The Southern 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 twice.
The front was first formed in September 1918, fighting against the
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
Don Cossacks and 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 ...
in southeastern Russia. It advanced into the
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
in January 1919, but was forced to retreat from eastern Ukraine by an attack 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 ...
(AFSR) in May and June. The Southern Front then retreated in the face of the latter's
Moscow offensive, launching a counterattack in August that advanced into northeastern Ukraine and to the
Don River
The Don ( rus, Дон, p=don) is the fifth-longest river in Europe. Flowing from Central Russia to the Sea of Azov in Southern Russia, it is one of Russia's largest rivers and played an important role for traders from the Byzantine Empire.
Its ...
. With its rear disrupted by White cavalry raids, the front retreated north in September and early October, moving as far as
Orel. In October the front launched a counteroffensive, defeating the AFSR, leading to the latter's precipitate retreat to the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
by early January. The front was redesignated the
Southwestern Front on January 10, 1920, at the beginning of the Red advance into the North Caucasus.
The front was formed for a second time in September 1920, with troops transferred from the Southwestern Front. It fought in the defeat of
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 ...
's
Russian Army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...
in
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 ...
, forcing the evacuation of the latter in November with the
Perekop–Chongar operation. The front was disbanded in December, reorganized into the
Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Crimea.
1st formation
Formation
The Southern Front was first formed by an order of the
Revolutionary Military Council on 11 September 1918, which replaced the Red Army's organization into
screens
Screen or Screens may refer to:
Arts
* Screen printing (also called ''silkscreening''), a method of printing
* Big screen, a nickname associated with the motion picture industry
* Split screen (filmmaking), a film composition paradigm in which m ...
with fronts, under the command of
Pavel Sytin
Pavel Pavlovich Sytin (russian: Павел Павлович Сытин) (30 July .S. 18 July1870 Skopin – 22 August 1938 Moscow) was a Russian and Soviet military leader who reached the rank of major general in the Imperial Russian Army. He fo ...
. It included all troops previously part of the
Bryansk
Bryansk ( rus, Брянск, p=brʲansk) is a city and the administrative center of Bryansk Oblast, Russia, situated on the River Desna, southwest of Moscow. Population:
Geography Urban layout
The location of the settlement was originally ass ...
and
Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
areas of the Western Screen, the
Voronezh
Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
,
Povorino
Povorino (russian: Пово́рино) is a town and the administrative center of Povorinsky District in the east of Voronezh Oblast, Russia. Population:
History
It emerged as a settlement around the eponymous railway station in 1870 and was gra ...
, and
Balashov-
Kamyshin
Kamyshin (russian: Камы́шин) is a city in Volgograd Oblast, Russia, located on the right bank of the Volgograd Reservoir of the Volga River, in the estuary of the Kamyshinka River. Its population was Past populations for Kamyshin include ...
areas of the Southern Screen, the
Red Army of the North Caucasus, and the
Astrakhan Group of Forces. It is referred to in some sources as the Southern Front against Krasnov and Denikin to distinguish it from the front's 2nd formation. The front headquarters was formed from units of the Southern Screen headquarters and its Military Council from the Military Council of the North Caucasus. It was initially based at
Kozlov. When it was first formed, the front was tasked with maintaining the demarcation line between the Red Army and Austro-German troops in Ukraine, and fighting
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 ...
's
Don Cossack Host
Don Cossacks (russian: Донские казаки, Donskie kazaki) or Donians (russian: донцы, dontsy) are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (russian: До ...
and
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 ...
's
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 ...
in southeastern Russia. On 3 October, the front's sector was divided into five areas, which were reorganized as
*
8th Army : from the Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh regions of screen forces, on the Yevstratovka and
Kalach directions,
*
9th Army : units on the Povorino and Balashov directions,
*
10th Army : units on the Kamyshin and
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; ) ...
directions,
*
11th Army : units of the Western region of the North Caucasus,
*
12th Army : units of the Eastern region of the North Caucasus, when the Red Army formed numbered
field armies
A field army (or numbered army or simply army) is a military formation in many armed forces, composed of two or more corps and may be subordinate to an army group. Likewise, air armies are equivalent formation within some air forces, and with ...
.
