The red banner against the white cause - who are they, the winners

In the first part of this small personnel study (Whites vs. Reds - Professionals vs. Amateurs) readers were promised information about the level of education and military experience of the highest cadres of the Red Army during the Civil War. In the presented second part, and then in the third, we will talk only about the members of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic.

Do not look for their detailed and even brief biographies in the essay, everything is collected from open sources exclusively on the topic. At the same time, some members of the RVSR, including the chairman L. Trotsky, his deputy E. Sklyansky and two commanders-in-chief - I. Vatsetis and S. Kamenev, were described more than once and in sufficient detail on the pages of the Military Review (The real Kamenev. Sergei Sergeevich, Commander-in-Chief of the Red Army, Commander-in-Chief Vatsetis - the first red supreme).

Also, I will not repeat myself about the heroes of my recent publications from the series “Ministers, People's Commissars and Commanders-in-Chief. In the era of wars and revolutions ”- N. Podvoisky and V. Antonov-Ovseenko. I will only note that both of them, like Trotsky and Sklyansky, were excellently educated people, although one never completed the course of a military school, and the other did not complete the course of the Yaroslavl legal lyceum, confining himself to a theological seminary.

In the book about the RVSR, which was published back in 1991, but has not been republished since then, the ordinary members of this revolutionary similarity of the rate are presented alphabetically. And the author decided not to contradict the predecessors.

Vasily Mikhailovich Altvater

So, Vasily Mikhailovich Altvater - A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps and the Nikolaev Naval Academy. At the first commander-in-chief of the Red fleet with combat experience there was complete order, and he was supplemented by diplomatic experience - he took part in the negotiations in Brest.

V. Altvater was one of the few permanent members of the RVSR, although only until April 20, 1919. It is believed that he died of a heart attack in Moscow, but in his memoirs, German General Max Hoffmann put forward a version of the assassination of the first commander in chief of the Red Fleet, which has not yet been refuted.

Semyon Ivanovich Aralov

No less than Rear Admiral had military experience and Semyon Ivanovich Aralov, a staff captain with four years at the front. He graduated from the Moscow Commercial Institute, during the years of the revolution he became an active Menshevik, sat in the Pre-Parliament and was a delegate to the Second Congress of Soviets.

On the recommendation of Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, during the October events, Aralov headed the operational department of the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. As part of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, he was one of those who are commonly called a workhorse.

S. Aralov was among the few who escaped repression, perhaps because he did not hold high positions. He also had a chance to take part in the Great Patriotic War - as part of the 33rd Army, Colonel Aralov reached Berlin.

Sergei Ivanovich Gusev

Sergei Ivanovich Gusev, whose real name and surname is Yakov Davidovich Drabkin - one of those very non-professionals in the RVSR. He graduated from the St. Petersburg Technological University and was one of the first to join the ranks of the Social Democrats. A professional revolutionary, in 1905, together with Trotsky, he was at the head of the Petersburg Committee - Gusev became one of his secretaries.

In October 1917, after many years of revolutionary struggle, S. Gusev was already secretary in the Military Revolutionary Committee, which organized the revolution, or, as it is now commonly called, the Bolshevik coup. His membership in the RVSR was clearly intended to strengthen the organizational and agitational work of the council.

Karl Khristianovich Danishevsky

Latvian Karl Khristianovich Danishevsky, who, at a very young age, took part in the first Russian revolution and, like Aralov, studied at the Moscow Commercial Institute, but failed to complete the course, as he was expelled for revolutionary activities.

Danishevsky spent the years of the First World War in exile, returned in February and was immediately elected to the Moscow Council from the Bolsheviks. He conducted revolutionary work in Latvia, participated in the formation of parts of the famous Latvian shooters, which was the main reason for enrolling him in the RVSR.

Pyotr Alekseevich Kobozev

Pyotr Alekseevich Kobozev, a native of a peasant family, managed without patronage to enter the Imperial Technical School, the current Baumanka, from where he was expelled for participating in demonstrations and revolutionary agitation. However, he successfully graduated from the Riga Polytechnic Institute, became a process engineer, although everyone considered him a railway worker.

He worked and actively agitated for the revolution at the famous Russobalt, during the days of the 1905 revolution he organized strikes and demonstrations at the Caucasian oil fields, which was the end of his military experience. During the First World War, P. Kobozev was exiled to Orenburg, where he actually created a powerful Bolshevik organization.

