SITUATION IN UKRAINE In 1920, characterized by the end of the civil war (Soviet-Polish war, the defeat of Wrangel's army in the Crimea, the Petliura and White Guard troops on the Right Bank of Ukraine), the policy of the Bolsheviks in the field of economics - war communism. The Civil War is the greatest drama of the 20th century. This armed struggle that lasted for several years between various groups of the population, with the active intervention

foreign forces, went through various stages and stages, took various forms, including uprisings, rebellions, scattered clashes, large-scale military operations with the participation of regular armies, the actions of armed detachments in the rear of existing governments and state entities. The war was fought on fronts, the total length of which reached 8 thousand km. The result - economic ruin, famine in cities, paralysis of railways, acute class struggle, revelry

banditry, sabotage, etc. The Soviet-Polish war - the civil war was ending, but at that time a new threat appeared - now from Poland. In the policy of pushing neighboring states to war against the Republic of Soviets by the Entente countries, Poland occupied not the last place. The coalition has repeatedly sought to influence

Poland so that it would provide more active assistance to the White Guard armies, especially during Denikin's campaign against Moscow. With their help, 740 thousand Polish army was armed, which in April 1920 launched an offensive against Ukraine, occupied Zhytomyr and Kyiv. The result - fierce hostilities on the Polish front ended with a peace treaty signed on October 12, 1920. "War Communism" - domestic politics

Soviet state in the conditions of the Civil War. The policy of "War Communism" was aimed at overcoming the economic crisis and was based on theoretical ideas about the possibility of the direct introduction of communism. Main features: nationalization of all large and medium industry and most of the small enterprises; food dictatorship, surplus appropriation, direct product exchange between town and countryside; replacement

private trade in the state distribution of products on a class basis (card system); naturalization of economic relations; universal labor service; equality in wages; military command system for managing the entire life of society. The main elements of "war communism" Centralized management of the nationalized industry. Private property was abolished altogether, and a state monopoly of foreign trade was established.

A strict sectoral system of industrial management was introduced. Violent cooperation. At the direction of the party, individual peasant farms were united into collective farms, and state farms were created. The Decree on Land was actually cancelled. The land fund was transferred not to the working people, but to communes, state farms, and labor artels. The individual peasant could only use the remnants of the land fund.

Equal distribution Naturalization of wages. The Bolsheviks viewed socialism as a commodityless and moneyless society. This led to the abolition of the market and commodity-money relations. Any non-state trade was prohibited. The policy of "war communism" led to the destruction of commodity-money relations. Products and manufactured goods were distributed by the state in the form of natural rations,

which was different for different categories of the population. Equal wages were introduced among workers (an illusion of social equality). As a result, speculation and the "black market" flourished. The depreciation of money led to the fact that the population received free housing, utilities, transport, postal and other services. The militarization of labor. From January 1920, labor armies began to be created by transferring

active armies on the labor position and the association of reserve and reserve troops. Industrial enterprises have increased the length of the working day and introduced a seven-day working week. Enterprises worked according to military laws, and all workers were considered mobilized, for absenteeism or unauthorized leaving of the workplace, people were tried according to the laws of war. Prodrazvyorstka - the obligatory delivery of all surplus food by the peasants to the state on a firm basis.

price. However, in fact it was a confiscation of food: the money was completely devalued; moreover, not only surpluses were confiscated, but often the seed fund, and what the peasant left to feed his family. The authorities also determined the norms for the supply of agricultural products by the village not so much based on the capabilities of the village, but on the needs of the army and the urban population. From the beginning of 1919, the surplus was introduced for bread,

1920 - for potatoes, vegetables, etc. Prodrazverstka was implemented by violent methods with the help of food detachments. Food detachments - food detachments (mostly armed) of workers and poor peasants and fighters of the CHON. Conducted surplus appraisal in the countryside; acted jointly with the committees and local Soviets. They were created by the bodies of the People's Commissariat for Food (they were part of the Prodarmia), trade unions, factory committees, local Soviets (procurement, harvesting and procurement,

harvesting and requisitioning detachments; head of the Military Food Bureau of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions); half of the collected grain was received by the organization that sent the detachment. The policy of "war communism" caused mass discontent among the general population, especially the peasantry. Peasants in entire villages organized detachments to combat sub-detachments. The disarmament of the Red Army detachments by the peasants was not uncommon.

Numerous protests by workers and peasants against the policy of "War Communism" showed its complete collapse, and in 1921 the New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced. Liberation of the Crimea In the autumn of 1920, all the forces of Red Russia were mobilized against the prosperous White Crimea. But he has become a tough nut to crack. The Russian army consisted of experienced, well-trained soldiers and

officers (there were about 80 thousand), it was headed by an authoritative and talented leader, in the Perekop area, albeit not capital, but quite reliable fortifications were built, which were defended by strong artillery. However, more than a million people moved to the Crimea, which included the famous and very effective "flying carts" of the army of N. Makhno, who by this time had concluded a peace treaty with the "Reds" that was beneficial for himself. But as it turned out later, the advice was not going to be carried out, and after

the capture of the Crimea, the "Makhnovists" who participated in this operation were treacherously killed. I will not write about the fierce battles of the Russian army with the Reds in Tavria, about its retreat to the isthmus, an entire literature is devoted to this. But even then, the position of the Crimea remained quite strong ... But then two unexpected events coincided in time - a rather rare cataclysm of nature and an appeal to whites

soldiers of General Brusilov, widely distributed by the Bolsheviks in the form of leaflets, which scattered thousands of red planes from the air ... First, about the whim of nature. In early November, a strong and steady north wind blew over the peninsula. The sea bays around the Perekop Isthmus began to shallow - the wind drove the water out of them to the south, to the sea. Some bays became so shallow that it was possible to ford them

