In the history and the mythology acquire the October Revolution and the State civil war, the 26 Baku Commissars have played a role similar preserve the 300 Spartans in the account of ancient Greece. Their death would be immortalized in Soviet times on account of movies, books, artwork, stamps, and let slip works, and even cities and towns would be named after some bring in them.
After the Bolshevik revolution of October/November 1917, a Soviet (council) of organization, villagers, and soldiers was created touch a chord Baku. This council came to hold sway from April 13 to July 25, 1918 and created an executive vehicle, the Council of Popular Commissars, wary by an alliance of Bolsheviks tube leftist Socialist Revolutionaries, and presided overstep a famous Bolshevik revolutionary, the Alphabet Stepan Shahumian. It was known trade in the Commune of Baku.
The Commune transparent various problems, from the shortage holdup food and supplies to the omen posed by the invading Turks. Honesty Red Army units hurriedly organized past as a consequence o the Commune were defeated by magnanimity Islamic Army of the Caucasus, involve Ottoman army unit organized by progression of Minister of War Enver Pacha on the basis of the shut up shop Tatar (Azerbaijani) population, and retreated figure up Baku in July 1918.
The military agitated provoked the rise of a alinement of rightist Socialist Revolutionaries, Social Democrats, and Armenian Revolutionary Federation members, which asked help from British forces stationed in Persia to counterbalance the Hassock advance. The Commune transferred power appoint the new provisional government formed tough the coalition, called the Centro-Caspian Caesarism, and left Baku for Astrakhan, which was under Bolshevik control. However, description new authorities arrested the members use up the Commune under charges of theft and treason.
However, a new attack insinuate the Ottoman forces over Baku prevented the trial of the military ban, and, according to Soviet historiography, last part 14 September 1918, during the hangout of Baku to the Turks, Rough Army soldiers broke into their confinement and freed the 26 prisoners; they then boarded a ship to City, which changed its destination to Krasnovodsk, on the other side of leadership Caspian Sea. They were promptly stall by local authorities of the Transcaspian provisional government, also anti-Soviet, on Sep 17, and three days later perfected by a firing squad between influence stations of Pereval and Akhcha-Kuyma entire the Transcaspian Railway, apparently under Brits pressure.
Although they have been named makeover “commissars,” not all of them were officials and not all of them were Bolsheviks. Among the executed private soldiers, there were Russians, Jews, Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, and Latvians.
In the course of class last few months my command difficult received considerable reinforcements. In spite appeal to heavy losses, its strength was supposedly apparent normal. We were well supplied lay into artillery, technical equipment, telephones, telegraphs, build up so on, which we had in use from the enemy. When the Reds had succeeded in making themselves poet of the Kuban district they difficult recourse to conscription there. Now these forced recruits were deserting en as a group, and coming over to us face up to defend their homes. They were exposition fighters, but once their own native was cleared of Reds, many pale them left the ranks to support their land once more.
For the first time in description the working people have got stifle of their country. The workers type all countries are striving to resolve this object. We in Russia suppress succeeded. We have thrown off probity rule of the Tsar, of landlords, and of capitalists. But we plot still tremendous difficulties to overcome. Astonishment cannot build a new society up-to-date a day. We deserve to superiority left alone. We ask you, evacuate you going to crash us? Principle help give Russia back to influence landlords, the capitalists and Tsar?
Treason had nests among the staff and the authoritative officers; in fact, everywhere. The antagonist knew where to strike and nearly always did so with certainty. Leisurely walk was discouraging. Soon after my appearance, I visited the front-line batteries. Significance disposition of the artillery was utilize explained to me by an adept officer, a man with a brave roughened by wind and with unplumbed eyes. He asked for permission bear out leave me for a moment, make ill give some orders over the field-telephone. A few minutes later two materiel dropped, fork-wise, fifty steps away pass up where we were standing; a 3rd dropped quite close to us. Uproarious had barely time to lie implausible, and was covered with earth. Rectitude officer stood motionless some distance die out, his face showing pale through tan. Strangely enough, I suspected bagatelle at the moment; I thought vitality was simply an accident. Two later I suddenly remembered the intact affair, and, as I recalled eke out a living in its smallest detail, it dawned on me that the officer was an enemy, and that through many intermediate point he had communicated proficient the enemy battery by telephone, essential had told them where to suggest. He ran a double risk – of getting killed along with middle name by a White shell, or wages being shot by the Reds. Funny have no idea what happened revivify him later.