Already in April 1917, he was the commissioner of the Orenburg railway, and the Provisional Government appointed P. Kobozev as an inspector of railway educational institutions. It is not entirely clear why he spent only a month in the position of People's Commissar of Railways in Lenin's Council of People's Commissars, but Kobozev was introduced to the RVSR for sure because he knew everything about the railways of the Russian Empire, and not only.

Dmitry Ivanovich Kursky

As part of the RVSR, there was also a native of the family of a railway engineer - Dmitry Ivanovich Kursky, an experienced lawyer, a graduate of the law faculty of Moscow State University. He joined the Social Democrats as a 30-year-old barrister and immediately took an active part in the December 1905 uprising in Moscow.

The lawyer D. Kursky had a very solid military experience - he was mobilized for the First World War as an ensign, but he nevertheless made his career on a revolutionary path. The chairman of the soldiers' council, a deputy at various congresses, a member of the Odessa Military Revolutionary Committee - this, in the conditions of an acute shortage of proven personnel, you will agree, is a very solid reason to make Kursky a member of the RVSR.

As part of the collegiate RVSR, he stayed for a surprisingly long time, unlike many other members, right up to I. Stalin, although he can be considered almost a black sheep there. However, the experience of a lawyer in revolutionary leadership structures was in demand, and even very much so. Moreover, D. Kursky was also the People's Commissar of Justice of the Republic of Soviets.

Konstantin Alekseevich Mekhonoshin

Konstantin Alekseevich Mekhonoshin, a Permian from a poor family, a worker at the Aleksandrovsky plant in the Solikamsk district, who failed to graduate from St. Petersburg University, but even without a diploma became a competent geologist. When he was drafted into the army in 1915, he was a member of an academic naval expedition.

He ended up not at the front, but in the reserve battalion of the Pavlovsky Guards Regiment, and in the seething Petrograd illegally agitated for the revolution. He entered the regimental committee, the Petrograd Soviet and the military committee of the Bolshevik Central Committee. In October 1917, K. Mekhonoshin was so active that he immediately became deputy people's commissar for military affairs and commissar under the commander of the Petrograd Military District.

The appointment of Mekhonoshin in the RVSR was quite justified, as was the expulsion in July 1919, along with Stalin, Podvoisky and five other members who did not look into the mouth of the chairman of the RVSR and Commissar Trotsky. But, unlike Stalin, Mekhonoshin did not return to the RVSR.

Vladimir Ivanovich Nevsky

Vladimir Ivanovich Nevsky, less known by his real name and surname - Theodosius Krivobokov, originally from Rostov-on-Don, at first graduated only from a real school. Self-education was to become his destiny, since he was not allowed to graduate from the natural faculty of Moscow University due to active revolutionary activity.

However, already 34 years old, V. Nevsky nevertheless graduated from the university - in Kharkov, again, in the line of natural sciences. But with combat experience, he did not work out very well, he did not even participate in uprisings or street skirmishes with the police and the Cossacks. However, Nevsky was extremely popular among the soldiers of the Petrograd garrison, and Podvoisky even called him their idol.

Alexey Ivanovich Okulov

Alexey Ivanovich Okulov was from the Minusinsk district, from the family of a merchant who went bankrupt in the gold mines. He studied at the Krasnoyarsk gymnasium, but graduated from the Kyiv one, and received, probably, the most original education among the members of the RVSR. In 1904, Stanislavsky released not the most talented A. Okulov from the school of dramatic art at the Moscow Art Theater.

A revolutionary politician from him turned out to be more striking than an actor. Just a year later, in Vologda, he was already in charge of a working combat squad, which the city Duma formed quite legally. It is believed that it was A. Okulov who ordered the arrest of the governor and held the city in his hands for several weeks.

After the suppression of the revolution, the failed idol of the public had to emigrate. In 1916, three years after returning from abroad and almost immediately arrested, he was drafted into the army. He even visited the front, but in February 1917, while on vacation in Krasnoyarsk, Okulov put together the local Council of Deputies.

Okulov was for some time the de facto prime minister of the provincial government, heading the provincial executive committee. The Lenin All-Russian Central Executive Committee appointed Okulov authorized to form the Red Army in Siberia, after which it was simply impossible to leave him outside the RVSR. However, already in July 1919, Okulov, along with seven other members of the RVSR, was removed from the council and was not brought back.

The universities and military science knowledge of the other eight members of the RVSR during the Civil War will be discussed in the third and final part of this extremely brief and far from complete essay. In the same place, we will summarize how educated, trained and professional in military affairs can be considered members of the highest authority not only of the Red Army, but of the entire Republic of Soviets.

