omsk, Kolchak's army was already retreating in disarray. Golovin decided that the situation was hopeless and did not take command, returning to Vladivostok and Europe.
While living as an emigre in Paris he authored numerous books and articles on military theory and military history. He collected documents on Russian history for the Hoover library. Golovin's personal collection of documents was also deposited in Hoover Institution archive.

Works

Books