The Caspian-Caucasian Front () was a

front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

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 ...

, formed on 8 December 1918 as a branch of the Southern Front. The Front was disbanded on 13 March 1919 and the troops transferred to form a separate 11th Army.

Operations

The Caspian-Caucasian Front covered the Lower Volga, the Northern and Western coasts of the Caspian Sea and the Northern Caucasus. The Front headquarters were located in Astrakhan. The task of the Front was to have the 11th Army continue the offensive against the Armavir -

Tikhoretsk Tikhoretsk (russian: Тихоре́цк) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the administrative center of the Tikhoretsky urban settlement and the Tikhoretsky District of the Krasnodar Territory. Population: 57,098 (2020), Administrative ...

line held by the White troops of

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 ...

, while the 12th Army was to launch an offensive against Petrovsk -

Derbent Derbent (russian: Дербе́нт; lez, Кьвевар, Цал; az, Дәрбәнд, italic=no, Dərbənd; av, Дербенд; fa, دربند), formerly romanized as Derbend, is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea. It is ...

. The troops of the 11th Army were not able to carry out the assigned tasks, as they were opposed by considerable enemy forces. The 12th Army was also forced to conduct defensive battles in the districts of

Kizlyar Kizlyar (russian: Кизля́р; av, Гъизляр; kum, Къызлар, ''Qızlar'') is a town in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the border with the Chechen Republic in the delta of the Terek River northwest of Makhachkala, ...

and west of Guryev. In January 1919, the troops of the 11th Army were defeated in 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 ...

and in February they retreated over the

Manych River The Manych (russian: Маныч) is a river in the Black Sea–Caspian Steppe of Southern Russia. It flows through the western and central part of the Kuma–Manych Depression. In ancient times, it was known as the Lik. A tributary of the Don, it ...

into the region of Astrakhan. On February 4, 1919, the ''Stavropol Front'' was created to defend Astrakhan. In February 1919, the troops of the Front managed to secure Astrakhan and the mouth of the Volga and to prevent the union of Denikin's troops with the Ural white Cossacks. The Front was disbanded on 13 March 1919.

Composition

* 11th Army * 12th Army *

Astrakhan-Caspian Military Flotilla The Astrakhan-Caspian Military Flotilla (russian: Астрахано-Каспийская военная флотилия) was formed by the Bolsheviks in October 1918 for the purpose of defending the Lower Volga and northern parts of the Caspian ...

Commanders

Commander : *

Mikhail Svechnikov Mikhail Stepanovich Svechnikov (30 September 1882 – 26 August 1938) was a Russian military officer in the Imperial Russian Army and the Red Army. He is best known as one of the military leaders of the Red Guards in the 1918 Finnish Civil War. C ...

(December 1918 - March 1919) Chief of Staff : * E.A. Nicolic Members of the Revolutionary Military Council: *

Sergei Sachs Sergius is a male given name of Ancient Roman origin after the name of the Latin ''gens'' Sergia or Sergii of regal and republican ages. It is a common Christian name, in honor of Saint Sergius, or in Russia, of Saint Sergius of Radonezh, and ...

Alexander Shliapnikov Alexander Gavrilovich Shliapnikov (russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Гаври́лович Шля́пников) (August 30, 1885 – September 2, 1937) was a Russian communist revolutionary, metalworker, and trade union leader. He is best ...

Konstantin Mekhonoshin Konstantin Aleksandrovich Mekhonoshin (russian: Константин Александрович Мехоношин; 7 May, 1938) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Soviet military figure and politician. Life and career He was born in the se ...

* N.A.Anisimov

Source

* {{Soviet fronts of the Russian Civil War Soviet units and formations of the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1918 Military units and formations disestablished in 1919 Soviet fronts