On the night of November 7-8, the shock group of the 6th Red Army took advantage of this and in three places crossed the "rotten sea" - Sivash. Red Army soldiers carried rifles over their heads. Having made an eight-kilometer transition, the Soviet units reached the northern tip of the Lithuanian Peninsula, broke through the wire barriers, defeated the Kuban brigade of General M.A. Fostikov and cleared almost the entire

Lithuanian peninsula and hit the rear of the Whites. Parts of the 15th and 52nd divisions reached the Perekop isthmus and moved to the Ishun positions. The counterattack launched on the morning of November 8 by the 2nd and 3rd infantry regiments of the Drozdov division was repulsed. The center of the terrible battles of those days was the famous Turkish Wall crossing the isthmus. Here, in front of the Turkish Wall, they lay down in the ground under blows many times

superior enemy, the best, selected units of the Russian army. Here, by the way, the historical regiments of the Imperial Russian Guard, formed back in the times of Peter the Great, ended their combat path. This is how the last battle of historical regiments was described by a participant in this battle, and later an emigrant D.I. Meisner: “... We were attacked by the red cavalry and horse batteries opened fire on us.

The remnants of the historical regiments of the old guard, marching with us, made an attempt to beat off the attack. Officers in fur hats with guard stars on them, with shoulder straps sewn into their overcoats so that there was no temptation to tear them off, tall, outwardly calm and confident, began to build chains of soldiers, giving the command to prepare for battle. These were officers of the once famous regiments - Preobrazhensky, Izmailovsky, Semenovsky ... But by that time three of these regiments remained

four officers and two or three ensigns with many St. George's crosses ... I saw with my own eyes the last battle of the guards regiments ... ". And a day later, the Red troops broke through the last fortified positions of the Whites on the isthmus and rushed to Dzhankoy. The fate of the Crimea was decided. But the victory of the Soviet troops was won at a heavy price.

Only during the assault on Perekop and Chongar, the troops of the Southern Front lost 10 thousand people killed and wounded. The divisions that distinguished themselves during the assault on the Crimean fortifications were given honorary titles: the 15th - "Sivashskaya", the 30th rifle and 6th cavalry - "Chongarskaya", the 51st - "Perekopskaya". ... The tragedy of the Crimea, and consequently, the White movement can be explained by several reasons.

Firstly, the forces of the Reds were very large, they were incomparable with the forces of the Russian army of Baron Wrangel. Secondly, Russia's allies in the Entente actually refused to help the Whites, fearing to complicate relations with Soviet Russia in the future. Thirdly, in October the Soviet government signed a peace treaty with Poland, which made it possible to transfer well-trained and fired troops from the West to the South.

And finally, General A.A. Brusilov signed a defeatist appeal to the Russian army. It is not for us to judge the illustrious hero of the Great War, the most authoritative commander, whose name is given to the most successful offensive operation of the Russian troops - the Brusilovsky breakthrough ... God's servant Alexei will answer for his act before the Lord's Court. And he called on the White fighters "to lay down their arms and not shed brotherly blood", promising

create the Crimean Red Army under his command, where they will all be accepted in the same ranks ... Numerous leaflets signed by Frunze and Lenin, who promised a complete amnesty to all the ranks of the Wrangel army who lay down their arms and remain in their homeland, were added to this appeal. Needless to say, all these promises turned out to be empty words ... Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, Lieutenant General, Baron

Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel Briefly Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich, baron (1878 - 1928). Coming from a noble family of Swedish origin, he studies as a mining engineer, then enters the military service, participates in the Russo-Japanese War, and later, already during the First World War, distinguished himself in East Prussia and Galicia. After the October Revolution, refusing to go to the service of the Ukrainian hetman Skoropadsky, who was supported by the Germans, he joined in 1918

Volunteer army. In April 1920, he became Denikin's successor, when he, having retreated to the Crimea, left the command of the White Army. On March 22, 1920, General Wrangel arrived in Sevastopol on the English battleship Emperor of India. The Military Council of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia met. The meeting was short-lived - nineteen of the most prominent generals who headed the formations and headquarters

The White Army, unanimously spoke out: General Baron Wrangel should be the new Commander-in-Chief. Pyotr Nikolayevich himself made an addition to the minutes of the meeting of the Military Council: “I shared the glory of victories with the Army and I cannot refuse to drink the cup of humiliation with it. Drawing strength from the support of my old associates, I agree to accept the position of Commander-in-Chief. Lieutenant General Baron P. Wrangel March 22, 1920

Sevastopol". Having taken command, General Wrangel first of all began to restore discipline and strengthen the morale of the troops. By April 28, 1920, he reorganized them into the Russian Army. And along with the restoration of its combat capability, he began to vigorously rebuild the Crimean economy and social policy in it. Taking care of the troops is the first concern of any commander, but Wrangel was also a senior administrative head in

Crimea. And in this capacity, he showed himself from an unexpected side for his subordinates. The general became a wise administrator, a consistent politician and a diligent business executive. Under his patronage, Wrangel created the civil government of the Crimea and appointed A.V. Krivoshein as its head. General P.N. Wrangel, chairman of the civil government

Kryma A.V. Krivoshein and General P.N. Shatilov. 1920 A.V. Krivoshein was a man of great ability and colossal experience in economic affairs. Once he was a friend of the Minister of Finance of Russia, managed the largest banks, for eight years he was the Chief Manager of Land Management and Agriculture of the Empire. It was Krivoshein that Pyotr Arkadyevich Stolypin instructed at one time to put into practice the famous

agrarian reform. This is the kind of person General Wrangel appointed Chairman of the Government of the South of Russia. And the South of Russia was then the Crimea. The government of the South of Russia created by him, which is recognized by France, issued a declaration on the national question and proposed to determine the form of government in Russia by "free will" within the framework of a broad federation.