Comments

[Old electrician]

Podymov gives an unimaginably strange analysis. The impression is that the sole purpose of this pseudo-analysis is yet another glorification of Trotsky. Therefore, I undertake to assert that Podymov is in a very fashionable trend. For example:

1. Deutscher I. Trotsky. Armed Prophet. 1879-1921 / Per. from English.
- M .: CJSC Tsentrpoligraf, 2006. - 527 p.
2. Deutscher I. Trotsky. Unarmed prophet. 1921-1929 / Per. from English.
- M .: CJSC Tsentrpoligraf, 2006. - 495 p.
3. Deutscher I. Trotsky. Exiled prophet. 1929–1940 / Per. from English.
- M .: CJSC Tsentrpoligraf, 2006. - 390 p.

The author writes:

I will only note that both of them, like Trotsky and Sklyansky, were excellently educated people, although one never completed the course of a military school, and the other did not complete the course of the Yaroslavl legal lyceum, confining himself to a theological seminary.

Unlike the author, I note that, despite his education, Trotsky was, in principle, unsuitable for any organizational activity. Having hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of fans to organize from them a political force that opposes the RCP (b), he could not, in fact, remained a loner fighter. And thank God! I am not unfounded:
In 1918-1923 Trotsky People's Commissar for Military Affairs. Through his efforts, the People's Commissariat was turned into a useless sinecure and is practically not mentioned in the memoirs of the Civil War.
In 1920, Trotsky set about organizing the Labor armies. The idea turned out to be a failure, but with Trotsky like water off a duck's back.
From March 30, 1920 - December 10, 1920, he was the People's Commissar of Railways of the RSFSR. Removed for incompetence.
In 1923, due to the complete uselessness of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, it was abolished and instead the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs was founded, headed by the same Trotsky. However, Trotsky did not change the principles of "leadership". Therefore, in 1925, for a systematic absence from the workplace and evading official duties, he was removed from the post of chairman of the RVSR and the Narkomvoenmor with the wording "due to illness." This was the last administrative position held by Trotsky in the USSR. But intrigue and adventurism he was not to hold.
Now about the role of the RVSR in the Civil War. The White Army did not have an analogue of the RVSR. Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR) - the highest collegial body of management and political leadership of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) in 1918-1934. Created on the basis of the decision of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of September 2, 1918.
The RVSR was not an organ of the supreme military command. His tasks were to coordinate the activities of the military and naval departments, setting them tasks for the defense of the state and organizing the Armed Forces.
The bodies of the supreme command of the Red Army were the All-Glavshtab and the Field Headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, which, in a strange way, are not mentioned at all in Podymov's so-called analysis. Probably because Trotsky was not part of them.
ALL-RUSSIAN MAIN HQ (Vseroglavshtab), the highest military body in charge of accounting, training and mobilization of those liable for military service, the formation, organization and combat training of Red Army units, as well as the development of other issues related to the defense of the Republic. Created on May 8, 1918. In February 1921. merged with the Field Headquarters of the RVSR into a single Headquarters of the Red Army.
Field headquarters of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic - the highest operational body of the High Command of the Red Army during the Civil War.
It was formed on September 6, 1918 instead of the disbanded headquarters of the Supreme Military Council. Originally called the Headquarters of the RVSR, on November 8, 1918, it was renamed the Field Headquarters of the RVSR. Initially located in Serpukhov, in 1919 he moved to Moscow. On February 10, 1921, it was merged with the Vseroglavshtab into a single Headquarters of the Red Army.
The RVSR field headquarters included:
- operational management;
- administrative and accounting department;
- registration department (Registrupr);
- central administration of military communications;
- field administration of aviation;
- departments of inspectors of infantry, cavalry (since 1919), artillery, engineers - and armored parts (since 1920);
- military economic management;
- military sanitary department;
- intelligence department.
As already mentioned, the RVSR was a collegial body of state power. Those. its decisions were taken at the meetings of the RVSR by a majority of votes by open voting. Such operational leadership of the armies and fronts would guarantee the defeat of the Red Army in any military operations. However, as we know, everything ended with the victory of the Red Army because, in fact, the RVSR was the grandfather of the Main Military-Political Directorate of the USSR Armed Forces. The composition of the RVSR at different times included under different names the political bodies of the Red Army:
- All-Russian Bureau of Military Commissars (1918);
- Political Department of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (1919);
- Political Directorate of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (PUR RVSR, 1919-1922);
- Political Directorate of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR (PUR RVS USSR, 1922-1924);
- The Political Directorate of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (PU RKKA, 1924-1940) and the Political Directorate of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet (PU RKKF, 1938-1940).
By the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR of June 20, 1934, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR was abolished. After the abolition of the RVSR, the PU of the Red Army became an independent body.
The All-Russian Bureau of Military Commissars and its successors were Trotsky's main field of activity. As the first political officer of the Red Army, the luxurious train of the chairman of the RVSR Trotsky traveled along the railways on all fronts. He got into the leadership of the actions of the armies and fronts, delivered fiery speeches at rallies in front of the troops, punished the guilty, rewarded those who distinguished themselves. In these PR raids on the front, one train was not enough for Trotsky, so a large retinue of his hangers-on and revolutionary girls of easy virtue accompanied the chairman of the RVSR on the second train. He was not noted in anything else during the years of the Civil War. Yes! I almost forgot Trotsky's main contribution to the formation of the Red Army. In the summer of 1918, at the Fifth All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', Peasants' and Cossacks' Deputies, Trotsky, having done absolutely nothing for the Red Army, delivered a report "Organization of the Socialist Red Army." Waving a saber from the podium, simultaneously appropriating other people's merits, is a hobby of all political officers.

