The 12th Army was a field army of the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
during the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
, which was formed twice.
First formation
The 12th Army was formed on October 3, 1918 in the region of Astrakhan and the Eastern part of the Northern Caucasus. It was part of the
Southern Front since November 3, 1918 and then of the
Caspian-Caucasian Front, with which it fought the
Northern Caucasus Operation (1918–1919)
The Northern Caucasus Operation was fought between the White and Red Armies during the Russian Civil War between December 1918 and March 1919. The White Army captured the entire Northern Caucasus. The Red Army withdrew to Astrahan and the Volga ...
, between December 8, 1918 and March 13, 1919 when it was disbanded.
It was composed of the 45th and 58th divisions.
Second formation
On June 16, 1919, a new 12th Army was formed from the troops of the
1st and
3rd Ukrainian Soviet Army. It fought in Ukraine against
Anton Denikin
Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...
's Volunteer Army, and then against the troops of
Symon Petliura
Symon Vasylyovych Petliura ( uk, Си́мон Васи́льович Петлю́ра; – May 25, 1926) was a Ukrainian politician and journalist. He became the Supreme Commander of the Ukrainian Army and the President of the Ukrainian People' ...
, which it pushed back behind the
Zbrucz River. Here it first encountered troops of the Polish Army.
It 1919, it was composed of the 44th, 47th, 58th and
60th divisions, as well as of the 9th Cavalry division. The
advances of the
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian. The majority ...
and of
The Volunteer Army forced the 12th Army Northward. On August 31st, The 12th army was forced to
retreat from Kiev without much combat occurring. On December 10th, it fought in the 6-day long
4th Battle of Kiev to retake the city from the
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
.
In the spring of 1920, as part of the
Southwestern Front, the 12th Army was deployed against the Polish offensive in Ukraine and was pushed back over the Dnieper. In the counteroffensive of the Red Army in summer 1920, it reached the
Bug River
uk, Західний Буг be, Захо́дні Буг
, name_etymology =
, image = Wyszkow_Bug.jpg
, image_size = 250
, image_caption = Bug River in the vicinity of Wyszków, Poland
, map = Vi ...
. At the end of the
Polish-Soviet War, the 12th Army had suffered heavy losses and was disbanded on December 25, 1920.
It 1920, it was composed of the 7th, 44th, 47th, 58th divisions and 17th Cavalry division.
Commanders
First formation
*
Alexei Ivanovich Avtonomov
Alexei Ivanovich Avtonomov (russian: Алексе́й Ива́нович Автоно́мов) (1890–1919) was a Russian Red Army military commander during the Russian Civil War.
Avtonomov was a Kuban Cossack. He fought in World War I with the ...
(3 October - 15 November 1918), appointed but never took command,
* V.L. Stepanov (3 October 1918 - 14 February 1919),
* Nikolai Zhdanov (14 February - 13 March 1919).
Second formation
* Nikolai Semyonov (16 June — 8 September 1919),
*
Sergei Mezheninov (10 September 1919 — 10 June 1920),
*
Gaspar Voskanyan (10 June — 20 August 1920),
*
Nikolai Kuzmin (20 August — 26 October 1920),
* Nikolai Lisovsky (26 October — 25 December 1920).
References
{{Soviet Armies of the Russian Civil War
Soviet field armies in the Russian Civil War
Military units and formations established in 1919
Military units and formations disestablished in 1920