Tsaritsyn and advance into the North Caucasus
Between September and November, it defended against Don Cossack attacks on Tsaritsyn and Kamyshin, in the area of the Povorino-Tsaritsyn railway, and towards
Voronezh
Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
. Due to the 11th and 12th Armies in the North Caucasus being cut off by White advances from the rest of the front, on 2 November, the two armies were subordinated to the Caspian-Caucasian Section of the Southern Front. It launched a failed offensive in November, which resulted in the replacement of Sytin with
Latvian Rifleman Pēteris Slavens on 9 November. On 8 December, the Caspian-Caucasian Section became the independent
Caspian-Caucasian Front.
The Group of Forces on the Kursk direction, formed on 18 November, was subordinated to the front on 19 December. The front achieved success in a
January 1919 offensive against 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 ...
, advancing along the Tsaritsyn-
Velikoknyazheskaya railway and reaching the
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
. On 24 January,
Vladimir Gittis
Vladimir Mikhailovich Gittis (Russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Ги́ттис; 24 June 1881 – 22 August 1938) was a Soviet military commander and komkor. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going o ...
replaced Slavens. The Group of Forces on the Kursk direction was renamed the Donetsk Group of Forces on 15 February, and was expanded into the
13th Army on 5 March.
On 13 March, the
Don River Flotilla was operationally subordinated the front, remaining with it until its disbandment on 28 June. Between March and June, the front fought to suppress the
Vyoshenskaya uprising
The Vyoshenskaya Uprising (or Upper Don rebellion) (March 11 - June 8, 1919) was an uprising of the Don Cossacks during the Russian Civil War led by Pavel Kudinov against the Bolsheviks, which had occupied the Upper Don district in January–Ma ...
of the Don Cossacks in
stanitsa
A stanitsa ( rus, станица, p=stɐˈnʲitsə; uk, станиця, stanytsya) is a village inside a Cossack host ( uk, військо, viys’ko; russian: казачье войско, kazach’ye voysko, sometimes translated as "Cossack Arm ...
s on the Upper Don. By April, it had taken
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 ...
, crossed 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 ...
, and advanced towards
Bataysk and
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 ...
. On 27 April the
2nd Ukrainian Soviet Army joined the front; it became the
14th Army on 4 June.
Retreat from Ukraine
In May, 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 ...
(AFSR)
launched an offensive, which forced the front to retreat from the
Don Host Oblast
The Province (Oblast) of the Don Cossack Host (, ''Oblast’ Voyska Donskogo'') of Imperial Russia was the official name of the territory of Don Cossacks, coinciding approximately with the present-day Rostov Oblast of Russia. Its site of admini ...
, the
Donbass
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 ...
,
Kharkov
Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. ,
Belgorod
Belgorod ( rus, Белгород, p=ˈbʲeɫɡərət) is a city and the administrative center of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Seversky Donets River north of the border with Ukraine. Population: Demographics
The population of Be ...
, Balashov and Tsaritsyn.
On 21 May, the 11th Separate Army and
Astrakhan-Caspian Flotilla were subordinated to the front; the former disbanded on 4 June with its
34th Rifle Division and
7th Cavalry Division being transferred to the 10th Army. Between 8 June and 10 January 1920, the
Orel Military District
The Orel Military District ( rus, Орловский военный округ (ОрВО), r=Orlovskiy voyennyy okrug (OrVO), p=) was a military district of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union. Established in 1918 ...
was operationally subordinated to the front.
On 17 June, the
Special Corps was subordinated to the front. It had been formed on 10 June as the Separate Expeditionary Corps from troops assigned to suppress the
Vyoshenskaya uprising
The Vyoshenskaya Uprising (or Upper Don rebellion) (March 11 - June 8, 1919) was an uprising of the Don Cossacks during the Russian Civil War led by Pavel Kudinov against the Bolsheviks, which had occupied the Upper Don district in January–Ma ...
, but was disbanded on 1 July.
On 28 June, the Ukrainian Group of Forces was formed from the
12th Army (2nd formation, transferred from the
Western Front) and
14th Army, as well as the troops of the
Kharkov Military District The Kharkov Military District () was a military district of the Russian Empire, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the Soviet Union. Throughout its history, the district headquarters was located in the city of Kharkov in northeast ...
military commissariat for combat on the left bank of the
Dnieper
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
. It was led by the 12th Army commander Nikolai Semyonov. After the army was transferred on 26 July, the group was dissolved.
