The 4th 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 4 times between the beginning of March 1918 and March 1921.

History

First formation

On March 17, 1918, the

Second All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets Second All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets ( uk, Другий Всеукраїнський з'їзд Рад) was a congress of soviets (councils) of workers, peasants, Red-army-men deputies that took place in Katerynoslav (Dnipro) on March 17-19, 19 ...

decided to create armed forces to counter foreign and contra-revolutionary forces. Five armies of some 3.000 -3.500 men were created. In fact, these armies were only brigades with limited combat capabilities. The 4th Army was created near the city of Poltava under command of Vassili Kikvidze. The army counted 3,000 infantry, 200 cavalry, 1 armored train and 4 guns. The 4th Army, now under command of

Yuriy Sablin Yuriy Vladimirovich Sablin ( Russian: Юрий Владимирович Саблин; 24 November 1897 – 1937) was a Russian military leader and Socialist Revolutionary. Yuriy was born in Yuryev, Governorate of Livonia, into a family of a ...

, tried in vain to defend Kharkiv against the advancing German Army. After its defeat, one part joined the Voronezh Detachment and the other part was added to the 1st Don Army operating in Ukraine in the area of the Donets river.

Second formation

On June 20, 1918 the 4th Army was created a second time as part of the Eastern Front.
In June 1918, the 4th Army fought against the White Guards troops in the Transvolga Region. In August it was located around

Volsk Volsk (russian: Вольск) is a town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volga River, opposite the mouth of the Bolshoy Irgiz (a tributary of the Volga), northeast from Saratov, the administrative center of the oblast. ...

, and then defended the

Khvalynsk Khvalynsk ( rus, Хвалы́нск, p=xvɐˈlɨnsk) is a river port town in Saratov Oblast, Russia, located by the Volga River. Population: 16,000 (1974). It is located on the right bank of the Volga, at the foot of the Khvalynsk Mountains, ...

area. In November 1918 it participated in the offensive of the Eastern Front and took

Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...

. In January 1919 it took

Oral The word oral may refer to: Relating to the mouth * Relating to the mouth, the first portion of the alimentary canal that primarily receives food and liquid **Oral administration of medicines ** Oral examination (also known as an oral exam or or ...

. In March it took part in the suppression of rebellions in the Stavropol, Melekessk and Syzransk counties, and then moved to Lbichensk, Slymhinskaya, Oral and Guriev to fight against the

Spring Offensive of the Russian Army (1919) The Spring Offensive of the Russian Army was an offensive of the White Army of the White movement led by Alexander Kolchak on the Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War, between March and April 1919. Background At the end of 1918, the situatio ...

. Between August 15, 1919 and April 18, 1920 it was part of Southern group of Armies of the Eastern Front and of the

Turkestan Front The Turkestan Front () was a front of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, which was formed on the territory of Turkestan Military District by Order of the Republic of Turkestan on February 23, 1919. It was formed a second time by the directiv ...

. It was disbanded on April 23, 1920 and the Army administration was transferred to the Transvolga Military District and the 2nd revolutionary Labor Army.

Third formation

The 4th Army was created a third time on June 11, 1920 from the northern group of the 15th Army, as part of the Western Front to fight in the Soviet-Polish War. The offensive of the 4th Army of the Western Front began on July 2, 1920, near the Latvian border in the city of

Dzisna Dzisna ( be, Дзісна, russian: Дисна, lt, Dysna, pl, Dzisna) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus. It is located on the left bank of the Daugava River, near the confluence of Dysna. It has 1,500 inhabitants (2017 estimate) wh ...

. In five weeks time, the Army advanced more than 800 kilometers, occupying a significant part of the territories of Belarus and Poland, including: Święcany,

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

Mława Mława (; yi, מלאווע ''Mlave'') is a town in north-east Poland with 30,403 inhabitants in 2020. It is the capital of Mława County. It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship. During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the battle of Mława was ...

Ciechanów Ciechanów is a city in north-central Poland. From 1975 to 1998, it was the capital of the Ciechanów Voivodeship. Since 1999, it has been situated in the Masovian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 43,495. History The ...

