A. A. Ivanov. An Accidental Diplomat: Alfred Will Kliefoth and the Russian Revolution of 1917 //
Petersburg Historical Journal, no. 1, 2026, pp. 160–170.

DOI: 10.51255/2311–603X_2026_1_160

Abstract:

The revolutionary events of 1917 had an impact not only on domestic political, economic,
socio-cultural institutions and international processes, but also significantly influenced the worldview of the participants. For some of them, the rise of the Bolsheviks and the subsequent civil war became a traumatic experience that led to a significant shift in their system of values. At the same time, the internationalization of the military-political confrontation in Russia allowed foreign military personnel, intelligence officers, and diplomats to gain practical experience in dealing with socialist parties and develop their skills in countering them, which became a factor in their career advancement. It was the experts who served together in the American
Embassy in Russia during the Revolution and in the American Military Mission during the intervention who later formed the core of the divisions responsible for analyzing relations with USSR in the U. S. Department of State. One of these specialists was Alfred Will Kliefoth, whose career allows us to understand many of the implicit aspects of the Soviet-American confrontation in the early years of Soviet rule. This article explores the evolution of the beliefs of A. W. Kliefoth during the early stages of his diplomatic career — from pacifism to anti-Bolshevism. The research is based on the documents of American government agencies, writings and interviews by A. W. Kliefoth, as well as the works of Russian and foreign historians.

Key words: revolution, USA, intervention, diplomacy, propaganda, embassy, Military Mission.

Author:

Ivanov, Andrey Alexandrovich — Dr. of Sci. in History, Associate Professor, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (Moscow, Russia).
E-mail: ivanovaa85@list.ru
ORCID: 0000-0003-4097-9447

References:
Fox, M. H. Peter E. Dietz, Labor Priest. Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 1953. 285 p.
Kraft, B. S. The Peace Ship: Henry Ford’s Pacifist Adventure in the First World War. New York, Macmillan, 1978. 367 p.

Noskov, V. V. David R. Francis, Ambassador to Four Russian Governments. In Journal of Russian
American Studies. 2018. Vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 44–62.

Salzman, N. V. (ed.) Russia in War and Revolution: General William V. Judson’s Accounts from Petrograd, 1917–1918. Kent, Kent University Press, 1998. 334 p.

Strakhovsky, L. I. Intervention at Archangel: The Story of Allied Intervention and Russian Counter-
Revolution in North Russia 1918–1920. Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1944. 336 p.

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