Fighting the Moscow offensive
On 13 July, Gittis was replaced by
Vladimir Yegoryev
Vladimir Nikolayevich Yegoryev (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Его́рьев; March 16, 1869 – September 20, 1948) was a military commander and military expert of the Russian Empire, Russian SFSR, and Soviet Uni ...
. On 23 July, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic ordered that the 9th and 10th Armies become a shock group directly subordinated to him for the main attack against the AFSR towards
Rostov
Rostov ( rus, Росто́в, p=rɐˈstof) is a town in Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, one of the oldest in the country and a tourist center of the Golden Ring. It is located on the shores of Lake Nero, northeast of Moscow. Population:
While t ...
and
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 ...
. However, on 27 July, the group, renamed the Special Group and commanded by
Vasily Shorin
Vasily Ivanovich Shorin (russian: Василий Иванович Шорин; 26 December 1870 January 1871 Kalyazin ''–'' 29 June 1938, Leningrad) was a Soviet military commander, who commanded several military units of the Red Army during th ...
, was operationally subordinated to the front. The front then retreated in the face of Denikin's
Moscow offensive, relinquishing
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
,
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 ...
,
Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
,
Voronezh
Voronezh ( rus, links=no, Воро́неж, p=vɐˈronʲɪʂ}) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the ...
, and Orel between August and October. In August, the front headquarters moved to Orel. By orders of 5 and 13 August, a group under the command of
Vladimir Selivachyov, named after its commander, was formed from troops of the
8th
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
In mathematics
8 is:
* a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2.
* a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...
and
13th Armies and the Voronezh
Fortified Region
A fortified district or fortified region (russian: Укреплённый район, Укрепрайон, ukreplyonny raion, ukrepraion) in the military terminology of the Soviet Union, is a territory within which a complex system of defense fo ...
for the secondary attack against the AFSR towards Kharkov. Between 14 August and 12 September, the front launched a counterattack known as the
August counteroffensive of the Southern Front utilizing the Special Group and the Selivachyov Group. Its forces attacked towards Kharkov, capturing
Biryuch
Biryuch (russian: Бирю́ч) is a town and the administrative center of Krasnogvardeysky District in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Tikhaya Sosna River. Its population was .
It was previously known as ''Biryuchenskoye K ...
,
Valuyki,
Volchansk,
Kupyansk
Kupiansk ( uk, Куп'янськ, ) is a city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Kupiansk Raion. It is also an important railroad junction for the oblast. Kupiansk hosts the administrative offices of Kupiansk Ur ...
, and
Pavlovsk, reaching the Don and
Khopyor River
The Khopyor (, also transliterated as Khoper) is a river in European Russia, the biggest left tributary of the river Don.[Х ...]
s, and defended in the area of Tsaritsyn and Kamyshin.
However, the
raids of Don Cossack cavalry commanders
Konstantin Mamontov
Konstantin Konstantinovich Mamontov (; 16 October 1869 – 14 February 1920) was a Russian military commander and famous general of the Don Cossacks, who fought in the White Army during the Russian Civil War.
Biography
Mamontov was born in 186 ...
and
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 ...
disrupted the front's rear, and through September and early October the front retreated to the north again, giving up Kursk,
Livny
Livny (russian: Ливны, p=ˈlʲivnɨ) is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia. As of 2018, it had a population of 47,221. :ru:Ливны#cite note-2018AA-3
History
The town is believed to have originated in 1586 as Ust-Livny, a wooden fort on th ...
,
Kromy
Kromy (russian: Кромы) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
* Kromy, Oryol Oblast, an urban-type settlement in Kromskoy District of Oryol Oblast
;Rural localities
* Kromy, Ivanovo Oblast, a '' selo'' in ...
, and Orel. By late September Group Selivachyov had ceased to exist under the pressure of the White advance. The front headquarters relocated north to Tula during the month due to the AFSR advance. The
9th
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and
10th Armies, still part of the Special Group of the front, became the basis of the new
Southeastern Front The Southeastern Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II.
It was formed on August 5, 1942, out of parts of the Stalingrad Front, using the command elements from the First Tank Army and the disbanded Southern Front. The front's mai ...
on 30 September.