, etc. By August 16, 1920, the Polish Army had been thrown back behind the Wkra river. On August 17, 1920, the day before the planned beginning of the decisive Soviet offensive on the Vistula, Pilsudski's army undertook a powerful counteroffensive. The Polish cavalry struck at the junction of the 4th and 15th Army. As a result, the 4th Army was utterly defeated. The 4th Army and the 3rd Cavalry Corps almost ceased to exist as fighting units as many soldiers were forced to flee into German territory, where they were interned. By 26 August 1920, the Western Front line had been stabilized. From September 14, 1920, replenished with fresh divisions, the 4th Army again participated in heavy fighting in Belarus, including the Battle of Kobryń (1920), after which it retreated to the

Slutsk Slutsk ( officially transliterated as Sluck, be, Слуцк; russian: Слуцк; pl, Słuck, lt, Sluckas, Yiddish/Hebrew: סלוצק ''Slutsk'') is a city in Belarus, located on the Sluch River south of Minsk. As of 2022, its population i ...

area. The fighting only ended after the signing of the Armistice in October 1920. On October 18, 1920 the 4th Army was disbanded and the remaining troops were transferred to the 16th Army.

Fourth formation

On November 12, 1920 the 4th Army was created a fourth time on the Southern Front, also from troops of the former 13th Army.
The Army fought it he

Siege of Perekop (1920) The siege of Perekop, also known as the Perekop-Çonğar Operation, was the final battle of the Southern Front in the Russian Civil War from 7 to 17 November 1920. The White movement's stronghold on the Crimean Peninsula was protected by the � ...

against the

Army of Wrangel The Russian Army (russian: Русская армия, Russkaya armiya), commonly known as the Army of Wrangel (russian: Армия Врангеля, Armiya Vrangelya, label=none), was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil ...

and participated in the conquest of the

Kerch Peninsula The Kerch Peninsula is a major and prominent geographic peninsula located at the eastern end of the Crimean Peninsula, Ukraine. This peninsula stretches eastward toward the Taman peninsula between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Most of the pe ...

.
On March 25, 1921 the 4th Army was disbanded and the military units were handed over to the Caucasian front and the Kharkiv Military district. In April, the field administration of the 4th Army was disbanded.

Commanders

* A. A. Rzhevsky (20.06 1918 - 01.09 1918) * Tikhon Hvesin (10.09 1918 - 05.11 1918) * Aleksandr Baltiysky (05.11 1918 – 31.01 1919) *

Mikhail Frunze Mikhail Vasilyevich Frunze (russian: Михаил Васильевич Фрунзе; ro, Mihail Frunză; 2 February 1885 – 31 October 1925) was a Bolshevik leader during and just prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Born in the modern-day ...

(31.01 1919 − 04.05 1919) *

Leonty Ugryumov Leonty Yakovlevich Ugyumov (1887 – August 14, 1937) was a Soviet komkor (corps commander). He was born in what is now Usolye, Usolsky District, Perm Krai. He fought for the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going over to the Bolsh ...

(acting, 04.05 1919 – 08.05 1919) *

Konstantin Avksentevsky Konstantin Alekseyevich Avksentevsky (October 12, 1890 – November 2, 1941) was a Soviet army commander. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and for the Bolsheviks in the subsequent civil war. He was a recipient of the Order ...

(08.05 1919 - 06.08 1919) *

Vladimir Lazarevich Vladimir Salamovich Lazarevich (russian: Влади́мир Салама́нович Лазаре́вич, be, Уладзі́мір Саламо́навіч Лазарэ́віч; Sokółka, Grodno Governorate, 15 September 1882 – Moscow, 20 ...

(06.08 1919 - 08.10 1919) * Gaspar Voskanyan (08.10 1919 – 23.04 1920). * Evgeni Sergeyev (18.06 1920 – 28.07 1920) * Vladimir Melikov (acting, 28.07 1920 – 06.08 1920) *

Aleksandr Shuvayev Aleksandr Dmitriyevich Shuvayev (8 December 1886, Novocherkassk - December 1943) was a Soviet military commander, who commanded the 4th Red Army in the Battle of Warsaw (1920), during the Polish-Soviet War and fought in the Russian Civil War. ...

(acting, 06.08 1920 – 17.10 1920) * Nikolai Kakurin (acting, 17.10.1920 – 22.10, 1920). *

(22.10 1920 – 10.02 1921) * Aleksandr Beloi (11.02 1921 - 25.03 1921).

References

{{Soviet Armies of the Russian Civil War Soviet field armies in the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1921