The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in

southern Russia Southern Russia or the South of Russia (russian: Юг России, ''Yug Rossii'') is a colloquial term for the southernmost geographic portion of European Russia generally covering the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasian Federal ...

between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating 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 ...

and the

Don Army The Don Army (russian: Донская армия, ) was the military of the short lived Don Republic and a part of the White movement in the Russian Civil War. It operated from 1918 to 1920, in the Don region and centered in the town of Novoch ...

. Subsequently, it included the

Crimean-Azov Army The 3rd Army Corps (Russian: 3-й армейский корпус) was one of the main formations of the Armed Forces of South Russia (Russian: Вооружённых Сил Юга России, ВСЮР; VSUR) during the Russian Civil War. Thi ...

, the Forces of Northern Caucasus and the Turkestan Army. By October 1919, the army had 150,000 soldiers, which included 48,000 horsemen. The British had supplied 280,000 rifles, 4,898 machine guns, 917 cannons, 102 tanks, 194 airplanes 1,335 automobiles, 112 tractors, and what became known as

Wrangel's fleet Wrangel's Fleet was the last remnant of the Black Sea Fleet of the Imperial Russian Navy and existed from 1920 until 1924. This squadron was a "White" (anti-communist and anti-revolutionary) unit during the Russian Civil War. It was known also as ...

. In May 1919, Denikin reorganized the Armed Forces of South Russia.

Vladimir May-Mayevsky Vladimir Zenonovich May-Mayevsky KCMG (; – 30 November 1920) was a general in the Imperial Russian Army and one of the leaders of the counterrevolutionary White movement during the Russian Civil War. Biography According to Peter Kenez, V ...

took command of the Volunteer Army, known formerly as the Caucasian Volunteer Army. Sidorin took command of the Don army, while Wrangel took command of the Caucasian Army, consisting mainly of the Kuban Cossacks. The Caucasus Army disbanded on 29 January 1920 and was replaced by the short-lived Kuban Army. Troops of the Kuban Army ended up surrendering by 18–20 April 1920 to 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, afte ...

. The Volunteer Army continued to exist from 22 May 1919 until 26/27 March 1920, when the remaining troops were evacuated from Novorossiysk to

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a po ...

. Most then merged there with Wrangel's forces. In early April 1920,

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 ...

, commander-in-chief of the AFSR, delegated all authority to

Pyotr Wrangel Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel (russian: Пётр Никола́евич барон Вра́нгель, translit=Pëtr Nikoláevič Vrángel', p=ˈvranɡʲɪlʲ, german: Freiherr Peter Nikolaus von Wrangel; April 25, 1928), also known by his ni ...

, who took command of the so-called

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...

, which included all remaining units of the AFSR after its defeat in Northern Caucasus.

Order of Battle of the AFSR, early 1919

(known as Caucasian Volunteer Army from 23 January – 22 May 1919), commanded by Gen. Anton Denikin (April 1918 – April 1920) * 1st Army Corps (Gen. Kutepov) * 2nd Army Corps (Gen.

Mikhail Promtov Mikhail Nikolayevich Promtov (June 12, 1857 - 1950 or 1951) lieutenant general, artilleryman, one of the centenarians of the Imperial Russian Army, a participant in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), the Russo-Japanese War, commander of the World ...

) * 5th Cavalry Corps (Gen. Yuzefovich) * 3rd Kuban Cavalry Corps (Lt. Gen. Shkuro) * Kyiv Army Group (Gen. Bredov) Caucasus Army (split from Caucasian Volunteer Army on 22 May 1919), commanded by Lt. Gen.

(21 May – 8 December 1919) and Lt. Gen.

Viktor Pokrovsky Viktor Leonidovich Pokrovsky (russian: Покровский Виктор Леонидович) (1889 – 9 November 1922) was a Russian lieutenant general and one of the leaders of anti-communist counterrevolutionary White Army during Russian Civil ...

(9 December 1919 – 8 February 1920) * 1st Kuban Corps (Lt. Gen. Viktor Pokrovsky) * 2nd Kuban Corps (Gen. Ulaguy, later Gen. Nahumenko) * 4th Kuban Corps (Gen. Shatilov, later Gen. Toporkov) Don White Army

(joined AFSR on 23 February 1919), commanded by Gen.

Vladimir Sidorin Vladimir Ilyich Sidorin (russian: Владимир Ильич Сидорин; 3 February 1882 − 20 May 1943) was an officer in the Russian Imperial Army and Commander of the Don Army between February 1919 and April 1920 during the Russian Civil ...

(February 1919 and April 1920) * Northern Group (Starshina Semiletov) * Southern Group (Gen. S. Denisov) * Trans-Don (Zadonskaya) Group (Col. Bykadorov) Turkestan Army (formed on 22 January 1919), commanded by Ippolit Savitsky (April – July 1919), Aleksander Borovsky (July – October 1919) and Boris Kazanovich (October 1919 – February 1920). * Transcaspian Composite Inf. Division (Maj. Gen. Lazarev) * Turkestan Rifle Division (Maj. Gen. Litvinov) * Cavalry Division (Maj. Gen. Oraz-Khan Sedar)

Gallery

ApproxPositionsWWI-1919.png, Military map of March 1919 after the

Armistice of Mudros Concluded on 30 October 1918 and taking effect at noon the next day, the Armistice of Mudros ( tr, Mondros Mütarekesi) ended hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by ...

Denikin poster.jpg, Volunteer Army recruitment poster saying "Why are you not in the army?" Volunteer Army infantry company.jpg, Volunteer Army soldiers and officers next to a train in January 1918 Солдаты добровольческой армии у танка Генерал Дроздовский.jpg, Volunteer Army Mark V tank named "General Drozdovsky" in 1919 Bronepoezd Ed Rossia1.jpg, Volunteer Army armoured train "United Russia" on its way towards

Tsaritsyn Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

, June 1919 Народ встречает Деникина и ВСЮР в Царицыне.jpg, Local citizens welcome Denikin and officers to Tsaritsyn on 1 July 1919 Denikin and Wrangel in Tsaritsyn, 1919.png, Denikin and Wrangel during an AFSR parade in Tsaritsyn in July 1919 Mark V tank of the Don army 1919.jpg, Don Army troops and Major General Vladimir Sidorin (center) with a

Mark V Mark V or Mark 5 often refers to the fifth version of a product, frequently military hardware. "Mark", meaning "model" or "variant", can be abbreviated "Mk." Mark V or Mark 5 can specifically refer to: In technology In military and weaponry * B ...

tank in 1919 Austin21.jpg, Don Army

Austin Armoured Car The Austin Armoured Car was a British armoured car produced during the First World War. The vehicle is best known for its employment by the Imperial Russian Army in the First World War and by different forces in the Russian Civil War. In add ...

named "Ataman Bogayevsky" in 1919 2nd infantry division, Sochi 1919.jpg, AFSR 2nd Infantry Division soldiers in Sochi, 1919

Reference

Additional Reading

* Н.Е.Какурин, И.И.Вацетис "Гражданская война. 1918-1921" (N.E.Kakurin, I.I.Vacietis "Civil War. 1918-1921") - Sankt-Peterburg, "Polygon" Publishing House, 2002. {{DEFAULTSORT:Armed Forces Of South Russia Military history of Russia Military units and formations of White Russia (Russian Civil War) Counter-revolutionaries

Order of Battle of the AFSR, early 1919

Gallery

See also

Reference

Additional Reading