On 1 October, the Outer Southern Defense Region was created by the front, uniting the Yelets, Kozlov, and Tambov Fortified Regions to defend the southern approaches to Moscow in the
Orel Governorate
Oryol Governorate (russian: Орловская губерния, ''Orlovskaya guberniya'') or the Government of Oryol, was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire and the early Russian SFSR, which existed from 1796 to 1 ...
and parts of the
Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
,
Tambov
Tambov (, ; rus, Тамбов, p=tɐmˈbof) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative center of Tambov Oblast, Central Federal District, central Russia, at the confluence of the Tsna River (Moksha basin), Tsna and ...
and
Chernigov Governorate
The Chernigov Governorate (russian: Черниговская губерния; translit.: ''Chernigovskaya guberniya''; ), also known as the Government of Chernigov, was a guberniya in the historical Left-bank Ukraine region of the Russian ...
s. During the month, the front headquarters relocated to
Sergiyevsk, and then
Serpukhov
Serpukhov ( rus, Серпухов, p=ˈsʲɛrpʊxəf) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Oka and the Nara Rivers, south from Moscow ( from Moscow Ring Road) on the Moscow—Simferopol highway. The Moscow— T ...
, ahead of the White advance.
Semyon Budyonny
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonnyy ( rus, Семён Миха́йлович Будённый, Semyon Mikháylovich Budyonnyy, p=sʲɪˈmʲɵn mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ bʊˈdʲɵnːɨj, a=ru-Simeon Budyonniy.ogg; – 26 October 1973) was a Russian ca ...
's Cavalry Corps was transferred to the front's
10th Army on 7 October.
Defeat of the Armed Forces of South Russia
On 11 October, it commenced a
counteroffensive
In the study of military tactics, a counter-offensive is a large-scale strategic offensive military operation, usually by forces that had successfully halted the enemy's offensive, while occupying defensive positions.
The counter-offensive i ...
, with the
Orel–Kursk operation
The Orel–Kursk operation (known in Soviet historiography as the Orel–Kromy operation) was an offensive conducted by the Southern Front of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic's Red Army against the White Armed Forces of South Rus ...
and
Voronezh–Kastornoye operation.
Alexander Yegorov took command of the front for the counteroffensive, and led it for the rest of its existence. During the Orel–Kursk operation between 11 October and 18 November, the front's forces recaptured Kromy, Orel,
Fatezh
Fatezh (russian: Фате́ж) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town and the administrative center of Fatezhsky District in Kursk Oblast, Russia, located on thUsozha River north of Kursk, the administrative center of the oblast. Popul ...
,
Sevsk Sevsk (russian: Севск) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
*Sevsk, Bryansk Oblast, a town in Sevsky District of Bryansk Oblast;
;Rural localities
* Sevsk, Kemerovo Oblast, a settlement in Burlakovskaya R ...
,
Lgov,
Dmitriyev
Dmitriyev or Dmitriev (russian: Дми́триев) is a common Russian surname that is derived from the male given name Dmitry and literally means ''Dmitry's''. It may refer to:
* Aleksandr Dmitriyev (conductor) (born 1935), Russian conductor
* Al ...
, and Kursk. The Voronezh–Kastornoye operation between 13 October and 16 November retook Voronezh,
Liski, and
Kastornoye
Kastornoye (russian: Кастóрное) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Kastorensky District of Kursk Oblast, Russia. Population: Telephone code: +7 47157; postal code: 306700.
It was first ...
. The front's counteroffensive forced the AFSR into a headlong retreat. The
12th Army rejoined the front on 16 October. On 25 October, with the defeat of the AFSR, the Outer Southern Defense Region was disbanded and its troops used to form the
61st Rifle Division. The Cavalry Corps was redesignated the 1st Cavalry Corps of the front on 30 October, and became the
1st Cavalry Army on 17 November.
Advancing in tandem with the
Southeastern Front The Southeastern Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II.
It was formed on August 5, 1942, out of parts of the Stalingrad Front, using the command elements from the First Tank Army and the disbanded Southern Front. The front's mai ...
from November, the Southern Front fought in the
Kharkov operation between 24 November and 12 December, capturing
Stary Oskol
Stary Oskol ( rus, Старый Оскол, p=ˈstarɨj ɐˈskol) is a city in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Moscow. Population: It is called Stary Oskol (Old Oskol) to distinguish it from Novy Oskol (New Oskol) 60 km south. Bo ...