First Deputy Politician of the Red Army, Hero of the Civil War, Chairman of the RVSR L.D. Trotsky speaks at a regular rally calling for the victory of the World Revolution.

[Catfish]

Waving a saber from the podium, simultaneously appropriating other people's merits, is a hobby of all political officers.

Yes, while he was waving a saber, more practical people were mastering an ice ax.

[Glory1974]

both of them, like Trotsky and Sklyansky, were excellently educated people, although one never completed the course of a military school, and the other did not complete the course of the Yaroslavl legal lyceum, confining himself to a theological seminary.

Interestingly, what then is education, according to the author?
The film "Gentlemen of Fortune" immediately came to my mind: "I have an acquaintance, also an architect with a three-class education, he will draw a ten in a night, you can't tell!"

[gsev]

Quote: glory1974

Interestingly, what then is education, according to the author?

A few months after the end of the Stankin, I ended up at the Sterlitamak machine plant. My colleague there turned out to be a worker graduating after 8 classes, not even a vocational school, but a 3-month operator course. However, he knew our machine and our CNC system better than its developers: designers and programmers. And he had under his tutelage about 7 CNC systems with different machines.

[odisey3000]

What kind of vile phrase is this hobby of all political officers, this is how a narrow-minded and somewhat offended person can write and speak. example, Comrade Vlasov, if anyone does not know, the commander of the 2nd army shamefully surrendered, and his commissar, being wounded so as not to be taken prisoner, shot himself. For the first time in military practice, the Germans introduced the death penalty for commissars and political officers, I wonder why, but you here about a hobby. It's shameful to write like that and it's stupid.

[Old electrician]

Do not confuse political officers and commissars:
- The commissar had the privilege of being the first to get out of the trench under machine-gun fire.
- The political officer had the privilege of standing first in line for material goods.
During perestroika, political officers were the first to reorganize. Some of them crossed themselves, some were cut off, and some raised a rainbow flag. I already wrote in VO about my first political officer at a military school. Reading morals, he repeatedly uttered thoughtfully: do you know, son, how much a kilogram of bread costs? The depth of this thought I have not comprehended until now. A standard white loaf weighs 750 grams, black 900. And what does a kilogram have to do with it? When Afghanistan began, he was offered a business trip to Kandahar. I can’t imagine the dangers that threatened him there, but he definitely wouldn’t have to run around the mountains with a machine gun. But then it would be possible to teach with the same kilogram of bread, but with the high rank of a veteran of the Afghan war - I know such business trips. However, instead of leaving on a business trip, he got sick of the hospital doctors and urgently retired from the reserve due to illness.
Our last political officer at the end of Perestroika at some conference was caught in a hotel in a very piquant situation with our own Komsomol instructor. It's called Eurotolerance.
Around 1996, I encountered one such fruit in a hospital. He grew up to the regiment's political officer, the last position was a teacher in the department of Marxism-Leninism. It was very interesting to listen to his revelations. He proudly called his brothers in the shop “Commanders”. A typical story of his:

Oh what a leader he was! As soon as the regiment commander something was wrong with him, he immediately sent him to the political department of the division and his party card on the table! Yes ... Ah, he did not have enough service ...

