Some of most "diehard" Bolsheviks were the Chinese. Though they were very mercenary in nature. During WWI, the Russian government recruited 150k Chinese labors. After the October Revolution, these Chinese were found themselves without work. In May 1918, a Bolshevik recruitment center was established and led by Shen Chenho. Initially the idea to recruit these Chinese into the Red Army was made by Trotsky. Sources state that 30-40k Chinese served in the Bolshevik ranks during the Civil War.

On the eve of WW1, the Russian Empire has a booming country with a bright future, in part due to Stolypin's agrarian reforms. Before his death, Stolypin remarked, "Give me 20 years of peace, both at home and abroad, and you will not recognize Russia". 1914 was 5 years in. Production of grains increased from 36 million tons in 1894 to 72 millions tons in 1913-1914. Production of wheat doubled.

One of the greatest What-Ifs is the assassination of Stolypin, Prime Minister to Tsar Nicholas II. A staunch monarchist, he wanted to strengthen the monarchy by instituting major agrarian reforms to modernize the Empire. Could his death have prevented the collapse of the Empire? One alternate history story that explores this is The Brusilov Offensive, 1916 Russia's Glory by Peter Tsouras. The story starts off at the Kiev Opera House on Sept. 14, 1911 with Stolypin, who recently resigned as Prime Minister, attending an opera with Tsar Nicholas II.

Requiem for the Cossacks, the rapid collapse of the Wehrmacht on all fronts found the Cossack Corps scattered. V. Pannwitz had attempted to retreat all Cossack units from the Balkans, while largely successful, the units were scattered throughout Austria. V. Pannwitz and his staff had their HQ close to Althofen, Austria, together with the 3rd Kuban, 4th Kuban, 5th Don, 6th Terek and 8th Dismounted. All of these units were 2nd Div elements with the exception of the 4th.

Helmuth von Pannwitz (1898-1947), Lt. Gen. of the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division, Obergruppenführer & Feldataman of the XV SS Cossack Cavalry Corps. A man who died in a Soviet prison because he stood by his men, when he could have abandoned them. The second son of a district judge & Prussian nobility, Pannwitz was born in Upper Silesia. The land his father leased were situated by the Lisswarthe River, which formed the border between Silesia and Russian Poland.

Detailing a series of early Cossack collaborators. First is Nicholas Nazarenko. In mid-October, the Germans found the Red Army attacked behind their front line by a Russian militia commanded by Nicholas Nazarenko. A Don Cossack, he fled from Russian to Romania as a child during the Russian Revolution. Serving in the Romanian army, he returned to Russia to detail the troop placement along the border. He was captured and sent to a labor camp for several years until escaping to the Caucasus.