Cavalry
Fairly elitist before the Great War and dominated aristocratic fops, the Soviet cavalry force was tra formed after the Revolution. The typical p gt I Revolution cavalryman could well have been a fori caretaker or gardener of an aristocrat's house. A se lt shortage of trained cavalrymen led to a massive retI ment drive with the slogan 'Proletarian, mount a Anyone who had ever dealt with horses was enl gt and it became normal to see cavalrymen in pec.l clothing ex-office workers in bowler hats...
The Cheka and other special formations
On 7 December 1917, the All-Russia Extraordinary Commission for Combating Counter-revolution and Sabotage was formed. Its chairman and guiding star was Felix Dzerzhinsky 1877-1926 , a Pole by birth. Known as the Chrezvichaynaya Komissya or Cheka for short, the commission soon earned itself a reputation for brutality beyond the call of duty. The modern image of the Cheka as a 'secret pol lt force, in the style of the later NKVD and KGB, d lt not do justice to its wide-ranging role in the Civil W...
Special task units
The Chasti Osobago PJaznacheniya ChON , or special units, were authorised by the Central Committee on 17 April 1919. The first units were formed in Petrograd and Moscow the provinces followed suit. Only volunteers could join, they had to be aged between 14 and 55 and of fanatic lovaltv - communists, idealistic vvork- crs and peasants, trade union members and members of the Young Comm-unist League Komsomol . Recruitment remained voluntary until ChON units were disbanded in 1924 5. ChON units...
Red Flag and Red Star
The choice of red as the colour of the Russu Revolution deserves further explanation. Red has i centuries been the international symbol of mutiny ai brigandage it was the traditional colour, symbolisq blood, of pirates' flags alongside black, standing 1 death . In international naval usage, the red flag known as the 'flag of defiance', and was raised whe-ship was preparing for battle in contrast to the wh flag, w hich, of course, w as the flag of peace or sum der. In Russian, red or krasm has...
A confusion of clothing
Due to the economic disruption of Russia caused by the Great W ar and two revolutions, it proved imposs- on-regulation sleeve badges, 111H-2H clockwise from top left 1st Kahmik Cavalry Regiment the most popular armoured unit badge 2nd Moscow Red Heavy Artillery Commanders' School rare pattern used by aviation detachments sapper company of an infantry regiment or brigade on-regulation sleeve badges, 111H-2H clockwise from top left 1st Kahmik Cavalry Regiment the most popular armoured unit badge...
Cavalry 1
Cavalryman, latman's 'Red Hussars' Brigade, 18-19 man's Brigade, also known as the Zavolzhskaya gade of Red Hussars, included three cavaln regi-nts that were dressed in the pre-war parade uni-s ot the 1st Suniskox and 3rd Flisavctgradsk sar regiments. The main regimental distinction was light blue peaked cap piped yellow . For the msko Regiment the cap had a scarlet band, and for Elisavetgradsky Regiment, a white band. The black rher peak of the cavalryman's cap was somewhat aller than the...
International Units
Infantryman, Chinese Battalion, 1' 18-20 hinese 'internationalist' soldiers wore the same uni-i rm as most Red Army troops a peaked cap, khaki 'ton gymnasterka and sharovary breeches but they .re always instantly recognisable, since Russian cloth-was far too big for them. The Chinese had a spe-1 value to the Bolsheviks industrious, efficient and ddom able to understand Russian, they were mployed by the Cheka for the arrest and execution of ti-Soviet elements. This Chinese soldier's equipment...
D Specialist Troops
1 1 Private, Broneotryad Armour Detachment 1918-22 Red Army men serv ing in motorised, armoured-car at armour units all wore much the same uniform, chara. terised by the rich use of leather. It consisted of . khaki cloth or leather cap with a large square pea-introduced in the Russian Army for automobilists ar samokatchiks velo-cyclists a leather coat typically . black, so-called 'Swedish', 1912-issue and below this gymnasterka. Feather or cloth breeches were worn wit jackboots or boots with...
The Red Army
. second day of the Bolshevik Revolution, 2 gt it 1917, a supreme body was created to take over if the armed forces the Committee on and Naval Affairs. It had three members, task was to install Bolsheviks into the highest iry posts and to begin the organising of a new 'People's Army'. On the following day the committee took on six new members, and was renamed the So iet of People's Commissars on Military and Naval Affairs. At the end of November this body was split into two separate...
Introduction
Mr war is a tragedy for the nation involved, he i 2ed for Russia was aggravated by its relative l -i'ss, its enormous territory, the mass illiter-i oi 1 - population, and by the pompous promises of kcfi gt rld to come, which never came true. The m oi gt ut 13 million lives within the years speaks 1 lt in jI War in Russia lasted from 1917 until Bk. i ugh major military operations were over by - - dual fighting continued in Central Asia, km . Reds were opposed by local independence B ci In. and...