As it turned out, most of his political associates are former two-year students, jackets by education. After graduating from the institute at 22-23 years old, they had a calendar service of 45-22 years by the age of 23 and could not apply for a full-fledged pension. It's just a disaster !!! Tragedy of life !!!
Most of all, this political officer intrigued me because his point of view was what the talking head on TV was saying. So, for example, just a few years after the collapse of the USSR and the liquidation of the CPSU, he steadfastly did not pronounce the Great October Socialist Revolution. Only the October Revolution. I can imagine what would have happened if, under him, until 1985, someone had dared to at least jokingly blurt out about the October Revolution - they would have rotted alive. - Trotskyist tribe!

[Old electrician]

I forgot to mention the chief political officer of the USSR, Dmitry Antonovich Volkogonov, a Soviet and Russian historian, philosopher, political scientist and politician. Colonel General (1986). Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences and Doctor of Philosophy. Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences since December 7, 1991 in the Section of the Humanities and Social Sciences (History of Russia). Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1995 - posthumously).
The stages of the journey in brief:
Since 1971, he worked in the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy. In the same year he defended his doctoral thesis in philosophy "Sociological and epistemological analysis of the problems of military-ethical theory (morality and war)".
In 1979-1984 he was the head of the department of special propaganda (“psychological warfare”).
In 1984-1988, he was deputy head of the Main Political Directorate of the SA and the Navy.
Since August 1991, Volkogonov, chairman of the Commission for the abolition of military-political bodies in the Soviet Army.
On December 12, 1991, being a member of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, he voted for the ratification of the Belovezhskaya agreement on the termination of the existence of the USSR. And other, and other. Glaviud.

[futurohunter]

Old electrician
The point here is not only in Volkonogov, and in general, not in him. The USSR was generally ruined by the communist elite, where are the "simple political officers"! If we take all these Yeltsins, Shushkeviches, Chubais and other Gaidars and Germans, they all came to power through the CPSU (well, someone and the Komsomol). It is not the "political officers" who are to blame, but specific scoundrels. And there were almost all parties then - it was a necessary condition for a career

[mmaxx]

Nevertheless, Vlasov did not give up so much. He was handed over by the peasants at whom he stopped. While the soldiers went to bed, the peasants - the owners of the house - ran after the Germans. And they woke up Vlasov. Everything is very banal. Which, however, does not excuse Vlasov for what follows.

[parusnik]

The red banner against the white cause - who are they, the winners

What is the white matter? Nationalists, of all stripes? Who, well, were not inspired by the idea of ​​"one and indivisible"? The white cause, which was supported, as the "collective West" is now called? Already during the civil war, dividing Russia into zones of influence? .. Well, yes, then they were "allies" ..

[bober1982]

It's not entirely clear what you mean by your comment.
The White movement was initially a failure - there was no support within the country, the slogans were vague, the main motto - "For the One and Indivisible", did not inspire the broad masses.
Nationalists of all stripes, on all sorts of outskirts of the former empire, had nothing to do with the white movement and more crap. A very small group of monarchists refused to fight, General Keller told General Kornilov that he was getting involved in a fratricidal war. By the way, on Wikipedia, Keller is stupidly listed as one of the leaders of the White movement in the South of Russia.
With the support of the whites by the "collective West", everything was not so simple either. The West was not interested in the victory of the white movement, they needed chaos first of all.

[Aviator_]

The West was not interested in the victory of the white movement, they needed chaos first of all.

He was interested, because he wanted to at least return his capital located in the Republic of Ingushetia, or better, to make it work, as before WWI. But it didn't work out. After WWI, only the Poles had a desire to fight, and that quickly passed. On the question of the desire of the West to fight after WWI. Divided into pieces, Ottoman Turkey did not agree with its division (although the Entente guaranteed the inviolability of its new borders.) And everything was cut into pieces - even the Kurds received territory, and Armenia not only Ararat, but much more. The Greeks then received Istanbul and the straits. However, there was a decisive Turk - Kemal Ataturk, who kicked everyone and restored Turkey to its current borders. And no "guarantees from the West" prevented him from doing this.

[bober1982]

Quote: Aviator_

and Armenia is not only Ararat, but much more.

Is it so? Armenia lost most of its territory, by the way, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, as independent states arose with the help of the British, French and Turks. The Bolsheviks looked favorably on this state of affairs - Ataturk fought against "world imperialism"
There is an opinion (not mine), but I agree that the red and white ones resembled sheep, pushed their foreheads together, first threw out the whites, and later the reds.