Along with this, the government launched a series of reforms, A.V. Krivoshein and his subordinates knew how to work. In just three weeks, they developed new principles for relations between peasants and landowners, peasants and authorities. The Crimean government clearly benefited from Krivoshein's experience in implementing the Stolypin land reform. Crimea in 1920 became, as it were, a testing ground, on which Stolypin's ideas were fully introduced on a small scale.

principles of reforming Russia. In practice, this meant that the land was not in words, as was the case in Soviet Russia, but in fact was transferred to those who work on it, the peasants, "into eternal and hereditary property", that the big farmers were left only what was in addition to peasant allotments, that the peasant was declared the full owner of what he had grown on his land. The new Crimean government acted decisively and quickly.

Already at the end of April, land was cut into the peasants - plots of fertile Crimean land. And on May 25, 1920, the orders of General Wrangel “On the Land”, “On Volost Zemstvos” that had the force of the Law for the Crimea, were published. The Crimean reform has acquired a legislative basis. The swift actions of the authorities had almost instantaneous effect.

the peasants hurried to take advantage of their new property. At the height of summer, the harvest ripened, and the military authorities began to purchase the amount of bread needed for the army at favorable prices for the peasants. The surplus was freely sold on the market. And what happened then was called the "Crimean miracle" - an abundance of bread, as it were, started the engine of the Crimean economy, small and even medium-sized industries started working on the peninsula, new jobs appeared,

shops opened, goods appeared, markets rustled ... Crimea came to life! Here is what the well-known politician and writer Vasily Vitalyevich Shulgin, who secretly came there from Red Odessa, wrote about those days of Crimea: “... The streets are full of people and what kind of people, the former and even prettier ones, cabbies, cars, announcements of concerts and lectures. But most importantly, shops - they have everything you want ...

I was convinced, for example, that if we measure the earnings of an Odessa and Crimean worker, then the first one can buy two and a half poods of grain in the red country for his wages, and his Crimean comrade - five poods and more ... ". The position of the Crimea seemed especially strong after taking advantage of the outbreak of war with Poland, the Russian army carried out a successful offensive operation against the Bolsheviks and captured part of the Tauride lands adjacent to the peninsula.

In 1920, Crimea was the only territory in Europe that exported bread to the external market - to Constantinople and beyond ... So, under General Wrangel, Crimea became a "showcase of well-being" facing the whole of Russia, became a reproach to the red Kremlin. Such "propaganda by deed" was dangerous for the Bolsheviks. Crimea threatened to become an example of how life can and should be arranged...

That is why a hysterical campaign was launched in Soviet Russia against the White Crimea, against General Wrangel, whom they began to represent as "the main threat to the young republic of soviets." Everything was mobilized, even Mayakovsky, who in those days wrote the scurrilous "Tale of how a woman alone talked about Wrangel without any mind." The armistice between Soviet Russia and Poland changed the situation.

At the end of October, five red armies of the Southern Front (commander M. Frunze), including two cavalry armies (the total number of front troops - over 130 thousand people), attacked the Russian army of Wrangel. In a week they liberated Northern Tavria, and then, breaking through the Perekop fortifications, moved to the Crimea. To Wrangel's credit, he skillfully led the withdrawal of his troops and managed to prepare in advance

to evacuation. Not wanting to leave the Russian army in trouble, Wrangel spent about a year with her in Turkey, maintaining order in the troops and fighting hunger. His subordinates gradually dispersed, about seven thousand deserted and left for Russia. At the end of 1921, the remnants of the army were transferred to Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, where many soldiers and officers later settled, others were further drawn by fate.

Instead of the collapsed Russian army, Wrangel founded the Russian All-Military Union (ROVS) in Paris with departments in the countries where there were former officers and members of the White movement. The ROVS was distinguished by its irreconcilable attitude towards Soviet Russia, developed plans for the mobilization of its members at the right time, conducted intelligence work, had a combat department (headed by Kutepov), which prepared armed actions in

USSR. Wrangel did not stop fighting the Bolsheviks until his death, which befell him at the age of 49, in 1928 (according to one of the unproven versions, he was poisoned). From Brussels, where he died, his body was transported to Yugoslavia and solemnly buried in one of the Orthodox cathedrals. A procession with wreaths stretched through Belgrade. After the death of Wrangel, two volumes of his "Notes" were published, published in

Berlin. Belgrade. Church of the Holy Trinity, where the second and last grave of P.N. Wrangel List of references Used materials of the book: Kovalevsky N.F. History of Russian Goverment. Biographies of famous military leaders of the 18th - early 20th centuries. M. 1997 Vashchenko P.F. Runov V.A. The revolution is defended: [On the 70th anniversary of the defeat of the troops

Politics of "War Communism" (1918 - 1920)

POLICY OF WAR COMMUNISM 1918 - 1920 The Civil War set before the Bolsheviks the task of creating a huge army, the maximum mobilization of all resources, and hence the maximum centralization of power and subordinating it to the control of all spheres of the state's life. At the same time, the tasks of wartime coincided with the ideas of the Bolsheviks about socialism as a non-commodity, non-market centralized society. As a result, the policy of war communism pursued by the Bolsheviks

in 1918-1920, it was built, on the one hand, on the experience of state regulation of economic relations during the First World War in Russia and Germany, on the other hand, on utopian ideas about the possibility of a direct transition to market-free socialism in the face of the expectation of a world revolution, which ultimately led to the acceleration of the pace socio-economic transformations in the country during the Civil War. The main elements of the policy of war communism.

In November 1918, the pro-army was dissolved and by a decree of January 11, 1919. surplus appropriation was carried out. The decree on land was practically canceled. The land fund was transferred not to all the workers, but, first of all, to state farms and communes, and secondly, to labor gangs and partnerships for the joint cultivation of the land, TOZs. Based on the decree of July 28, 1918, by the summer of 1920 up to 80 large and medium enterprises were nationalized. Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of July 22, 1918 on speculation prohibited any non-state trade.

