The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a
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 ...
active in
South Russia South Russia may refer:
* Southern Russia
* South Russia (1919–1920), a territory that existed during the Russian Civil War
** South Russian Government
** Government of South Russia
See also
* South Russian Ovcharka, a breed of sheepdog
* Sou ...
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 ...
from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against
Bolsheviks
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 ...
on the
Southern Front and the
Ukrainian War of Independence
The Ukrainian War of Independence was a series of conflicts involving many adversaries that lasted from 1917 to 1921 and resulted in the establishment and development of a Ukrainian republic, most of which was later absorbed into the Soviet U ...
. In 1919 it was made part 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 ...
, becoming the largest force of the
White movement until it was merged with 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 W ...
in March 1920.
History
Formation
The Volunteer Army began forming in November/December 1917 under the leadership of General
Mikhail Alekseyev
Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseyev (russian: Михаил Васильевич Алексеев) ( – ) was an Imperial Russian Army general during World War I and the Russian Civil War. Between 1915 and 1917 he served as Tsar Nicholas II's Ch ...
and General
Lavr Kornilov
Lavr Georgiyevich Kornilov (russian: Лавр Гео́ргиевич Корни́лов, ; – 13 April 1918) was a Russian military intelligence officer, explorer, and general in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and the ensuing Russ ...
in
Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as t ...
, shortly after 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 ...
began following the
October Revolution
The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key moment ...
. It organized to fight against the Bolsheviks in South Russia. Alekseyev and Kornilov enlisted supporters, which initially included volunteering
officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
,
cadet
A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
s, students, and
Cossacks
The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
. Of the first 3,000 recruits, only twelve were ordinary soldiers; the rest were officers, some of whom resented having to serve as
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
s.
On 31 December 1917, the an agreement was reached in
Novocherkassk
Novocherkassk (russian: Новочерка́сск, lit. ''New Cherkassk'') is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located near the confluence of the Tuzlov and Aksay Rivers, the latter a distributary of the Don River. Novocherkassk is best known as t ...
concerning the organization of the Volunteer Army. Alekseyev assumed responsibility for civil authority, foreign affairs and finances. Kornilov took command of the military, with
Alexander Lukomsky
Alexander Sergeyevich Lukomsky (10 July 1868 – 25 January 1939 in Paris) was a Russian military commander, General Staff, Lieutenant-General (April 1916). He fought for the Imperial Russian Army during the First World War and was one of th ...
as his
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
.
Kaledin
Aleksei Maksimovich Kaledin (russian: Алексе́й Макси́мович Каледи́н; 24 October 1861 – 11 February 1918) was a Don Cossack Cavalry General who led the Don Cossack White movement in the opening stages of the Russian C ...
maintained responsibility of the Don district government as their
Ataman
Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; Russian: атаман, uk, отаман) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military comman ...
.
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 ...
drafted their "constitution", while Kornilov formed three regiments under
Sergey Markov
Sergey Leonidovich Markov (russian: Серге́й Леони́дович Ма́рков) ( – June 25, 1918), was an Imperial Russian Army general, and became one of the founders of the Volunteer Army counterrevolutionary force of the White m ...
, Nezhintsev, and
Afrikan P. Bogaewsky, with a battalion under Borovskii. A council of political figures was formed to help raise money, communicate with foreign governments and other Russian anti-Bolshevik organizations. This council included M. M. Fedorov,
Peter Struve
Peter (or Pyotr or Petr) Berngardovich Struve (russian: Пётр Бернга́рдович Стру́ве; pronounced ; 26 January 1870 in Perm, Russia, Perm – 22 February 1944 in Paris) was a Russian Political economy, political economist, ph ...
,
Pavel Milyukov
Pavel Nikolayevich Milyukov ( rus, Па́вел Никола́евич Милюко́в, p=mʲɪlʲʊˈkof; 31 March 1943) was a Russian historian and liberal politician. Milyukov was the founder, leader, and the most prominent member of the Con ...
,
Mikhail Rodzianko
Mikhail Vladimirovich Rodzianko (russian: Михаи́л Влади́мирович Родзя́нко; uk, Михайло Володимирович Родзянко; 21 February 1859, Yekaterinoslav Governorate – 24 January 1924, Novo ...
, A. S. Beletskii, G. N. Trubetskoi, and
Boris Savinkov
Boris Viktorovich Savinkov (Russian: Бори́с Ви́кторович Са́винков; 31 January 1879 – 7 May 1925) was a Russian writer and revolutionary. As one of the leaders of the Fighting Organisation, the paramilitary win ...
.
On 4 October 1918, Denikin accepted the Constitution of the Volunteer Army. It included the formation of a Special Council that included
Abram Dragomirov
Abram Mikhailovich Dragomirov (russian: Абра́м Миха́йлович Драгоми́ров, tr. ; 9 December 1955) was a General in the Imperial Russian Army. Following the Russian Revolution he joined Anton Denikin in the Volunteer Army. ...