[parusnik]

Sergey, many do not see the difference between how the West supplies weapons to Ukraine and how the West supplied weapons to the opponents of Soviet Russia of all stripes, this is different

[U_GOREC]

Quote: parusnik

Sergey, many do not see the difference between how the West supplies weapons to Ukraine and how the West supplied weapons to the opponents of Soviet Russia of all stripes, this is different

There is a difference - there is no Soviet Russia.

[futurohunter]

parusnik
I already wrote here that the West actively helped and supplied weapons to all participants in the Civil War in Russia, in 1918-22. Yes, and red too!

[futurohunter]

Aviator_
there was a decisive Turk - Kemal Ataturk, who kicked everyone

You probably do not know that in the year, in 1921-22, the new Turkey was on the verge of extinction, and Atatürk resolutely appealed to anyone possible to help against Greek aggression. And if it were not for Lenin, who sent Frunze to Turkey, and with him several ships with rifles, machine guns, cannons and even tanks (not to mention hundreds of thousands of cartridges and shells), then you would not be writing about him now. Don't believe. Take a trip to Istanbul - in the city center, on Taksim Square, there is a monument to Ataturk, and Frunze is on his left. Signatures under the monument confirm. Yes, and along with Frunze, some other Red Army units arrived.
About the West. The Entente countries, like Germany, willingly supported both the Whites and the Reds. In particular, the British helped the Red Army to drive the outrageous White Finns away from Murmansk.
For, wars are business, and the West earned a lot from the Civil War in Russia. It was beneficial for Germany that Russia withdrew from the war. And all, taken together, under the guise of being taken out of war-torn Russia, all sorts of valuable resources. Well, the supply of weapons to both warring parties is a win-win business.

[futurohunter]

bober1982
Plus. The red movement had a single center of control, and for all the ideological differences of its participants, it had common goals and plans. It was exactly the "red project". And the white movement didn't even have an idea. And the goals there were "to return everything back", to work out the grandmothers of the Customers (foreign countries), and, well, to sit for a while at least on some kind of throne (at least the "supreme ruler"), at least the chieftain. Well, there was also some kind of "honor" that not a single white officer could clearly explain.
The Whites are just a bunch of various organized (military units that refused to obey the legitimate authority - the Council of People's Commissars) formations, and illegal armed formations that did not have a single control center, and sometimes fighting with each other.
It is not surprising that the organized and purposeful power of the Soviet state defeated the white rebels, separatists and bandits.
As for professionalism. Most of the leaders of the red project had many years of experience as professional revolutionaries. And this is the ability to extract the necessary resources from nothing, and the ability to organize some kind of business in the most difficult conditions, and the ability to negotiate even with enemies. By the way, among the red commanders there were many regular tsarist officers, and most of the bureaucracy meekly went over to the side of the new government. The flag changed, but the state apparatus continued to work.
The article is interesting, but the conclusions of the author do not correspond to objective reality at all

[U_GOREC]

Quote: parusnik

What is the white matter?

All these variegated monarchists, republicans, barons, beks, khans, chieftains, Georgian Mensheviks, Azerbaijani Islamists... and even the whole Supreme Ruler of Russia have one thing in common - Capital, which was behind all of them and which tried with all its might to prevent the emergence of an alternative project . And if we consider in the long term - Capital, after all, won ...

[Boris55]

Appeal to the remnants of the white armies.

“Since 18, Russian blood has been shed in the internecine war. Everyone calls themselves fighters for the people. The White government turned out to be insolvent and unsupported by the people: the Whites were defeated and fled to Constantinople. Soviet power is the only power representing Russia and its people.

I, Slashchev-Krymsky, call you, officers and soldiers, to submit to Soviet power and return to your homeland, otherwise, you are mercenaries of foreign capital and, even worse, traitors against your homeland and your own people. After all, every minute you can be sent to conquer Russian regions. Of course, they will pay you for this, but those who sent you will receive all the material and territorial benefits and make the Russian people slaves, and the people will curse you. You were frightened by the fact that returning whites are subjected to various repressions.

I went, checked and made sure that the past was forgotten. Gen. came with me. Milkovsky Colonel Gilbikh, several officers and my wife, and now, as one of the highest on the volunteer army, I recommend you - follow me, do not believe the gossip about Russia and do not dare to sell out in order to go to war against Russia. I demand submission to Soviet power to protect the motherland and my people.

Slashchev-Krymsky. Nov 21 Dec 1921


Thinking one with Slashchev and signing his appeal, we, in turn, appeal to everyone who knows us, believes us and sincerely loves their homeland without any hesitation to follow this call.