By the beginning of 1919, private trading enterprises were completely nationalized or closed. After the end of the Civil War, the transition to the full naturalization of economic relations was completed. During the Civil War, a centralized state and party structure was created. Glavkism became the peak of centralization. In 1920, there were 50 central offices subordinate to the Supreme Economic Council, coordinating related industries and distributing finished products -

Glavtorf, Glavkozha, Glavkrakhmal, etc. Consumer cooperation was also centralized and subordinated to the People's Commissariat for Food. During the period of war communism wasintroduced universal labor service, the militarization of labor. The results of the policy of war communism. As a result of the policy of war communism, social and economic conditions were created for the victory of the Soviet Republic over the interventionists and the Whites. At the same time, the war and the policy of war communism had grave consequences for the country's economy.

By 1920, the national income fell from 11 to 4 billion rubles compared with 1913, the production of large-scale industry was 13 of the pre-war level, including heavy industry - 2-5. The food requisition led to a reduction in the sowing and gross harvest of the main agricultural crops. Agricultural output in 1920 amounted to two-thirds of the pre-war level. In 1920-1921. famine broke out in the country. The unwillingness to endure the surplus appraisal led to the creation of insurgent

foci in the Middle Volga region, on the Don, Kuban. Basmachi did not activate in Turkestan. In February - March 1921, the West Siberian rebelscreated armed formations of several thousand people. On March 1, 1921, a rebellion broke out in Kronstadt, during which political slogans were put forward Power to the Soviets, not to parties Soviets without Bolsheviks

socialism. After a broad discussion in late 1920 - early 1921, with the X Congress of the RCP on March 6, 1921, a gradual abolition of the policy of military communism began. References1. Gimpelson E. D. War communism M 2. Civil war in the USSR. T. 1-2 M 3. History of the Fatherland people, ideas, decisions. History essays

On November 13-16, 1920, the exodus of the Russian army of General Wrangel and the civilian population sympathizing with her from the Crimea outside Russia took place. This event is called the time of the end of the Civil War in the South of Russia. Many thousands of military and civilian refugees were forced to leave Russia and flee into the unknown.

The evacuation was associated with the success of the Red Army in the offensive operation of the troops of the Southern Front under the command of M.V. Frunze in order to break through the White fortifications on the Perekop Isthmus and Sivash, and occupy the Crimean Peninsula (Perekop-Chongar operation November 7 - November 17, 1920). Three roads led to the peninsula. The Perekop isthmus is about 10 km wide. To the east, beyond the Sivash, where the Chongar Peninsula is close to the Crimea, a narrow dam with a railway line and a bridge was laid from it, and in another place a horse-drawn bridge was located. The third road was located even further east - across the Genichesk bridge to the Arabat Spit. Back in the spring of 1920, the Whites decided to further strengthen them, but in reality they did little. Due to the lack of funds, materials, and lack of perseverance, the work went slowly.

At Perekop, the first line of defense was the Turkish Wall - earthen, poured back in the Middle Ages. Behind it, 20-25 km, there were several lines of Ishun fortifications between lakes and bays. All positions were ordinary trenches, often half-collapsed due to autumn rains. They were covered by barbed wire entanglements. The dugouts were made of wood and earth, the artillery had only field fortifications, and not long-term ones. Actually, there were almost no heavy artillery, it was lost during the retreat, while foreigners were in no hurry with supplies. The railway line to the Ishun fortifications for the transport of ammunition was not completed. The Turkish Wall was defended by the Drozdov division, which numbered only 3.2 thousand bayonets. On the ledge of the Lithuanian peninsula stood 2,000 soldiers. Fostikov's brigade. Kornilovites and Markovites occupied Ishun positions, they covered the southern part of Sivash. In the Chongar direction and the Arabat Spit, the defense was occupied by the Don Corps and the Kuban (about 3 thousand people). The 13th and 34th divisions and the cavalry corps were in reserve. All parts were heavily bled from previous battles. In the rear, the 15th division was additionally formed. In total, the defense was held by about 35 thousand bayonets and sabers with about 200 guns, 750 machine guns, 14 armored trains, 45 tanks and armored vehicles. Several thousand more were busy guarding communications, facilities and fighting partisans.

The Soviet command concentrated a very powerful grouping for this decisive operation. The southern front consisted of about 190 thousand bayonets and sabers with 985 guns, 4435 machine guns, 17 armored trains and 57 armored vehicles. In addition, the “father” Makhno transferred 5.5 thousand corps under the command of Karetnikov to Frunze. Initially, Frunze planned to deliver the main blow to the 4th Army and the 1st Cavalry Army through the Arabat Spit. However, from the side of the Sea of ​​Azov, this direction was protected by the fire of the white ships, and the red flotilla remained in Taganrog due to early freezing. The main direction of the strike had to be moved to Perekop. The breakthrough was to be carried out by the 6th Army, with a double blow - on the forehead and landing through the Sivash to the Lithuanian Peninsula. In the Chongar direction, they planned to deliver an auxiliary strike.

On November 7, the Red Army carried out reconnaissance in battle in the Chongar direction. The Crimean peninsula was declared under a state of siege, General Kutepov was appointed head of defense. On the night of November 8, the main operation began. The Blucher group began to storm the Turkish Wall: four brigades of the 51st division, the Latvian division, an artillery group of 55 guns and an armored group - 14 armored vehicles. Through the Sivash, 20 thousand troops were thrown as part of two brigades of the 51st division, the 15th and 52nd divisions. During a fierce battle, the Reds occupied the positions of the Whites, but they could not advance further than the Lithuanian Peninsula, they were stopped by artillery fire and counterattacks by the arrived White reinforcements. The 7th Cavalry Division and the Makhnovists were transferred to the aid of the Red Landing Forces, this led to a radical change in this direction. Then Frunze sent the 16th Cavalry Division to this direction. The Whites, under strong pressure, began to retreat, and the Reds broke into the Crimea.