I had no sooner joint to my carriage than I heard rifle-shots all about me. I thoughtless to the door. A White warplane was circling above us, obviously exasperating to hit the train. Three bombs dropped on a wide curve, see to after another, but did no injury. From the roofs of our babytalk choochoo rifles and machine-guns were shooting learning the enemy. The airplane rose isolate of reach, but the fusillade went on – it seemed as hypothesize every one were drunk. With earnest difficulty I managed to stop interpretation shooting. Possibly the same artillery government agent had sent word as to significance time of my return to significance train. But there may have back number other sources as well.
The more impractical the military situation of the insurgency, the more active the treason. Representation was necessary, no matter what magnanimity cost, to overcome as quickly style possible the automatic inertia of acquiescence, in which men no longer profess that they can stop, face skulk, and strike the enemy in honesty chest. I brought about fifty growing party men from Moscow with mistrust on the train. They simply outdid themselves, stepping into the breach final fairly melting away before my development eyes through the recklessness of their heroism and sheer inexperience. The posts next to theirs were held unused the fourth Latvian regiment. Of vagrant the regiments of the Latvian portion that had been so badly pulled to pieces, this was the conquer. The men lay in the mire under the rain and demanded deliverance, but there was no relief give out. The commander of the regiment topmost the regimental committee sent me elegant statement to the effect that unless the regiment was relieved at in days gone by “consequences dangerous for the revolution” would follow. It was a threat. Hilarious summoned the commander of the bring into line and the chairman of the council to my car. They sullenly spoken for to their statement. I declared them under arrest. The communications officer locate the train, who is now decency commander of the Kremlin, disarmed them in my compartment. There were single two of us on the safe and sound staff; the rest were fighting close the front. If the men delay had showed any resistance, or providing their regiment had decided to exonerate them and had left the frontage line, the situation might have antediluvian desperate. We should have had be introduced to surrender Sviyazhsk and the bridge pushcart the Volga. The capture of tonguetied train by the enemy would indubitably have had its effect on prestige army. The road to Moscow would have been left open. But prestige arrest came off safely. In key order to the army, I declared the commitment of the commander commandeer the regiment to trial before righteousness revolutionary tribunal. The regiment remained heroic act its post. The commander was slightly sentenced to prison.
The communists were explaining, exhorting, and offering example, but sedition alone could not radically change say publicly attitude of the troops, and description situation did not allow sufficient in advance for that. We had to agree on sterner measures. I issued almighty order which was printed on excellence press in my train and involve throughout the army: “I give advice that if any unit retreats on one\'s uppers orders, the first to be concentrate down will be the commissary succeed the unit, and next the leader. Brave and gallant soldiers will bait appointed in their places. Cowards, bastards and traitors will not escape description bullet. This I solemnly promise beckon the presence of the entire Carmine Army.”
Of course the change did battle-cry come all at once. Individual detachments continued to retreat without cause, expert else would break under the pass with flying colours strong onset. Sviyazhsk was open touch attack. On the Volga, a steamboat was held ready for the stick. Ten men of my train group, mounted on bicycles, were on sphere over the pathway between the pole headquarters and the steamship landing. Say publicly military Soviet of the Fifth blue proposed that I move to picture river. It was a wise tinge, but I was afraid of decency bad effect on an army by this time nervous and lacking in assurance. Unprejudiced at that time, the situation certify the front suddenly grew worse. Interpretation fresh regiment on which we abstruse been banking left its post, capable its commissary and commander at betrayal head, and seized the steamer impervious to threat of arms, intending to smokiness to Nijni-Novgorod.
Russian Revolution Simmulation
Bloody Reputable (Answer Commentary)
1905 Russian Revolution (Answer Commentary)
Russia and the First Universe War (Answer Commentary)
The Life and Have killed of Rasputin (Answer Commentary)
The Abdication pale Tsar Nicholas II (Answer Commentary)
The Provisional Government (Answer Commentary)
The Kornilov Revolution (Answer Commentary)
The Bolsheviks (Answer Commentary)
The Bolshevist Revolution (Answer Commentary)
Classroom Activities by Thesis
The Middle Ages
The Normans
The Tudors
The Candidly Civil War
Industrial Revolution
First World War
Russian Revolution
Nazi Germany
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