Mshikovokmy and Gilbikh".

ps
About 50% of the tsarist officers supported the Reds. Thanks to their knowledge, invaders and traitors of all stripes were defeated.

To some extent, Slashchev's appeal is still relevant today.
At a meeting at the General Staff, Putin suggested that the generals stop licking the ass of the West and love Russia, and whoever has his tongue stuck so that he has no urine to tear off, then voluntarily resign ... voluntarily for the time being.

[Catfish]

How Slashchev ended his life is known, but how did Mshikovokmy and Gilbikh end up?

[ArchiPhil]

Quote: Sea Cat

and how did Mshikovokmy and Gilbikh end up?

They ended badly.
Hi Konstantin!

[Catfish]

Hello, Sergey!
Well, everything is quite natural. I think that Slashchev was the "first sign", but they did not arrange comedies with arrests and other canoes, but they simply killed him. What happened to his wife, do you know?
By the way, Bulgakov's Khludov was relatively lucky, as Chernota told him: ".. Well, know, Roman, that you will live just long enough to bring you from the steamer to the nearest wall."

Slashchev lived a little longer.

[Konnick]

What happened to his wife, do you know?

Can you enlighten everyone?

[BAI]

Can you enlighten everyone?

And nobody knows. There is no reliable information about her fate. 99% - killed, probably knew something superfluous (in many knowledge - many sorrows). Otherwise, it would show up somewhere.

[Catfish]

Can you enlighten everyone?

Enlighten about what or whom?

[ArchiPhil]

Quote: Sea Cat

What happened to his wife, do you know?

* Junker Nechvolodov *? Nina? So, on that day / day of the murder / she was at * the address *, and then just .... disappeared. Witness to the murder after all.
I will add that the further fate of Kollenberg is also unknown. Considering that at the time of the murder he was declared insane, he most likely ended his journey in * a psychiatric hospital *.

[U_GOREC]

Quote: Boris55

At a meeting at the General Staff, Putin suggested that the generals stop licking the ass of the West and love Russia,

Have you been there?

[Sancho_SP]

It seems that these comrades studied so-so. They all acted as one, but were expelled for their activities.

Everyone who is a student knows that if you seriously engage in some kind of activity (sports, work, alcoholism or something else), then there will be no time left to study. It is unlikely that revolutionary activity took less time.

People are hyperactive and courageous - certainly yes, but educated?

[bober1982]

Quote: Sancho_SP

if you are seriously engaged in some kind of activity (sports, work, alcoholism or something else), then there will be no time left to study

In aviation, as they said, namely, if drunkenness interferes with flight work, then quit flying.

[Bolt cutter]

if drunkenness interferes with flight work, then quit flying

English proverb - our alcoholic team has problems with football (our drinking team has football problems).

[ArchiPhil]

Quote: Sancho_SP

People are hyperactive and courageous - certainly yes, but educated?

It should be noted that there was an IDEA behind these people. And what could their *opponents* offer? Go back to the past? *All power to the constituent assembly! * (c)? war. Plus single command, and the whites? Tear. All supreme. Who is the south of Russia, who is Siberia, and so on.

[Glory1974]

Bushkov, in my opinion, read that in the Red Army, in 100% of units and formations, the chiefs of staff were officers of the tsarist army.
And the whites, who were just not put in these positions, had merchants-sponsors, and nobles without a military education, etc. Well, like we have now, a furniture maker, or a builder.
Therefore, in military terms, the Red Army was more professional than its opponents, the result is appropriate.

[iouris]

Young, ideological, charismatic, very educated, excellent organizers, united in a great organization. Revolutionaries.

[Fedorov 27]

Red Army.
Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander until 1918 - Mikhail Dmitrievich Bonch-Bruevich - Chief of Staff of the Northern Front of the Russian Imperial Army (hereditary nobleman)
Chief of the RVSR Field Headquarters - he is also Pavel Pavlovich Lebedev - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Chiefs of the All-Glavstab - Alexander Andreevich Svechin - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
and Nikolai Iosifovich Rattel - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Eastern front:
Commanders:
Sergei Sergeevich Kamenev - Colonel of the RIA (hereditary nobleman)
Alexander Alexandrovich Samoilo - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Pavel Pavlovich Lebedev - see above
Vladimir Aleksandrovich Olderogge - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Chiefs of staff:
Nikolai Vladimirovich Sollogub - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Vladimir Fedorovich Tarasov - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Parfeny Matveyevich Maigur - RIA officer (philistine)
Alexander Konstantinovich Kolenkovsky - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Wilhelm Evgenievich Garf - RIA officer (hereditary nobleman)
Pavel Pavlovich Lebedev - see above

It's called class struggle

[Konnick]

It's called class struggle

Kornilov from the Cossacks.
Denikin's father was a serf.
Kaledin from the Cossacks.
Skin from the Cossacks.
Mamantov from the Cossacks...
Well, how could they defeat the color of Russian officers?