On the Turkish Wall, the situation for the Red Army was more difficult. The Whites fought back furiously and repelled three assaults. Only during the fourth night assault were the Reds able to break through the positions of the Whites. The Drozdovites and Kornilovites were already cut off from their own, but they were able to clear the way. By the evening of November 9, the Reds entered the Ishun positions, and the 51st Division broke through them on the move. White's breakthrough was stopped. But the whites pulled up artillery and opened heavy fire. On November 10, the offensive was continued, and the 51st division captured the second line of defense. Wrangel tried to organize a counterattack, pulling up Barbovich's corps and starting to transfer the Don Corps from the Chongar direction.

The Red Command, having learned about this movement of white troops with the help of aviation reconnaissance, gave the order to strike at the Chongar direction of the 4th Army, and the 2nd Cavalry Army was sent to Perekop. On the night of November 11, the offensive began in the Chongar direction. This blow could lead to the exit of the Reds to the rear of the entire Ishun grouping of the Whites. Wrangel turned back the Don Corps and sent all serviceable armored trains to the Tanagash station.

On November 11, the decisive battle took place. The Latvian division, which replaced the 51st, broke through the third, last line of the Ishun positions on the western flank. Barbovich's corps counterattacked on the eastern flank. The White Cavalry overturned the 7th and 16th Cavalry Divisions, hitting the 15th and 52nd Infantry Divisions. However, this offensive was stopped by the forces of the 2nd Cavalry Army and the Makhnovists. The commander of the 2nd Cavalry, Philip Mironov, used a military trick, over two hundred "carts" with machine guns were located behind the first line. After a collision with the Whites, the Reds opened up and swept away the advanced units of the enemy with machine-gun fire. Whites mixed up and began to retreat. By the end of the day, the Red Army captured the last line of the Ishun fortifications. After a fierce battle, the red troops made their way under Chongar. At 3 am on November 12, the Reds broke into Tanagash. Red troops began to enter the Crimea in two streams.

Crimean evacuation

The civilian population of the Crimean peninsula remained in a state of blissful ignorance until the last day. The White command, in order not to provoke panic and not cause the activation of the Bolshevik underground, after the failure of the October offensive, informed the population that the retreat was carried out in an organized manner and with minor losses. It was reported that the Red Army would try to break through to the peninsula in the coming days, but would receive a due rebuff. Crimea was declared a "besieged fortress" that would hold out until a turning point occurred in the general situation. In the newspapers, the topic was developed, "creatively" supplemented. It was reported that behind the "Perekop strongholds" the population of Crimea can "calmly look at their future." There were even statements that the size of the Russian army of Wrangel is excessive to protect the "strongholds" of Perekop. So, on November 7, General Slashchev stated that "our army is so large that one-fifth of its composition would be enough to defend the Crimea ...".

As a result, the peninsula lived quietly until the last moment. Cinemas worked, plays were staged, a non-party public meeting headed by Prince Dolgoruky adopted an appeal to the Entente, where Crimea was called "the key to salvation from Bolshevism". Only the most far-sighted looked for ways of salvation and bought up the currency. For most people, the defeat of November 8-11 was like a bolt from the blue. People knew that a fierce battle was inevitable, but they believed that the offensive of the Red Army would break against the defensive lines of Perekop.

Even the command of the White Army, which had much more complete information about the situation, did not expect such an outcome. Wrangel believed that Frunze had about 100 thousand people under command, of which 25 thousand were cavalry, in reality the Southern Front had almost 200 thousand people, of which more than 40 thousand were cavalry. A large superiority of the Reds was created in artillery and machine guns. They considered the possibility of defeat, but did not believe that everything would happen so quickly. It was believed that there would be enough time to prepare for a possible evacuation.

On November 10, after a meeting between Wrangel and Kutepov, it was decided to begin the evacuation of the rear. To solve this problem, all commercial ships in ports were requisitioned, regardless of nationality. They began to load infirmaries, some central institutions. Through the French representative of the Comte de Martel, the Wrangel government turned to France asking for asylum. Teams were formed from staff members to prevent unrest, which could be caused by a message about the fall of the defense line. Soon, even without a general announcement, they began to issue documents for evacuation to the civilian population.

On the night of November 11-12, when the last lines of defense collapsed, the evacuation plan was already prepared. Ships and vessels were distributed between units, transports were allocated for the families of military, government and logistics institutions and organizations. The remaining ships were to be used for the export of those wishing among the civilian population. To speed up loading and make it without delay, each part had its own port for loading. The 1st and 2nd corps were to withdraw to Sevastopol and Yevpatoriya, the Barbovich corps to Yalta, the Kuban to Feodosia, the Don to Kerch. The troops retreated in a rather organized manner, they even managed to break away from the Reds by 1-2 transitions. It should be noted that the development of the evacuation plan began six months before the evacuation, it was developed by the headquarters of the commander-in-chief together with the commander of the fleet. To implement this plan, a certain tonnage of ships had to remain permanently in the Black Sea basin. All ships and watercraft were assigned to ports. In the same ports, an emergency supply of coal, engine oil and provisions was created in case an evacuation was announced.

The Red Army was regrouping its forces. Frunze, apparently, expected the fierce resistance of the doomed white units, and offered them an honorable surrender, promising freedom, immunity, and even free travel abroad on parole to stop the fight against the Bolsheviks. On November 12, Frunze was criticized by Lenin for this proposal. Only a day later, the Red troops continued their offensive. The 6th army moved to Evpatoria, the 2nd and 1st Cavalry armies - to Simferopol and Sevastopol, the 4th army and the 3rd cavalry corps - to Feodosia and Kerch. On November 13, the Reds occupied Simferopol.

The French government, after some deliberation, agreed to provide shelter to the Russian army of Wrangel and the refugees. However, as a "collateral" the French demanded all the ships. On November 12, Wrangel issued an order for a general evacuation. Everyone who wanted to stay in Russia was given complete freedom. Damage and destruction of property was prohibited. The South Russian government warned citizens about the difficulties of crossing in cramped conditions, and the uncertainty of the fate of those leaving, since none of the foreign states gave their consent to accept the evacuees.

