The 7th Ukrainian Soviet Division was a military unit 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 ...

in the armed forces of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

History

On March 24, 1919, the

Revolutionary Military Council The Revolutionary Military Council (russian: Революционный Военный Совет, Revolyutsionny Voyenny Sovyet, Revolutionary Military Council), sometimes called the Revolutionary War CouncilBrian PearceIntroductionto Fyodor Ra ...

of the Ukrainian Front made a decision to create the 1st,

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...

and 3rd Ukrainian Soviet Armies. On April 15, it reorganized the divisions of the 2nd and 3rd armies into nine regimental divisions. The

2nd Ukrainian Soviet Army The 2nd Ukrainian Soviet Army was a field army of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War, which was formed on April 15, 1919, from the units of the ''Group of Forces of the Kharkov Direction''. It was first part of the Ukrainian Front and from ...

included units of the Group of Forces of the Kharkov direction (management and the 1st Zadneprovskaya brigade of the 1st Zadneprovskaya Ukrainian Soviet Division, the 2nd separate brigade, the 3rd Zadneprovskaya brigade of the 1st Zadneprovskaya Ukrainian Soviet division, the Crimean brigade), which were consolidated into 2 regular divisions: * The 3rd Ukrainian Soviet Division (former Division Directorate, 1st Zadneprovskaya Brigade of the 1st Zadneprovskaya Ukrainian Soviet Division and other units). * The 7th Ukrainian Soviet Division (former 3rd Zadneprovskaya Brigade of 1st Zadneprovskaya Ukrainian Soviet Division and other units). The

anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not neces ...

Nestor Makhno Nestor Ivanovych Makhno, The surname "Makhno" ( uk, Махно́) was itself a corruption of Nestor's father's surname "Mikhnenko" ( uk, Міхненко). ( 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno ("Father Makhno"),; According to ...

, the head of the 3rd Zadneprovskaya brigade, was appointed head of the 7th Ukrainian Soviet division. Meanwhile, the

bolshevik The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

Yakov Zakharovich Pokus, the chief of staff of the 3rd Rifle Brigade of the 2nd Ukrainian Soviet Division and acting commander of the 2nd Separate Brigade, was appointed chief of staff. In April-June, the division fought with the troops of the

Armed Forces of South Russia The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating the Volunteer Army ...

under the command of

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 ...

– the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...

(until May 2, 1919) and the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

of the

Don Republic __NOTOC__ The Don Republic (russian: Донская Республика, later known as the Almighty Don Host, or russian: Всевеликое Войско Донское, ''Vsevelikoye Voysko Donskoye'') was an independent self-proclaimed anti- ...

. On June 6, the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein. ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky; uk, link= no, Лев Давидович Троцький; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trotskij'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky''. (), was a Russian ...

issued an order in which he declared the head of the 7th Ukrainian Soviet Division Nestor Makhno outlawed "for the collapse of the front and insubordination to the command." On June 8,

Alexander Semyonovich Krusser Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

replaced Makhno as head of the division. The division then occupied the front section "from the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov ( Crimean Tatar: ''Azaq deñizi''; russian: Азовское море, Azovskoye more; uk, Азовське море, Azovs'ke more) is a sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, ...

to Novuspenovka". On June 9, Krusser issued an order to take over as division chief. He died on the night of June 9-10 at the

Pologi Polohy (, ; russian: Пологи, translit=Pologi) is a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, currently under the control of the Russian Armed Forces. It serves as the administrative center of Polohy Raion. Population: . From 1928 to 1937, it ...

station of the Tavricheskaya province during a

machine-gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) ar ...

attack on the armored train that he was inside. Pokus was subsequently appointed commander of the 1st Brigade of the 7th Ukrainian Soviet Division, on June 24, and later appointed commander of the 3rd regiment of the Separate Bashkir Cavalry Division, on July 6.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Soviet divisions of the Russian Civil War, state=expanded Divisions of Ukraine Soviet infantry divisions in the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1919 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 Militarized anarchist formations