, Lukomsky, V. A. Lebedev, E. P. Shuberskii, I A. Geiman, A. A. Makarenko,
Anatoly Neratov
Anatoly Anatolyevich Neratov (Russian: Анатолий Анатольевич Нератов) (2 October 1863 in Russia – 10 April 1938 in Villejuif, France) was a Russian diplomat and an official of the Russian foreign ministry.Архив А ...
,
Sergey Sazonov
Sergei Dmitryevich Sazonov GCB (Russian: Сергей Дмитриевич Сазонов; 10 August 1860 in Ryazan Governorate 11 December 1927) was a Russian statesman and diplomat who served as Foreign Minister from November 1910 to July 1916. ...
, V. A. Stepanov, and A. S. Sannikov.
[
]
1918
In early February 1918, the Volunteer Army numbered more than 3,600 men. It fought against 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 ...
together with units of General Alexey Kaledin
Aleksei Maksimovich Kaledin (russian: Алексе́й Макси́мович Каледи́н; 24 October 1861 – 11 February 1918) was a Don Cossack Cavalry General who led the Don Cossack White movement in the opening stages of the Russian Ci ...
's forces.
First Kuban Campaign
On 23 February, the Red Army's advance forced the Volunteer Army to retreat from Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don ( rus, Ростов-на-Дону, r=Rostov-na-Donu, p=rɐˈstof nə dɐˈnu) is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East Eu ...
to Kuban
Kuban (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Кубань; ady, Пшызэ) is a historical and geographical region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Pontic–Caspian steppe, ...
in order to unite with the Kuban Cossack
Kuban Cossacks (russian: кубанские казаки, ''kubanskiye kаzaki''; uk, кубанські козаки, ''kubanski kozaky''), or Kubanians (russian: кубанцы, ; uk, кубанці, ), are Cossacks who live in the Kuban re ...
formations, a retreat known as the Ice March
The Ice March (Russian: Ледяной походъ), also called the First Kuban Campaign (Russian: Первый кубанскій походъ), a withdrawal (military), military withdrawal lasting from February to May 1918, was one of the d ...
. On 30 March 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 ...
's Kuban army joined the Volunteer Army, doubling its size. The Volunteer Army's attempt to capture Yekaterinodar
Krasnodar (; rus, Краснода́р, p=krəsnɐˈdar; ady, Краснодар), formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern ...
on 10 April ended with disaster, when Kornilov was killed by chance artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
shell on 13 April. Denikin took over command and led the Volunteer Army north to safety along the border of Stavropol, the Don, and the Kuban. The army established headquarters at the ''stanitsy'' Mechetinskaia and Egorlykskaia, and established contact with the Ataman
Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; Russian: атаман, uk, отаман) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military comman ...
Pyotr Krasnov
Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov ( rus, Пётр Николаевич Краснов; 22 September (old style: 10 September) 1869 – 17 January 1947), sometimes referred to in English as Peter Krasnov, was a Don Cossack historian and officer, promot ...
. Many of the Don Cossacks left to join Krasnov, including A. P. Bogaevskii. However, on 8 June, Mikhail Drozdovsky
Mikhail Gordeevich Drozdovsky (russian: Михаил Гордеевич Дроздовский; October 7, 1881 – January 1, 1919) was a Russian army officer and one of the military leaders of the anti-Bolshevik White movement during the Ru ...
's 2500 men united with the Volunteer Army. Denikin then organized three infantry divisions under Markov, Borovskii and Drozdovsky, with a cavalry division under Erdeli. The army now amounted to almost 10,000 soldiers.[
]
Second Kuban Campaign
On June 23, the Volunteer Army began the Kuban Offensive
The Kuban Offensive, also called the Second Kuban Campaign, was fought between the White and Red Armies during the Russian Civil War. The White Army achieved an important victory despite being numerically inferior in manpower and artillery.
It r ...
, successfully capturing Yekaterinodar on 16 August. Denikin then initated a draft amongst both the ''inorgorodnye'' and the Cossacks, which included all officers under the age of 40. Hence the Volunteer Army was a volunteer organization in name only. Yet, by the middle of September, it had grown to almost 40,000 soldiers, which included Andrei Shkuro
Andrei Grigoriyevich Shkuro (russian: Андре́й Григо́рьевич Шкуро́, Ukrainian: Андрій Григорович Шкуро; 19 January 1887 ( O.S.: 7 January) – 17 January 1947) was a Lieutenant General (1919) of the ...
's men.[
From 29 October until 20 November, Denikin and Drozdovsky fought off an attempt by the ]Taman Army
The Taman Army was an armed group within the Red Army, operating in the south of Russia during the Russian Civil War. It existed from August 27, 1918 to February 1919. The name derives from the Taman Peninsula, where the army was formed.