,
Novy Oskol
Novy Oskol (russian: Но́вый Оско́л) is a town and the administrative center of Novooskolsky District in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, northeast of Belgorod, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: It is called Novy Oskol (N ...
,
Sumy
Sumy ( uk, Суми ) is a city of regional significance in Ukraine, and the capital of Sumy Oblast. The city is situated on the banks of the Psel River in northeastern Ukraine with a population of according to the 2021 census, making it the 2 ...
, Biryuch,
Volchansk, Valuyki, Kupyansk, Belgorod, Kharkov, and Pavlovsk. In the
Donbass operation, it crossed the
Seversky Donets
The Seversky Donets () or Siverskyi Donets (), usually simply called the Donets, is a river on the south of the East European Plain. It originates in the Central Russian Upland, north of Belgorod, flows south-east through Ukraine (Kharkiv, Done ...
, capturing
Izyum
Izium or Izyum ( uk, Ізюм, ; russian: Изюм) is a city on the Donets River in Kharkiv Oblast ( province) of eastern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Izium Raion (district). Izium hosts the administration of Izium urban ...
,
Slavyansk,
Bakhmut
Bakhmut ( uk, Ба́хмут, ) is a city in the Donbas and the administrative centre of Bakhmut Raion in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the Bakhmutka River, about 89 km north of Donetsk city, the administrative center of the o ...
,
Debaltsevo,
Gorlovka
Horlivka ( , ; uk, Го́рлівка ), or Gorlovka (russian: link=no, Горловка ), is a city of regional significance in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.
In 2001, the city's population was 292,000, and it was estimated as Economic activi ...
,
Ilovaysk
Ilovaisk (, ; ) is a city in Khartsyzk municipality, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The city is ''de facto'' under the military occupation of Russia and administered by the Donetsk People's Republic.
The city is known as a major regional railroad h ...
,
Konstantinovka,
Lugansk
Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...
, and
Mariupol
Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
. The front pushed the Armed Forces of South Russia back to the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
and
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
by early 1920, and moved its headquarters forward to Kursk in early January. Its troops inflicted heavy losses on the Armed Forces of South Russia, and fought in the
Rostov–Novocherkassk Operation between 3 and 10 January, capturing
Taganrog
Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population:
History of Taganrog
The ...
,
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 ...
, Rostov-on-Don, and
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 ...
, reaching 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, ...
. It was redesignated as the
Southwestern Front on 10 January 1920, with the 1st Cavalry and 8th Armies transferred to the Southeastern Front, and the 12th, 13th, and 14th Armies remaining with the Southwestern Front.
Commanders
*
Pavel Sytin
Pavel Pavlovich Sytin (russian: Павел Павлович Сытин) (30 July .S. 18 July1870 Skopin – 22 August 1938 Moscow) was a Russian and Soviet military leader who reached the rank of major general in the Imperial Russian Army. He fo ...
: 11.09.1918 — 09.11.1918
*
Pēteris Slavens : 09.11.1918 — 24.01.1919
*
Vladimir Gittis
Vladimir Mikhailovich Gittis (Russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Ги́ттис; 24 June 1881 – 22 August 1938) was a Soviet military commander and komkor. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going o ...
: 24.01.1919 — 13.07.1919
*
Vladimir Yegoryev
Vladimir Nikolayevich Yegoryev (russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Его́рьев; March 16, 1869 – September 20, 1948) was a military commander and military expert of the Russian Empire, Russian SFSR, and Soviet Uni ...
13.07.1919 — 11.10.1919
*
Alexander Yegorov : 11.10.1919 — 10.01.1920
2nd formation
The second formation of the Southern Front was formed by an order of the Revolutionary Military Council on 21 September 1920, with its headquarters at Kharkov. Under the command of
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 ...
for the duration of its existence, the front is referred to in some sources as the Southern Front against Wrangel to distinguish it from the 1st formation. It was tasked with fighting
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 ...
's
Russian Army
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска В Sukhoputnyye voyska V, also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the Army, land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Gro ...
