DOCSLIB.ORG

Democratizing Communist Militaries

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Democratizing Communist Militaries Democratizing Communist Militaries Democratizing Communist Militaries The Cases of the Czech and Russian Armed Forces Marybeth Peterson Ulrich Ann Arbor To Mark, Erin, and Benjamin Copyright © by the University of Michigan 1999 All rights reserved Published in the United States of America by The University of Michigan Press Manufactured in the United States of America V∞ Printed on acid-free paper 2002 2001 2000 1999 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ulrich, Marybeth Peterson. Democratizing Communist militaries : the cases of the Czech and Russian armed forces / Marybeth Peterson Ulrich. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 0-472-10969-3 (acid-free paper) 1. Civil-military relations—Russia (Federation) 2. Civil-military relations—Former Soviet republics. 3. Civil-military relations—Czech Republic. 4. Russia (Federation)—Armed Forces—Political activity. 5. Former Soviet republics—Armed Forces—Political activity. 6. Czech Republic—Armed Forces—Political activity. 7. Military assistance, American—Russia (Federation) 8. Military assistance, American—Former Soviet republics. 9. Military assistance, American—Czech Republic. I. Title. JN6520.C58 U45 1999 3229.5909437109049—dc21 99-6461 CIP Contents List of Tables vii Acknowledgments ix List of Abbreviations xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1. A Theory of Democratic Civil-Military Relations in Postcommunist States 5 Chapter 2. A Survey of Overall U.S. Democratization Programs and Military Democratization Efforts in the Postcommunist States 44 Chapter 3. Postcommunist Military Democratization Needs: An Assessment of Democratic Political Control in Russia and the Czech Republic 70 Chapter 4. An Assessment of Postcommunist Military Professionalism: The Russian and Czech Militaries’ Democratic Deficits 108 Chapter 5. The Effectiveness of U.S. Military to Military Democratization Initiatives in Russia and the Czech Republic 154 Chapter 6. Conclusions and Prescriptions for Improving Democratization Outcomes in the Postcommunist States 182 Appendix A. Military to Military Contacts Conducted in the Czech Republic through the Joint Contact Team Program 189 Appendix B. Military to Military Contacts Conducted in Russia through the Defense and Military Contacts Program 205 Notes 219 Selected Bibliography 259 Index 283 Tables 1. A Comparison of Democratic and Soviet Models of Political Control of Military Institutions 12 2. A Comparison of Democratic and Soviet Models of Military Professionalism 24 3. JCTP Supporting Units’Areas of Focus 57 4. Inverted Pyramid of ACR Officer Personnel 124 5. Proposed Pyramidal ACR Force Structure 125 Appendixes A1. Events That Could Not Be Classified as Supporting Either the Enhancement of Democratic Civilian Control of the ACR or the Professionalization of the ACR as a Military Institution in a Democracy 189 A2. Events That Could Be Categorized as Supporting the Enhancement of Democratic Civilian Control 197 A3. Recruitment and Retention 198 A4. Promotion and Advancement 199 A5. Education and Training 199 A6. Officership and Leadership 200 A7. Prestige and Public Relations 202 A8. Chaplain-Related Events 202 B1. Defense and Military Contacts with Russia That Could Not Be Classified as Specifically Supporting Either the Enhancement of Democratic Civilian Control or the Professionalization of the Russian Military as a Military Institution in a Democracy 205 viii Tables B2. Contacts That Could Be Categorized as Supporting the Enhancement of Democratic Civilian Control 213 B3. Contacts That Could Be Categorized as Supporting an Aspect of Professionalization of the Russian Military as a Military Institution in a Democracy 215 Acknowledgments This work is the culmination of a process of scholarly inquiry begun within the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois. I would like to thank the faculty members there who inspired and stimulated my interest in the process of democratization in postcommunist states in general, and in the process of military democratization specifically. I owe a particular debt to my doctoral dissertation committe chairman, Professor Edward Kolodziej, for his personal guidance throughout the research and writing. His dedication to his craft in both the classroom and in his research continues to inspire me. The re- gional expertise of Professors Roger Kanet and John Lepingwell was also in- valuable. I am further indebted to Professors Kolodziej and Kanet for their con- tinued interest and assistance as the project advanced throught the publication process. The United States Air Force Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) also played a critical role by generously funding numerous trips to Central and Eastern Europe and to the former Soviet Union to gather invaluable field re- search. Lt. Colonel Jeff Larsen, Lt. Colonel Peter Hays, and Dr. James Smith, directors of INSS, all provided support at key points in my research. I am also grateful to the Department of Political Science at the United States Air Force Academy, led by Colonel Doug Murray and Colonel Bill Berry, which spon- sored my graduate studies at the University of Illinois and facilitated my abil- ity to bring the manuscript to fruition. The professional editorship at the Uni- versity of Michigan Press, beginning with Chuck Myers in acquisitions and culminating with Kevin Rennells’s stewardship through copyediting, has crafted the work into a polished and credible publication. I thank my parents for their patience, pride, and continued interest throughout the publication process. Above all, I credit my husband Mark for holding down the fort on the home front and caring for first one and then two small children