The Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine

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Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine
Participant in Russian Civil War & Ukrainian Revolution

Simon Karetnik, Batko Makhno, and Fedir Shchus (Fedor Shchus).
Active 1918-1921
Leaders Nestor Makhno
Area of
operations		 Ukraine, mostly Yekaterinoslav Province, especially Huliaipole
Strength 103,000 in December 1919
Allies temporary agreements with (Red) Soviet Russia, (Red) Soviet Ukraine, (Red) Soviet Crimea, temporary cease-fire with the Directory, agreements with Antonov's Revolt
Opponents Austro-Hungarian Occupation Forces, German Occupation Forces, Hetmanate, Directory, (White) Don Host, (White) Volunteer Army, (White) Armed Forces of South Russia, (White) Russian Army, (Red) Soviet Russia, (Red) Soviet Ukraine, (Red) Soviet Crimea, Grigoriev's Revolt & Selbstschutz
Battles/wars Battle of Peregonovka September 1919

The Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine (Ukrainian: Революційна Повстанська Армія України, Revolyutsiyna Povstans’ka Armiya Ukrayiny), also known as the Black Army, was an anarchist army under the command of the famous anarchist Nestor Makhno during the Russian Civil War.

Ukrainian guerrilla bands were active during the Civil War period. Some claimed to be loyal to the Ukrainian state, but others acknowledged no allegiance, and all fought both Reds and White Russians with equal ferocity. After 1920 they constituted the only Ukrainian forces left in Soviet Ukraine. At that date they were said to number some 40,000; some of them fought until 1924.

The most famous of these groups was that of the peasant anarchist leader Nestor Makhno, who began operations in the south-eastern Ukraine against the Hetmanate regime in July 1918. In September he formed the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine with arms and equipment obtained from the retreating Austro-Hungarian and German forces. He fought Denikin's Whites until they retreated in late 1919, then continued to fight the Reds until his forces were defeated and dispersed in August 1921. Makhno himself managed to slip across the Romanian border.

Contents

[edit] Organisation

Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine
(January-February 1919)
Components 1st Insurgent Regiment,
2nd Insurgent Regiment,
3rd Insurgent Regiment,
4th Insurgent Regiment,
5th Insurgent Regiment
3rd Trans-Dnepr Brigade (Red Army)
(February-April 1919)
Components 7th Trans-Dnepr Regiment,
8th Trans-Dnepr Regiment,
9th Trans-Dnepr Regiment
7th Insurgent Rifle Division (Red Army)
(April-July 1919)
Components 7th Trans-Dnepr Regiment,
8th Trans-Dnepr Regiment,
9th Grechesky Regiment,
10th Donskoi Regiment,
11th Ignatievsky Regiment
Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine
(August-December 1919)
Components 1st Donets Corps,
2nd Azov Corps,
3rd Yekaterinoslav Corps,
4th Crimean Corps,
Strategic Reserve
including 1st Machine-gun Regiment

In mid-1919 the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine had a strength of some 15,000 men organised into 1 cavalry and 4 infantry Brigades, a machine gun regiment with 5000 guns, and an artillery detachment. At its peak in December 1919 it had about 83,000 infantry, 20,135 cavalry, 1,435 machine guns, and 118 guns, as well as 7 armored trains and some armored cars.[1] It was organized into 4 Corps and the strategic reserve. Each Corps had 1 infantry and 1 cavalry Brigade; each Brigade had 3-4 Regiments of the appropriate type.[2]

The structure of the RIAU was not that of a traditional army. Instead, the RIAU was a democratic militia based on soldier committees and general assemblies. Officers in the ordinary sense were abolished; instead all commanders were elected and recallable. In theory, the RIAU relied on voluntary enlistment instead of conscription, however in practice conscription was used[3]. Regular mass assemblies were held to discuss policy. The army was based on self-discipline, with all of the army’s disciplinary rules approved by soldier assemblies.

This organizational structure was later used in organizing militias created by anarchists in the Spanish revolution and Spanish Civil War.

[edit] Commanders

[edit] References

  1. ^ Belash, Victor & Belash, Aleksandr, Dorogi Nestora Makhno, p. 340
  2. ^ Belash, Victor & Belash, Aleksandr, Dorogi Nestora Makhno, pp. 333 & 340
  3. ^ Avrich, Paul. Anarchist Portraits, 1988 Princeton University Press, pg 121

[edit] See also