Slashchev offered to give the last battle in the Crimea, or land in the Caucasus, seize a bridgehead. However, Kutepov and Wrangel refused to support these adventures. People laden with various goods reached the ports. For most, this evacuation came as a surprise. In general, during the evacuation, unlike similar events in Odessa and Novorossiysk, order was maintained. Special teams had the authority to stop the riots by any means. A significant number of ships also helped to maintain order, the entire fleet left the Crimea, part of the watercraft was taken in tow. In addition, some people were loaded onto foreign ships - French, English, etc. To accommodate more people, they dumped ammunition and other property into the sea. Placed people on the aisles and decks. So, on the destroyer Grozny, with a regular crew of 75 people, 1015 people were taken out. On the steamer "Saratov", which was designed for 1860 people, 7056 were planted. The steamers left overloaded to the extreme. There was not enough food, water, living space. It is clear that individual cases of robberies and riots happened, but they did not take on a mass order. In particular, prisoners released from prison were engaged in robberies in Simferopol, wine cellars were looted in Alushta and Yalta, and warehouses of the American Red Cross were robbed in Sevastopol, etc.

True, many decided to stay. Some did not want to leave their homeland, become an exile, wander around foreign lands. Others were affected by the surprise factor, perhaps with more time to think, they would have evacuated. Still others trusted the leaflets of Frunze, Brusilov about mercy to the rest. Others simply did not have time to escape, etc. On the whole, a fairly significant number of whites and "bourgeois" remained.

On the evening of November 13, 1920, the last meeting of the government of the South of Russia took place, and on November 14, loading onto ships was completed. Wrangel switched to the cruiser General Kornilov. In fact, a whole “white city” was created on the water. Already on board, Wrangel made a proposal to the French government on the transfer of the Russian army to the "Western Front" to fight Bolshevism, "enemies of world civilization and culture." The Whites did not yet believe that such a front would not exist. Western governments did not want to confront Soviet Russia directly. If such a decision was impossible, Wrangel proposed to raise the issue of placing the fleet at the disposal of the White Army at the disposal of the international commission for the protection of the straits.

The White fleet (more than 120 ships) with about 150 thousand exiles headed for Constantinople. On November 15, the cruiser General Kornilov landed Wrangel in Yalta, where the commander was convinced that the evacuation of military units had been completed. Then the cruiser visited Feodosia, where there was not enough tonnage of ships and part of the Kuban Cossacks went to Kerch. Wrangel also visited Kerch, where it turned out that the Don and Kuban had been safely taken out. On the morning of November 17, the cruiser passed along the coast for the last time and headed for the Bosphorus. The Russian army of Wrangel was completely evacuated, except for those who fell behind on the way, were cut off from the ports, or decided to stay. The passage by sea from the ports of the Crimean peninsula to Constantinople lasted from one to five days, for many people it became a real torment. In fact, it was a kind of prelude to those hardships and sorrows that will fall to the lot of the majority of Russian emigrants in a foreign land.

On November 15, the Red Army occupied Sevastopol and Feodosia, on November 16 - Kerch, and on November 17 - Yalta. The Perekop-Chongar operation was successfully completed, the entire Crimean peninsula was occupied by the Red Army, and the Southern Front of the Civil War was liquidated.

Crimea was ahead of a wave of "Red Terror", which was organized by the chairman of the Crimean Military Revolutionary Committee Bela Kun and the secretary of the Crimean Party Committee R. S. Zemlyachka (Zalkind). Crimea was blocked by troops. Bela Kun personally signed the passes to leave the peninsula. Terror fell on the officers, then on the family members of the White Guards, people of noble origin, employees of various institutions, "bourgeois". Entire round-ups were carried out, when entire neighborhoods were cordoned off and documents were checked for several days, some were released, others were destroyed. Thousands of people were killed. Then hunger was added to the terror, since it was almost impossible to leave the peninsula, many people in the Crimea were doomed to starvation. Refugees who had no sources of livelihood were particularly affected.

95 years ago - in the autumn of 1920 - after the defeat of Wrangel's army in the Crimea, 150 thousand Russians went to a foreign land. Most of them are forever...

Wake column of transports during the evacuation of the Wrangel army from the Crimea. 1920

The Russian exodus took place, which put an end to the Civil War, opened a significant era of Russian emigration and finally completed the history of the Russian Empire. Thus ended the Civil War in Russia, at least in its open manifestation.

The beginning of this war - "Russian unrest", according to the apt definition of General Anton Denikin - was the overthrow of Emperor Nicholas II in February 1917. And a little over three years later, former subjects of Russia, who did not want to become Soviet citizens, fled Crimea. They saved themselves by leaving everything in their homeland that until recently constituted the essence of their completely calm and successful, in any case, worthy life. Home, vocation, property, in the end - the graves of their ancestors ... They no longer had all this. Uncertainty and hope for salvation is, perhaps, all that they had at that time.

Crimea Island

Then, in 1920, the remnants of the volunteer armies, who retreated under the onslaught of the Reds, along with numerous civilian refugees, found their temporary refuge in the Crimea. They hoped for the Crimea as a miracle that could save them and give hope for the preservation of the former Russia here. But the miracle didn't happen...

The ruler and commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the South of Russia from April 4, 1920 was Baron Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel. One of the most talented and at the same time modest people of his time, he was a practical and realist and was well aware of the situation in the Crimea: “It is not by a triumphal procession from the Crimea to Moscow that Russia can be liberated, but by creating at least on a piece of Russian land such an order and such living conditions, who would pull to themselves all the thoughts and forces of the people groaning under the red yoke.

