The Southwestern 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 ...

and the Polish-Soviet War, which existed between January 10, 1920, and December 5, 1920. Before January 1920, it was named the Southern Front.

Operations

In January–February 1920, the Front forces, pursuing the retreating White forces 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 ...

, successfully conducted the Odessa operation and occupied Odessa on February 7. By March 1 the Front reached the line Mozyr-Ovruch-Korosten-Letichev-Dniester River, but attempts to seize the Crimea, defended by the White Army under the command of General

Yakov Slashchov Yakov Aleksandrovich Slashchov ( Russian: Яков Александрович Слащёв; 10 January 1886 – 11 January 1929) was a leading commander of Baron Wrangel's Crimean army who reconciled to the Soviets and returned from Constanti ...

, ended unsuccessfully. Then the Front troops acted on two strategic directions : the Western against Poland, and the Crimean against the Army of Wrangel. In April-May 1920, countering the advancing Polish troops, they left Mozyr, Ovruch, Korosten, Kiev and moved to the left bank of the Dnieper. In May and June, they launched a counteroffensive and successfully conducted the Kiev operation, after which they continued their pursuit of the enemy in the zone from

Polesia Polesia, Polesie, or Polesye, uk, Полісся (Polissia), pl, Polesie, russian: Полесье (Polesye) is a natural and historical region that starts from the farthest edge of Central Europe and encompasses Eastern Europe, including East ...

to the Dniester. in June-July, during the

Novohrad-Volynskyi Zviahel (, ; translit. ''Zvil'') is a city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. Originally known as ''Zviahel'', the city was renamed to ''Novohrad-Volynskyi'' () in 1795 after annexation of territories of Polish–Lithuanian ...

and

Rivne Rivne (; uk, Рівне ),) also known as Rovno (Russian: Ровно; Polish: Równe; Yiddish: ראָוונע), is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast (province), as well as the surrounding Rivne Raio ...

operations, the Front troops defeated the Polish and reached the approaches to Lublin and Lvov, but they could not seize Lvov and in August 1920 they were forced to retreat. The troops of the Front also fought the armed detachments of Bulak-Balakhovich, Petlyura 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 October 18, after the conclusion of the Truce with Poland, the Front's operations were stopped and the troops withdrew behind the state border. On the Crimean front, in June–July, under the pressure of Wrangel's army the Front forces withdrew to the right bank of the Dnieper and conducted defensive battles on the Kherson-Nikopol-

Tokmak Tokmak may refer to one of the following: * Tokmak, Ukraine, a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine *Tokmak, Uzbekistan, a city in Uzbekistan *Tokmok, a city in Kyrgyzstan, often also spelt Tokmak *Molochna The Molochna (, russian: Моло́чн ...

-Berdyansk line. In August, they launched an offensive and occupied 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 ...

.
In September, the enemy succeeded in pushing back the troops of the left wing of the 13th Army, and in occupying Alexandrovsk, Orekhov and Sinelnikovo, creating a threat to the Donbas Region. In September 1920, the Crimean section of the South-Western Front was separated into an independent Southern Front (2nd formation). The Front was disbanded on December 5, 1920, and the Front Administration merged with the Administration of the

Kiev Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exis ...

, to which all the front troops became subordinated.

Composition

* 12th Army (10.01.1920 - 13.08.1920 and 27.09.1920 - 25.12.1920), * 13th Army (10.01.1920 - 21.09.1920), * 14th Army (10.01.1920 - 31.12.1920), * 1st Cavalry Army (01.04.1920 - 14.08.1920), * 2nd Cavalry Army (16.07.1920 - 25.09.1920), * 6th Army (08.09.1920 - 26.09.1920), * Ukrainian Labor Army (30.01.1920 - 25.09.1920), * Gomel

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 ...

(25.02.1920 - 17.03.1920), * Fastov Group (

Iona Yakir Iona Emmanuilovich Yakir (russian: Ио́на Эммануи́лович Яки́р; 3 August 1896 – 12 June 1937) was a Red Army commander and one of the world's major military reformers between World War I and World War II. He was an ear ...

) (19.05.1920 - 13.06.1920)

Commanders

Commander : * Alexander Yegorov Chief of Staff : * Nikolai Petin Members of the Revolutionary Military Council: *

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

Reingold Berzin Reingold is a name. Notable people with the name include: Last name * Arvin Reingold (1930-2020), American lawyer and politician * Babs Reingold, American artist * David Reingold (born 1968), American sociologist * Edward Reingold (born 1945) ...

Leonid Serebryakov Leonid Petrovich Serebryakov (russian: Леонид Петрович Серебряков) (11 June 1890 – 1 February 1937) was a Russian Soviet politician and Bolshevik who became a victim of the Great Purge. Early life Born at Samara, the son ...

* Miron Vladimirov *

Christian Rakovsky Christian Georgievich Rakovsky (russian: Христиа́н Гео́ргиевич Рако́вский; bg, Кръстьо Георги́ев Рако́вски; – September 11, 1941) was a Bulgarian-born socialist revolutionary, a Bolshevi ...

Sergey Ivanovich Gusev Sergei Ivanovich Gusev (AKA "Gussev") (Russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Гу́сев) (real name - Yakov Davidovich Drabkin: Russian — Я́ков Дави́дович Дра́бкин) (1 January 1874 – 10 June 1933) was a Russian re ...

Semyon Aralov Semyon Ivanovich Aralov (russian: Семён Иванович Аралов; 18 December 1880 – 22 May 1969) was a Russian revolutionary, military commander and Soviet statesman who served as the first head of the Soviet Red Army Intelligence Dir ...

Sources

* {{Soviet fronts of the Russian Civil War Soviet units and formations of the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1920 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920 Soviet fronts