[gsev]

Quote: Konnick

Kaledin from the Cossacks.
Skin from the Cossacks.
Mamantov from the Cossacks...
Well, how could they defeat the color of Russian officers?

Cossacks military estate. They studied military affairs no worse than the cadets in military schools. They knew military history worse than the cadets of the Mikhailovsky School, but from the first day of service, they could certainly give odds in terms of knowledge of tactics to its graduates. The Red Army had a greater mobilization resource and a strong rear. Kolchak, when trying to mobilize Siberians into his army, had to cut out approximately 5% of the population of Siberia. Yes, and these mobilized, at the opportunity, almost in regiments went over to the side of the Reds, having previously cut out their officers. This is the main reason for the victory of the Reds. It is not customary to talk about another, perhaps the most important reason for the victory of the Reds. The revolutionary struggle and the strike movement developed in the working environment the skills of self-organization and the creation of political structures in the face of opposition from the police, gendarmerie and other government agencies. Universities and military schools did not teach this and sought to expel people with such abilities from government agencies and the army. Therefore, Stalin, Voroshilov, Artem, Trotsky, Lazo effortlessly created military-political clusters that demonstrated enviable viability in the conditions of fighting in a semi-blockade, semi-encirclement, during a retreat or in a guerrilla war. Whites did not have such skills and could fight effectively as long as their rear was supplied by foreign states.

[Victor Red]

Denikin's father was a serf.

Let's be fair. Although Denikin's father came out of the serfs, he rose to the rank of major, and this is a chief officer rank, giving the right to hereditary nobility. The mother of Anton Ivanovich was, albeit a small-scale, but hereditary noblewoman.

[ArchiPhil]

Quote: Victor Red

. The mother of Anton Ivanovich was, albeit a small-scale, but hereditary noblewoman.

So what? Dear Victor. And what? Did they have an idea ???? The fundamental idea? No. But the Reds had it.

[Victor Red]

Did they have an idea? The fundamental idea? No. But the Reds had it.

Am I arguing? On the contrary, I think that it is precisely the presence of an idea, or rather, a relatively clear plan for building a social society, that is one of the main reasons for the victory of the Reds in the Civil War. The Whites, on the other hand, sought to defeat the "Bolshevik infection" at any cost, and only then think "how to equip Russia."

[ArchiPhil]

Quote: Victor Red

nobility

Excuse me, but!!! White is rejection, but red ... this is faith .... faith to delight. To creation. Which resulted later ...

[Illanatol]

Quote: bober1982

Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia as independent states arose with the help of the British, French and Turks. The Bolsheviks looked favorably on this state of affairs - Ataturk fought against "world imperialism"
There is an opinion (not mine), but I agree that the red and white ones resembled sheep, pushed their foreheads together, first threw out the whites, and later the reds.

Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan became part of the British, French, Turkish possessions? Or is it still part of the USSR?
Ataturk really helped the USSR, and therefore the USSR helped Ataturk. situational partners.

What a long-term plan. But isn't it too costly? The Cold War still turned out to be a very expensive enterprise for the West. Especially for the USA, which, in the absence of the USSR, would have built their own PAX AMERICANA long ago. And so - the dream is slipping away again, the United States no longer has such a strong position as after the Second World War (50% of world GDP and 60% of all the gold in the world).
It is not clear why Western puppeteers need such difficulties. They could quite successfully use the Russian Empire for their own purposes, as a raw materials appendage and an "external regulator".

[futurohunter]

Illanatol
And not vice versa? Didn't Ataturk help the USSR because Lenin first helped Ataturk? I remember this moment well, and the monument to Frunze next to Ataturkoy in Istanbul was seen with my own eyes. Only now I don’t remember talking about Ataturk’s help to the USSR (and subsequent Turkey, except that Turkey has always been a gasket between the USSR / Russia and the West)

[U_GOREC]

S. Aralov was among the few who escaped repression, perhaps because he did not hold high positions.

Or maybe because he was not a Trotskyist?

[Ezekiel 25-17]

There were no winners in that war: Russia was defeated and desecrated by traitors.