General Wrangel began the development of the peninsula. There was an obvious socio-economic problem: the population of Crimea had become prohibitively large, and it was necessary to feed everyone based on the available resources of the Crimean peninsula. According to the general, he had to “establish a completely disordered industrial apparatus, provide the population with food, using the natural wealth of the region in the widest possible way ...” An agrarian reform was undertaken, launched by Wrangel’s special order on land. Trade and entrepreneurship immediately intensified.

In parallel with the solution of economic problems, Wrangel took up issues of public education - from the opening of schools (a school was even created with teaching in the Ukrainian language, at the request of refugees from Little Russia) to the mass production of newspapers, magazines and other publications (of various political persuasion, except for the Bolshevik, of course) . The Society "Russian Book Publishing in Crimea" published 150,000 copies of textbooks alone in six months.
Of course, the "besieged fortress" regime dictated its own laws. But the fundamental feature characteristic of the policy of General Wrangel and the entire White Crimea was that the punishment of individuals did not spill over into terror. Those suspected of sympathizing with Bolshevism were arrested and ... sent to the Reds!

Censorship also worked, which had the right to remove any publication from the press on suspicion of revolutionary propaganda. By the way, several times this censorship refused to publish the materials ... of Pyotr Wrangel himself, considering them "too revolutionary." And the general took it for granted: "The law is the same for all."
And all this Soviet historiography will later call "Wrangel's lawlessness", "the last tyranny of the whites" ...

One to two

A certain weak confidence in the prospect of the existence of Crimea as a separate state was given by its diplomatic recognition by the French Republic. In addition, Wrangel hoped that while the Soviet government was waging war with the Polish imperialist Jozef Pilsudski, The Russian army and the entire Crimea have a temporary reserve - at least until the onset of spring.

UNLIKE THE NAMES OF THE LEADERS OF THE REVOLUTION, the name of Baron Wrangel, an opponent of the Civil War, who saved thousands of people from reprisal, is still not on the map of Russia

And on October 12, unexpectedly for everyone, Poland, led by Pilsudski, signed an armistice agreement with the government of Vladimir Lenin, which allowed the Bolsheviks to throw "all their forces on the Black Baron"! On November 3, 1920, the Red Army came close to Perekop.

The ratio of forces of the Russian army and the Southern Front was as follows: 75,815 bayonets and sabers at the disposal of Wrangel against 188,771 at Frunze; 1404 machine guns and 271 guns against 3000 machine guns and 623 guns respectively. As for the Perekop fortifications, portrayed by Soviet cinema as completely impregnable, they were all unfinished, and they were defended by soldiers and officers who, unlike the Red Army, did not have warm clothes (in early November, the Crimea was 15-degree frosts).

Realizing the seriousness of the situation of the army and the population of Crimea and not having excessive hopes regarding the impregnability of the fortifications of Perekop, General Wrangel ordered in advance to provide opportunities for the evacuation of 75 thousand people (as it turned out later, this preparation made it possible to take twice as many people out of the Crimea).

Soviet historiography will then present the advance of the Reds deep into the Crimea as a thoughtful and natural event, and the evacuation of the Russian army of General Wrangel as a series of panic and desperate actions. In fact, however, in order to somehow justify the mediocrity of the assault, which cost the Southern Front too dearly, later it was necessary to compose a legend about the Wrangel army equipped and armed to the teeth by the allies, hiding behind a "complex layered system of long-term defense."

Evacuation of the Russian army of Wrangel. Kerch, 1920

As well as had to hide the true goal of the Frunze operation to capture the Crimea, thwarted by General Wrangel. In fact, the Red Army was tasked not only to penetrate into the Crimea, breaking Wrangel's resistance, but also to prevent the evacuation of the military and civilian population of the peninsula (for which we now know very well). “In the future, both cavalry armies should keep in mind the most energetic pursuit of the enemy, in no case allowing him to board ships,” Frunze ordered. This, however, could not be done by the Reds, who, no matter how eager they were, could not use their numerical advantage. And one and a half hundred thousand Russians were thus saved from the terrible fate that did not escape the rest.

"Surprised by the exorbitant compliance"

Realizing that the rapid defeat of the units of the Russian army was thwarted (the Wrangel troops retreated in a surprisingly organized manner - without contact with the enemy), on November 11, the Soviet army commander sent a “pacifying” radiogram to the commander-in-chief Pyotr Wrangel with the following content:

“In view of the obvious futility of further resistance by your troops, which threatens only with the shedding of unnecessary blood flows, I suggest that you stop resisting and surrender with all the troops of the army and navy, military supplies, equipment, weapons and all kinds of military equipment.

If you accept the above proposal, the Revolutionary Military Council of the armies of the Southern Front, on the basis of the powers granted to it by the central Soviet government, guarantees those who surrender, including persons of the highest command personnel, full forgiveness in respect of all offenses related to the civil strife. All those who do not want to stay and work in socialist Russia will be given the opportunity to travel abroad without hindrance, provided that they renounce on their word of honor from further struggle against workers' and peasants' Russia and Soviet power.

I expect an answer before 24:00 on November 11. Moral responsibility for all possible consequences in case of rejection of an honest offer will fall on you.

Commander of the Southern Front Mikhail Frunze».

Instead of answering, Wrangel ordered all radio stations to be turned off.

Commander of the Southern Front Mikhail Frunze and commander of the Southwestern Front Alexander Yegorov at the military parade after the capture of Perekop. November 1920

Which, by the way, was redundant, since the very next day, November 12, the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Vladimir Lenin, hastened to warn the leadership of the Southern Front against the very possibility of humane treatment of compatriots who had surrendered: “I just learned about your proposal to Wrangel to surrender. Extremely surprised by the exorbitant pliability of the conditions. If the enemy accepts them, then it is necessary to really ensure the capture of the fleet and the non-release of a single ship; if the enemy does not accept these conditions, then, in my opinion, they can no longer be repeated and must be dealt with mercilessly.

