Original Item: Only One Pair Available. The American Expeditionary Force, Siberia (AEF in Siberia) was a formation of the United States Army involved in the Russian Civil War in Vladivostok, Russia, after the October Revolution, from 1918 to 1920. The force was part of the larger Allied North Russia intervention. As a result of this expedition, early relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were poor.

U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's claimed objectives for sending troops to Siberia were as much diplomatic as they were military. One major reason was to rescue the 40,000 men of the Czechoslovak Legion, who were being held up by Bolshevik forces as they attempted to make their way along the Trans-Siberian Railroad to Vladivostok, and it was hoped, eventually to the Western Front. Another major reason was to protect the large quantities of military supplies and railroad rolling stock that the United States had sent to the Russian Far East in support of the Russian Empire's war efforts on the Eastern Front of World War I. Equally stressed by Wilson was the need to "steady any efforts at self-government or self defense in which the Russians themselves may be willing to accept assistance." At the time, Bolshevik forces in Siberia controlled only small pockets, and President Wilson wanted to make sure that neither Cossack marauders nor the Japanese military would take advantage of the unstable political environment along the strategic railroad line and in the resource-rich Siberian regions that straddled it. Anticommunism was also a strong factor.

Concurrently and for similar reasons, about 5,000 American soldiers were sent to Arkhangelsk (Archangel), Russia by Wilson as part of the separate Polar Bear Expedition.

When American troops were sent to Northern Russia and Siberia in August of 1918, a variety of gloves, gauntlets and mittens that were capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures were utilized in that theater of operation. The majority of those hand coverings were not made available to the soldiers who served on the Western Front or to the servicemen that stayed behind in the United States. The hand coverings worn by the Americans in the eastern most region of Europe were largely American, British and locally acquired Russian gloves, gauntlets and mittens. Among the garments procured were wool lined leather mittens made from the hides of muskrat, marmot, bear, buffalo, wolf, seal and even dog.

This lovely pair of gauntlets were most certainly made from Black Bear and possibly Russian Ussuri Black Bear in origin. The gloves are in excellent condition and still retain a lovely corduroy wool lining. There is minor wear present on the fur and lining, but the actual hand portion of the leather shows moderate wear and evident of field use. There are no labels or anything present save for a small tag with the size 10 on the interior.

Truly a wonderful pair of gloves from a lesser known campaign! Comes more than ready for further research and display.