Western Army of the White Movement
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The Western Separate Army (russian: Западная отдельная армия) was an anti-Bolshevik Army on the Eastern Front 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 ...
, which fought from January 1919 – July 1919 in the
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
Ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan * Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econ ...
Region.


History

The army was created on January 1, 1919 in Ural from the 3rd Ural Corps and the Kamskaya and Samara military groups (hereinafter known as the 8th Ufa and 9th Volga Corps). Later the composition of the Western army increased. By the beginning of March 1919 it consisted of the 3rd Ural Mountain Corps, 2nd Ufa Corps and 6th Ural Corps. The total strength of the Army was then 32,400 infantry, 6,300 cavalry, 570 machine guns and 98 guns. The goals of the Army in the upcoming
Spring Offensive of the Russian Army (1919) The Spring Offensive of the Russian Army was an offensive of the White Army of the White movement led by Alexander Kolchak on the Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War, between March and April 1919. Background At the end of 1918, the situatio ...
were Ufa, Samara and Kazan. The Western army was also in charge of the Southern Army Group (since March 24, 1919), consisting of the 4th Army Corps and the consolidated Sterlitamak Corps. The Southern Army Group numbered about 7,000 infantry, 5,800 cavalry, 143 machine guns, 15 guns and was to advance towards
Aktobe Aktobe ( kz, Ақтөбе, Aqtöbe; russian: Актобе, Aktobe) is a city on the Ilek River in Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of Aktobe Region. In 2020, it had a population of 500,757 people. Aktobe is located in the west of K ...
and
Orenburg Orenburg (russian: Оренбу́рг, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Ural River, southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is also very close to the Kazakhstan-Russia bor ...
. On March 6, 1919 the Western Army went on the offensive, defeated the 5th and 1st Red Armies, took
Ufa Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers, in the centre-north of Bashkortostan, on hills forming the ...
(March 14),
Belebey Belebey (russian: Белебе́й; ba, Бәләбәй) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located on the bank of the Usen River, from Ufa. Population: History Belebey was established i ...
,
Birsk Birsk (russian: Бирск; ba, Бөрө, ''Börö''; tt-Cyrl, Бөре, ''Böre'') is a town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River, from Ufa, the capital of the republic. Population: Histor ...
,
Bugulma Bugulma (russian: Бугульма́; tt-Cyrl, Бөгелмә, ''Bögelmä'') is a town in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative divisions, Bugulma serves as ...
(April 10),
Buguruslan Buguruslan (russian: Бугурусла́н) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia. Population: History It was founded in 1748. Administrative and municipal status Within the subdivisions of Russia#Admin ...
and approached
Samara Samara ( rus, Сама́ра, p=sɐˈmarə), known from 1935 to 1991 as Kuybyshev (; ), is the largest city and administrative centre of Samara Oblast. The city is located at the confluence of the Volga and the Samara (Volga), Samara rivers, with ...
on the Volga River. The Southern Army Group of the Western Army, reached the suburbs of Orenburg by the end of April and, together with the
Orenburg Independent Army The Orenburg Independent Army (russian: Оренбургская отдельная армия) was an anti-Bolshevik Army on the Eastern Front during the Russian Civil War. History The Army was formed on October 17, 1918 from Orenburg Cossacks ...
, besieged the city. On April 28, the counteroffensive of the Red Eastern Front (42,000 men) against the Western Army (23,000 men) was launched. The southern group of the Red Army hit the flank and rear of the Western army from the district of Orenburg-Buzuluka and, having defeated her at Buguruslan and Belebey, threw her back behind the Belaya River. In the Battle of Ufa (May 25-June 19) The Western Army was again defeated and retreated to
Chelyabinsk Chelyabinsk ( rus, Челя́бинск, p=tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk, a=Ru-Chelyabinsk.ogg; ba, Силәбе, ''Siläbe'') is the administrative center and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the seventh-largest city in Russia, with a ...
. By the end of May the Western Army troops were consolidated into the Volga, Ural and Ufa groups. In July 1919, the White
Siberian Army The Siberian Army (russian: Сибирская армия, Sibirskaya Armiya) was an anti-Bolshevik army during the Russian Civil War, which fought from June 1918 – July 1919 in Siberia – Ural Region. Background After the Bolsheviks' sei ...
and the Western Army were converted into the 1st, 2nd and 3rd armies (the 3rd Army, mainly on the basis of the Western Army). The Southern Army Group of the Western Army failed to take Orenburg and, after the beginning of the general retreat of the White Army, was also forced to retreat to the east in August.


Commanders

* Mikhail Hanzhin (January 7 – June 20, 1919) * Konstantin Sakharov (June 21 - November 1919). (renamed the 3rd Army on July 14) {{White Armies and White Fleets of the Russian Civil War Military units and formations of White Russia (Russian Civil War) Russian Civil War