CIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR of 1917—22 in Russia was caused by the First World War and the Revolution of 1917. Peculiarities of C.w. on the Bashkortostan territory were conditioned by the activities of the Bashkir National Movement, Kazakh and Tatar national movements, and Orenburg and Ural cossacks. In November, Farman No.2 was published in Orenburg and proclaimed the autonomy of Bashkortostan. In December, the 3rd All Bashkir Kurultay (Congress) announced the formation of Bashkurdistan (Malaya Bashkiriya) and established the Bashkir Government. In December, detachments of soldiers of the 17th Sib. Infantry Regiment, sailors of the Balt. fleet, Red Guard and People’s Armed Law Enforcement Troops were sent to fight with the Cossacks of colonel A.I.Dutov. On January 18th, Rev. detachments seized Orenburg. On February 17th, members of the Bashkir Government and Bashkir Central Shuro were arrested. The defeat of the 1st Bashkir Regiment by the Red Guard in Orsky Uyezd of Orenburg Gub. and prominent Bashkir leaders’ execution by shooting strengthened anti Soviet mood of the Bashkirs and contributed to the development of guerrilla movement. By the mid. of April, soviet troops forced Dutov’s troops out to the plains of Turgay Oblast.

Armed uprising of the Czechoslovak Separate Corps against the Bolsheviks (began on May, 25th) was supported by a large part of the Bashkir population and led to the overthrow of the Soviet power in the South Urals in the cities located along the Samaro Zlatoustovskaya Railway. Rebel troops and Czechoslovak units occupied Chelyabinsk (May, 27th), Zlatoust (June, 25th) and Ufa (July, 5th). Between June– July, the Orenburg Cossack troops regained powers in Orenburg (July, 3rd) and control over the northern part of the Tashkent Railway. The besieged Red Army troops being part of the Consolidated Ural troops under the command of V.K.Blukher, I.D. and N.D.Kashirins, began to make their way from Orenburg through Ufa Gub. and northwards. In September, they joined the 3rd Army. With the participation of the regiments of the Bashkir Army Yekaterinburg was occupied (July, 25th); the battle took place near Verkhneuralsk (between July–August); Orsk isolation (July— September) and then assault (September, 27th and 28th) were organized. Parts of the People’s and Sib. armies threw the troops of the Red Army behind the Volga, and captured half of the gold reserve of Russia in Kazan. In Autumn, it was transported to Ufa, then to Omsk. The Committee of Members of the All Russia Constituent Assembly established its power in the South Urals. On September, 8–23rd, the State meeting was held in Ufa, which established the Provisional All Russia Government and the Russian Army. The Bashkir Government and some other local governments refused to obey the decision of the meeting on their disbanding. In Autumn, the troops of the Red Army’s East front started the counter attack and seized Menzelinsk (October, 18th), Belebey (November, 10th), Sterlitamak (December, 19th), Ufa (December 31st, 1918), Birsk (January 9th, 1919), Orenburg (January, 22nd), Orsk (February, 22nd), etc. Proclamation by the Russian Admiral A.V.Kolchak, who called himself the Supreme Ruler of the State, of the course on restoration of the Great and United Russia was criticized by the All Russia Constituent Assembly and the Bashkir Government. Between February – early March 1919, took place the transition of the Bashkir Government and troops to the side of the Soviet Power. State power in Malaya Bashkiriya was delegated to the Bashrevkom. By the middle of April, the troops of the Red Army seized Ufa (March, 13th), Birsk, Belebey, Bugulma, Buguruslan, while parts of the Sib. army captured Sarapul and Izhevsk, and Orenburg Army liberated Orsk. At the end of April, the troops of the Red Army’s East front started the counter attack. In the course of the successively performed Buguruslan, Belebey, Ufa and Sarapulo Votkinsk, Zlatoust and Chelyabinsk military operations by the Red Army, parts of the Russian Army retreated to Siberia and Turkestan, where they were defeated. In summer, the command of the Red Army employed the Bashkir troops in the battles against the Denikin’ troops. In Autumn, the Bashkir troops were employed to repel Lieutenant General N.N.Yudenich’ North Western Army’s attack on Petrograd. The Bashkir Separate Cavalry Brigade under the command of M.L.Murtazin was sent to fight against the retreating parts of the Ural Cossacks. By 1922, the Anti Bolshevik Peasant Rebel Movement was stopped on the Bashkir territory: in February—March 1920 the Black Eagle Uprising was suppressed in the northern part of Ufa Gub. and adjacent uyezds of Kazan and Samara guberniyas; between summer 1919—winter 1921 the Burzyan Tangaurovskoye Uprising was suppressed in the SE of the ASBR; between spring–summer 1921 – the Okhranyuk Chersky Rebel Movement in the W of the ASBR.