, which had advanced out of
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 ...
into the
Northern Taurida
Kherson Oblast ( uk, Херсо́нська о́бласть, translit=Khersónsʹka óblastʹ, ), also known as Khersonshchyna ( uk, Херсо́нщина, ), is an oblast (province) in southern Ukraine, currently claimed and partly occupied ...
. From its formation, the front included the
6th and 13th Armies and the
2nd Cavalry Army, which were transferred from the Southwestern Front. It also included the
Kremenchug
Kremenchuk (; uk, Кременчу́к, Kremenchuk ) is an industrial city in central Ukraine which stands on the banks of the Dnipro river, Dnipro River. The city serves as the Capital city, administrative center of the Kremenchuk Raion (Raio ...
,
Yekaterinoslav
Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...
, and Primorsky Fortified Regions, the last responsible for defending the Black Sea coast. A key role in front operations was played by
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 ...
's anarchist
Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine
The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine ( uk, Революційна Повстанська Армія України), also known as the Black Army or as Makhnovtsi ( uk, Махновці), named after their leader Nestor Makhno, was a ...
.
![Kahovka_English_tank](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Kahovka_English_tank.jpg)
In September and October, the front fought against the Russian Army in northern Taurida, repulsing its attacks towards the Donbass,
Nikopol and
Aleksandrovsk, which aimed at creating a bridgehead on the
Dnieper
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
's right bank. The troops of the front held the
Kakhovka bridgehead
The Northern Taurida operation (6 June – 3 November 1920) was a military campaign of the Russian Civil War between the Red Army and the Wrangel Russian Army for the possession of Northern Taurida. The campaign can be divided into 3 stages: the ...
on the river's left bank. On 21 October, the 1st Cavalry Army was transferred to the front from the reserve of the Commander-in-Chief, and the
4th Army was formed by the front. In a
counteroffensive in northern Taurida between 28 October and 3 November, the front's troops advanced out of the Kakhovka bridgehead, capturing
Perekop
Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. ...
,
Henichesk
Henichesk ( uk, Гені́чеськ, Heniches’k, ; rus, links=on, Гени́ческ, r=Genichesk, p=ɡʲɪˈnʲit͡ɕɪsk) is a port city along the Sea of Azov in the Kherson Oblast of southern Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre ...
,
Agayman,
Melitopol
Melitopol ( uk, Меліто́поль, translit=Melitópol’, ; russian: Мелитополь; based on el, Μελιτόπολις - "honey city") is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Zaporizhz ...
,
Nizhniye Serogozy,
Salkovo, and
Chongar
''The article's name is transliterated in accordance to the official and academical romanization of Ukrainian.''
Chonhar ( uk, Чонгар), transliterated sometimes as Chongar, is a village in Henichesk Raion, Kherson Oblast, which is located ...
.
![Perekop–Chongar operation Soviet plan map-en](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Perekop%E2%80%93Chongar_operation_Soviet_plan_map-en.svg)
During the
Perekop–Chongar operation between 7 and 17 November it broke through Russian Army defenses on the
Isthmus of Perekop
The Isthmus of Perekop, literally Isthmus of the Trench ( uk, Перекопський перешийок; transliteration: ''Perekops'kyy pereshyyok''; russian: Перекопский перешеек; transliteration: ''Perekopskiy peresheek ...
, crossing the Sivash and capturing the
Lithuanian peninsula, the fortified Turkish Wall, Yushun, and Chongar positions. After breaking through at Perekop, the front advanced into Crimea, capturing
Simferopol
Simferopol () is the second-largest city in the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula. The city, along with the rest of Crimea, is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, and is considered the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. However, ...
,
Feodosiya
uk, Феодосія, Теодосія crh, Kefe
, official_name = ()
, settlement_type=
, image_skyline = THEODOSIA 01.jpg
, imagesize = 250px
, image_caption = Genoese fortress of Caffa
, image_shield = Fe ...
,
Sevastopol
Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...
,
Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
, and
Yalta
Yalta (: Я́лта) is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crimea ...
, forcing the Russian Army to evacuate. On 12 November the 13th Army was disbanded and its troops merged with the 4th Army. The 2nd Cavalry Army was reduced to a corps on 6 December. On 10 December, in accordance with an order of 3 December, the front headquarters was reorganized into the headquarters of the Commander of the
Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Crimea, with the 4th, 6th, and 1st Cavalry Armies.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{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 1920
Soviet fronts