Alfred Knox (born in Ulster 1870 - 1964) was a career British military officer. Upon joining the British Army he served in India and reached the rank of Major General. In 1911 General Knox was appointed the British Military Attaché in Russia. During First World War General Knox, who spoke Russian fluently, became a liaison officer to the Russian Army. During October Revolution in Russia Alfred Knox observed the Bolsheviks taking the Winter Palace on October 25 (November 7), 1917: Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The October Revolution, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution or November Revolution, was the second phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, the first having been instigated by the events around the February Revolution. ... Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ... Located between the Palace Embankment and the Palace Square, the Winter Palace (Russian: Зимний Дворец) in St. ...

"The garrison of the Winter Palace originally consisted of about 2,000 all told, including detachments from yunker and ensign schools, three squadrons of Cossacks, a company of volunteers and a company from the Women's Battalion.

The garrison had dwindled owing to desertions, for their were no provisions and it had been practically starved for two days. There was no strong man to take command and to enforce discipline. No one had any stomach for fighting; and some of the ensigns even borrowed great coats of soldier pattern from the women to enable them to escape unobserved.

The greater part of the yunkers of the Mikhail Artillery School returned to their school, taking with them four out of their six guns. Then the Cossacks left, declaring themselves opposed to bloodshed! At 10 p.m. a large part of the ensigns left, leaving few defenders except the ensigns of the Engineering School and the company of women." [1]

In 1921 Knox published memoirs, With the Russian Army: 1914-1917.

External links

• Alfred Knox