The Combat Organization (, or the Fighting Organization) was the terrorist branch within the

Social Revolutionary Party The Socialist Revolutionary Party, or the Party of Socialist-Revolutionaries (the SRs, , or Esers, russian: эсеры, translit=esery, label=none; russian: Партия социалистов-революционеров, ), was a major politi ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. It was a terror sub-group that was given autonomy under that Party. In his memoirs, group member

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 wing ...

called the group the "Terrorist Brigade." (This phrasing was followed in his own memoirs by

Whittaker Chambers Whittaker Chambers (born Jay Vivian Chambers; April 1, 1901 – July 9, 1961) was an American writer-editor, who, after early years as a Workers Party of America, Communist Party member (1925) and Soviet Union, Soviet spy (1932–1938), defe ...

, an American spy for the Soviets.)

History

In 1902, Grigory Gershuni founded and led the group. In July 1904 they murdered the Russian Minister of the Interior,

Vyacheslav von Plehve Vyacheslav Konstantinovich von Plehve ( rus, Вячесла́в (Wenzel (Славик)) из Плевны Константи́нович фон Пле́ве, p=vʲɪtɕɪˈslaf fɐn ˈplʲevʲɪ; – ) served as a director of Imperial Russ ...

. In 1904, Gershuni was arrested, and Yevno Azef succeeded him, with Boris Savinkov as his deputy. Azef, a double-agent in the employ of the Tsarist secret police

Okhrana The Department for Protecting the Public Security and Order (russian: Отделение по охранению общественной безопасности и порядка), usually called Guard Department ( rus, Охранное отд ...

, changed the Terrorist Brigade's mode of attack from firearms to dynamite. In its middle period (1903–1906) the brigade's members included more than a dozen women and more than four dozen men—some nobles, honorary citizens, priests, and merchants. Most were 20–30 years old; 19 Jews, and two Poles. In 1908, Savinkov succeeded Azef, but the group disbanded shortly thereafter.

Members

* Grigory Gershuni * Yevno Azef (also "Evno" and "Azev"/"Azeff" and "Yevno Asiev") *

(also "Savinkoff") * Mikhail Melnikov * Stepan Balmashov * Thomas Kachura * Igor Sazonov (also "Yegor" or "Egor" and "Sozonov") * Ivan Kalyayev ("Kaliaev" in the 1931 translation of Savinkov's ''Memoirs of a Terrorist'') * Sikorsky * Borishansky * Dulebov * Shveitser (also "Schweitser"/"Schweizer") * Karl Trauberg

Assassination efforts

Assassinations

* 1902: Dmitry Sipyagin * 1904:

* 1905:

Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (''Сергей Александрович''; 11 May 1857 – 17 February 1905) was the fifth son and seventh child of Emperor Alexander II of Russia. He was an influential figure during the reigns of hi ...

** Nicholas Bogdanovich (governor of

Ufa Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital city, capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya River (Kama), Belaya and Ufa River, Ufa rivers, in the centre-n ...

) * 1906: Vladimir von der Launitz

Failed assassinations

Konstantin Pobedonostsev Konstantin Petrovich Pobedonostsev ( rus, Константи́н Петро́вич Победоно́сцев, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ pəbʲɪdɐˈnostsɨf; 30 November 1827 – 23 March 1907) was a Russian jurist, statesman ...

* Nicholas Kleigels * Fyodor Dubasov * Ivan Mikhailovich Obolensky

References

External sources

, ''Memoirs of a Terrorist'' (New York: Boni, 1931)/''Воспоминания террориста'' (1917) . *

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...

, ''

'' / ''Les Justes'' (Paris: Gallimard 1950) 1905 Russian Revolution Military wings of socialist parties Socialist Revolutionary Party Terrorism in the Russian Empire {{Russia-hist-stub