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Bermond’s highest rank in the army had been that of captian ,and that he considered quite insufficient for the leader of such an undertaking .But that was no obstacle.One fine day Bermond appointed himself “General”,and changed his name from “Raphailowich” to the less Jewish one of “Michilowich”. Soon afterwards,finding that his self-created military title did no suffice,he decided to add an aristocratic one and so dubbed himself “count.” But all Russian counts were well known .He might be discovered.So he decided that his title best with only one name? Better add another one. And so within a few short months the son of the baptized Jewish goldsmith became “General Count Bermond-Awaloff.” Only one slight difficulty arose from all this a real Count Awaloff happened to be living in Berlin.But Bermond did no allow this to bother him.

Bermond’s campaign in the Baltic provinces was successful up to a point,but he was ultimately defeated by the Lettish army,with the support of the British.But even in those days,teh reactionary element accepted him as one of their leaders.For fourteen years little was heard of him and his career seemed at an end.But Hitler’s victory in Germany provided him with a new field for action,and the son of the Jewish goldsmith became the central figure in the “triumvirate” that conducts the “pure Aryan”and “pure Russian “Nazi movement.