Civil War in South Russia, 1918: The First Year of the Volunteer Army

The Soviet Union was created by the Civil War and the revolutions of 1917, which are inseparable. South Russia is of special interest due to its many different issues and the difficulty in reducing the problems of the Civil War to simple formulae. Kenez contends that the events of 1918 contained the seeds of ultimate disaster for the Whites, as they failed politically and failed to bring unity to the anti-Bolshevik camp.

Format: Hardback
Length: 366 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

The Soviet Union was born out of the Civil War and the 1917 revolutions, with the revolutions and the struggle that followed them inseparable. Communism in Russia may have evolved differently had the bitter necessities of the Civil War not forced the regime to develop features unrelated to Marxist ideology. Aside from its obvious historical significance, the Civil War is also a subject of great intrinsic interest, as it provides a unique example of anarchy and its effects on social institutions and human beings. This approach follows a case study format, extrapolating from one part of Russia to the entire country to understand the many different issues at stake and the difficulty in reducing the problems of the Civil War to simple formulae. South Russia is of particular interest due to its microcosm nature, allowing one to see most of Russia's ills and the events that were of great importance. Foreign intervention assumed its greatest magnitude in South Russia, with the Whites deploying their most substantial and persistent armies. The anti-Bolshevik movement also faced dissension and competing claims of national minorities, particularly in South Russia.

Kenez argues that the events of 1918 contained the seeds of ultimate disaster for the Whites. While the Volunteer Army soldiers showed exceptional valor and the generals proved themselves capable military leaders, they failed politically. Denikin and his fellow leaders wrongly believed that politics could be avoided, failing to develop a positive program and failing to bring unity to the anti-Bolshevik camp. This lack of political development and unity ultimately contributed to the White's defeat in the Civil War.

Weight: 680g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520358782