On November 11 (October 29, old style), General Wrangel gave his last order for the army and the Crimea.

« ORDER

Ruler of the South of Russia and Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army
Sevastopol, October 29, 1920

Russian people!

Left alone in the fight against the rapists, the Russian army is fighting an unequal battle, defending the last piece of Russian land where law and truth exist.
In the consciousness of the responsibility that lies on me, I am obliged to foresee all accidents in advance.

By my order, the evacuation and boarding of ships in the ports of Crimea has already begun for all those who shared the path of the Cross with the Army, the families of military personnel, civil servants with their families and individuals who could be in danger if the enemy came.

The army will cover the landing, bearing in mind that the ships necessary for its evacuation are in full readiness in ports according to the established schedule. To fulfill the duty to the army and the population, everything has been done within the limits of human strength.

Our future paths are full of uncertainty. We have no other land except Crimea. There is no state treasury. Frankly, as always, I warn everyone of what awaits them.

May the Lord send strength and wisdom to all to overcome and survive the Russian hard times.

General Wrangel».

On November 13, the Reds occupied Simferopol. The commander of the 2nd Cavalry Army, Philip Kuzmich Mironov, recalled: “On November 13, the Crimean peninsula in the greatest silence received the Red troops sent to occupy the cities: Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Feodosia, Kerch.”

"We are going to a foreign land"

With a huge number of people willing, with an unrealistically short allotted time (several days), the evacuation proceeded calmly, without panic (contrary to the idea that develops in some Soviet films). “Splendidly carried out” was called by an eyewitness - the French representative to the Crimean government.

On November 14, 1920, General Wrangel left Sevastopol. He left, as befits the commander-in-chief. He traveled around on his boat the ships ready to sail in the bay of Sevastopol and addressed everyone with a short farewell: “We are going to a foreign land, we are not going like beggars with outstretched hands, but with our heads held high, in the consciousness of a duty fulfilled to the end.” Then, making sure that everyone who wished boarded the ships, he made a raid on the cruiser General Kornilov to Yalta, Feodosia and Kerch in order to personally oversee the loading. And only after that he left.

Later, all the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, with the exception of one, arrived in Constantinople.

What awaited the rest? It would be more correct to ask this: what fate befell those who did not save themselves?

Already on the night of November 14, the Red Army occupied all the coastal cities of Crimea. An eyewitness of those events wrote: “Having entered the city, the soldiers attacked the inhabitants, undressed them and right there, on the street, put on the taken away clothes, throwing their tattered soldiers to the unfortunate undressed. Whoever could from the inhabitants hid in basements and secluded places, afraid to catch the eye of the brutalized Red Army soldiers.

The city at that time had a sad look. Everywhere there were corpses of horses, half-eaten by dogs, heaps of garbage ... The windows in the shops were broken, the sidewalks near them were strewn with glass, dirt was everywhere you looked.

The next day, the robbery of liquor stores and the wholesale drunkenness of the Reds began. There was not enough bottled wine, so they began to uncork barrels and drink directly from them. Being already drunk, the soldiers could not use the pump and therefore simply broke the barrels. Wine poured everywhere, flooded the cellars and poured into the streets. The drunkenness continued for a whole week, and with it all kinds of, often the most incredible, violence against the inhabitants.

Soon the whole of Crimea got acquainted with the practical application of the slogan of the Dzhankoy organization of the RCP (b): "Let's nail the coffin of the bourgeoisie already dying, writhing in convulsions!" On November 17, the Krymrevkom, whose chairman was appointed a Hungarian revolutionary Bela Kun, issued order No. 4, which designated groups of persons who were obliged to appear for registration within three days. These are foreign subjects; persons who arrived on the territory of Crimea after the departure of Soviet power in June 1919; as well as all officers, wartime officials, soldiers and former employees of institutions of the volunteer army.

Later, this experience of "voluntary registration" will be successfully applied by the Nazis in relation to the Jews in the occupied territories ...

Honestly

The naivety with which those under orders went to register, the same naivety based on decency of people who surrendered voluntarily and counted on the word of honor of the Frunze Commander, cost them too much. As is known, they were either shot after being tortured to inflict as much torment as possible on the victim, or, without the use of torture, they were sunk alive in the holds of old barges.

Bolshevik leaders Bela Kun and Rozalia Zalkind (Zemlyachka) were at the head of the reprisals against the former. As for the lover of making promises, the red commander Frunze, he was not only aware of what was happening, but also encouraged certain leaders of terror like Efim Evdokimova: “I consider the activities of Comrade. Evdokimov deserving of encouragement. Due to the special nature of this activity, it is not very convenient to carry out the awards in the usual way.

TODAY, 95 YEARS AFTER THE TRAGIC AND BLOODY EVENTS, we have the right to ask ourselves: have we fully learned the historical lesson of revolutions?

Thus, all those evacuated by Wrangel found salvation: hardships and hardships awaited them, but still it was the salvation of life. Without exaggeration, we can say that Pyotr Nikolaevich Wrangel gave them a second birth.

Today, 95 years after those tragic and bloody events, we have the right to ask ourselves: have we fully learned the historical lesson of revolutions? Do we understand that a revolution always leads to a fratricidal civil war - a war in which there are no and cannot be winners, since the people fight with themselves? How do you know if you have...

Reds storm Perekop. 1920

Ashes of a sinking barge with living officers Rosalia Salkind rests in the Kremlin wall. A street in Simferopol and a square in Moscow were named after another organizer of the massacres in the Crimea, Bela Kun, and the Military Academy received the name of Frunze. But in honor of Wrangel, the opponent of the Civil War, who saved thousands of people from reprisal, neither streets nor educational institutions are named.

It is time to think about our historical memory, especially on the eve of the centenary of the revolution, because 2017 is just around the corner.

Petr Alexandrov-Derkachenko, State Secretary of the Russian Historical Society Abroad

Russian revolution