Mikhail Diterikhs was born into a noble family in St. Petersburg. His father was an army general. He graduated from the Page Corps (1894), and Nicholas General Staff Academy (1900). A participant of the Russo-Japanese War, he fought at Liaoyang and Mukden. Diterikhs was engaged in the christening of the heir to the Russian throne Alexei Romanov (receiving him from the Holy font) (1904). During World War I, he was Chief-of-Staff of the 3rd Army. In 1916, he took part in the offensive of the Southwestern Front (Brusilov offensive). In September 1916, the 2nd Special Infantry Brigade headed by Diterikhs was sent to the Balkans to support the Serbian army. He was awarded the Legion of Honor Officer Cross.

After the February Revolution of 1917, Diterikhs was recalled to Russia. In August–September 1917, he held the post of Chief-of-Staff of the Special Petrograd Army. After the failure of Kornilov affair, he managed to avoid arrest. In September–November 1917, he held the post of Quartermaster General of the Stavka [Headquarters]. In November 1917, Chief-of-Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Nikolay Dukhonin. During Dukhonin’s murder, Diterikhs managed to survive thanks to the help of the French military mission in Mogilyov.

Since March 1918, he was Chief-of-Staff of the Czechoslovak Legion. He took part in the uprising of the Czechoslovak Legion and the overthrow of Soviet power in Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. Early 1919 saw Aleksander Kolchak appoint Diterikhs, who was a convinced monarchist, the Head of the Commission to investigate the murder of the imperial family in July 1918. In July 1919, Diterikhs took command of the Siberian Army, in July–November 1919, he was Commander of the Eastern Front, in August–October 1919, he combined this responsibility with the post of Chief-of-Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Aleksander Kolchak.

In August–October 1922, he headed the Priamursky Zemsky Krai [region], which was the first territory within the White movement to recognize the “reigning” status of the House of Romanovs. He advocated the convocation of an electing Zemsky Sobor [assembly], drawn up based on social class principle, which was to authorize the renewal of dynastic rule in Russia. He was elected the Ruler of the Far East, voivode [chief] of the Zemstvo Host (former Far Eastern army) of the Priamursky Zemsky Krai. After the defeat of the Zemstvo Host by the troops of the Far Eastern Republic in October 1922, he left Russia. Diterikhs died in Shanghai in 1937.