Formation ...
to take Stavropol
Stavropol (; rus, Ставрополь, p=ˈstavrəpəlʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Stavropol Krai, Russia. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 547,820, making it one of Russia's fastest growing cities.
It was known as ...
, during "Sorokin Sorokin (russian: Соро́кин), or Sorokina (feminine; Соро́кина), is a common Russian surname, derived from the Russian word ''soroka'' (сорока, or magpie). Those bearing it include the following:
* Aleksei Sorokin, Estonian ...
's adventure." The 11th Army never recovered. In early January, Denikin was able to eliminate the remaining Red Army remnants of the Soviet Republic of the Northern Caucasus.
1919
In January, 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 ...
was formed with Denikin in command, after the Volunteer Army united with 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 Novocher ...
. According to Peter Kenez
Peter Kenez (born as Péter Kenéz in 1937) is a historian specializing in Russian and Eastern European history and politics.
Life
Peter Kenez was born and grew up in Pesterzsébet, Budapest, Kingdom of Hungary . His father was arrested in March ...
, "The bulk of the Volunteer Army, which was fighting in the Northern Caucasus, became the Caucasuan Volunteer Army under the command of General Wrangel. Aside from the Caucasian Volunteer Army and the Don Army, Denikin's command also included the Crimean army and a volunteer unit in Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
.[
Following the defeat of the Bolsheviks in the Northern Caucasus, Denikin needed to strengthen the Don Basin by sending ]Andrei Shkuro
Andrei Grigoriyevich Shkuro (russian: Андре́й Григо́рьевич Шкуро́, Ukrainian: Андрій Григорович Шкуро; 19 January 1887 ( O.S.: 7 January) – 17 January 1947) was a Lieutenant General (1919) of the ...
and 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 ...
in support of 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. ...
during the Battle for the Donbas.[
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. 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 ...
took command of the Don army, while Wrangel took command of the Caucasian Army, consisting mainly of the Kuban Cossacks. After capturing the Donbas
The Donbas or Donbass (, ; uk, Донба́с ; russian: Донба́сс ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. Parts of the Donbas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the Russo-Ukrai ...
, 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; ) ...
, and Kharkov
Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. , Denikin issued his Moscow directive.[
In October, the Bolsheviks started their counteroffensive. According to Kenez, "After the defeats at Orel and Voronezh, the Whites ceased to be a direct threat to Moscow and to the survival of the Soviet regime." On 6 December, Denikin gave command of the Volunteer Army to Wrangel. Yet, "Wrangel was more interested in saving his reputation than in helping the cause he served." On 24 December, Denikin removed Wrangel from command of the Volunteer Army, and attached it to the Don Army. The Volunteer Army was now the Volunteer Corps.][
]
1920
In March 1920, the Volunteer Corps evacuated from Novorossiysk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
to the 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 pop ...
. The remnants of the Volunteer Army were reorganized under Wrangel into the First army corps, yet by November, Wrangel's forces were forced to evacuate the Crimea.[
]
Nomenclature timeline
The term "Volunteer Army" is often used as a shorthand description for all the White Russian forces in the South Russia area, the actual names of the formation are:
*From its inception until January 23, 1919, this formation was named the ''Volunteer Army''.
*From January 23, 1919, until May 22, 1919, this formation was named the ''Caucasus Volunteer Army''.
*On May 22, 1919, this formation was split into two formations:
**''Caucasus Army'', disbanded on January 29, 1920 and replaced by the ''Kuban Army'', the remnants of which surrendered on April 18–20, 1920.
**''Volunteer Army'', the remnants of which were evacuated March 26/27, 1920.
See also
* White movement
* West Russian Volunteer Army
The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War in 1918–20.
History
The Western Russian Volunteer Army, unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army, was supp ...
* 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 ...
* Russian Liberation Movement
The Russian Liberation Movement (russian: Русское Освободительное Движение) was a movement in the Soviet Union that sought to create an anti-communist armed force during the Second World War that would topple Joseph ...
* Russian Liberation Army
The Russian Liberation Army; russian: Русская освободительная армия, ', abbreviated as (), also known as the Vlasov army after its commander Andrey Vlasov, was a collaborationist formation, primarily composed of Rus ...
* Russian Corps
The Russian Protective Corps (german: Russisches Schutzkorps, russian: Русский охранный корпус, sr, Руски заштитни корпус / Ruski zaštitni korpus) was an armed force composed of anti-communist White Russi ...
* Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War or Allied Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War consisted of a series of multi-national military expeditions which began in 1918. The Allies first had the goal of helping the Czechoslovak Leg ...
References
External links
Anti-Bolshevik Russia in pictures
Volunteer Corpus
{{Authority control
Military units and formations of White Russia (Russian Civil War)