when I traveled in support of the project. Without his logistical and continuous personal support, completion of the book would not have been possible. Erin and Benjamin also deserve credit for their sacrifices in support of Mommy’s work schedule. Finally, I thank the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College, led by Colonel Joe Cerami, whose interest in this topic x Acknowledgments has resulted in a position where the study and teaching of civil-military rela- tions will become a key component in the education of senior professional of- ficers from all over the world. Abbreviations ABM Antiballistic Missile ACR Army of the Czech Republic AOR Area of Responsibility AP Associated Press BALTOPS Baltic Operations CBM Confidence Building Measure CEE Central and Eastern Europe CFE Conventional Forces in Europe CGSC Command and General Staff College CIA Central Intelligence Agency CINC Commander in Chief CINCPAC Commander in Chief, Pacific CIS Commonwealth of Independent States CJCS Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff CPSU Communist Party of the Soviet Union CSA Czechoslovak Army CSCE Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe CSPA Czechoslovak People’s Army CTR Cooperative Threat Reduction CZ Czech Republic DAO Defense Attaché Office DCS Direct Commercial Sales DIA Defense Intelligence Agency DISAM Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management DLI Defense Language Institute DOD Department of Defense DSAA Defense Security Assistance Agency EIMET Expanded International Military Education and Training EEU European Economic Union EU European Union EUCOM European Command FAM Familiarization Tour FAO Foreign Area Officer FBIS Foreign Broadcast Information Service FMS Foreign Military Sales FSU Former Soviet Union xii Abbreviations FY Fiscal Year G-7 Group of Seven GAO Government Accounting Office GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade HQ Headquarters ID Infantry Division IMET International Military Education and Training IMF International Monetary Fund INSS Institute of National Strategic Studies IWG Interagency Working Group J-5 Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate JCS Joint Chiefs of Staff JCTP Joint Contact Team Program JPRS Joint Publication Research Service KSC Communist Party of Czechoslovakia MAG Military Assistance Group MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MFN Most Favored Nation MLT Military Liaison Team MOD Ministry of Defense MP Member of Parliament MPA Main Political Administration MWR Morale Welfare and Recreation NA Not Applicable NACC North Atlantic Cooperation Council NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NCO Noncommissioned Officer NDU National Defense University NED National Endowment for Democracy NGB National Guard Bureau NGO Nongovernmental Organization NIS New Independent States NSC National Security Council O-6 Colonel OAS Organization of American States OPIC Overseas Private Investment Corporation OSD Office of the Secretary of Defense OSIA On-Site Inspection Agency PACOM Pacific Command PCS Permanent Change of Station PKO Peacekeeping Operations PME Professional Military Education POC Point of Contact POW Prisoner of War PPBS Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System Abbreviations xiii RAF Royal Air Force SALT Strategic Arms Limitation Talks SecDef Secretary of Defense SEED Support for East European Democracy SPACECOM Space Command SRF Strategic Rocket Forces STRATCOM Strategic Command TCT Traveling Contact Team TDY Temporary Duty TRANSCOM Transportation Command UCMJ Uniform Code of Military Justice UMA Military Affairs UN United Nations UNPROFOR
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Czechoslovak Exiles and Anti-Semitism in Occupied Europe During the Second World War
    WALKING ON EGG-SHELLS: THE CZECHOSLOVAK EXILES AND ANTI-SEMITISM IN OCCUPIED EUROPE DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR JAN LÁNÍČEK In late June 1942, at the peak of the deportations of the Czech and Slovak Jews from the Protectorate and Slovakia to ghettos and death camps, Josef Kodíček addressed the issue of Nazi anti-Semitism over the air waves of the Czechoslovak BBC Service in London: “It is obvious that Nazi anti-Semitism which originally was only a coldly calculated weapon of agitation, has in the course of time become complete madness, an attempt to throw the guilt for all the unhappiness into which Hitler has led the world on to someone visible and powerless.”2 Wartime BBC broadcasts from Britain to occupied Europe should not be viewed as normal radio speeches commenting on events of the war.3 The radio waves were one of the “other” weapons of the war — a tactical propaganda weapon to support the ideology and politics of each side in the conflict, with the intention of influencing the population living under Nazi rule as well as in the Allied countries. Nazi anti-Jewish policies were an inseparable part of that conflict because the destruction of European Jewry was one of the main objectives of the Nazi political and military campaign.4 This, however, does not mean that the Allies ascribed the same importance to the persecution of Jews as did the Nazis and thus the BBC’s broadcasting of information about the massacres needs to be seen in relation to the propaganda aims of the 1 This article was written as part of the grant project GAČR 13–15989P “The Czechs, Slovaks and Jews: Together but Apart, 1938–1989.” An earlier version of this article was published as Jan Láníček, “The Czechoslovak Service of the BBC and the Jews during World War II,” in Yad Vashem Studies, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • En Irak 07.Qxd
    THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THE IRAQ CRISIS: SHAPING THE CZECH STANCE David Kr·l, Luk·ö Pachta Europeum Institute for European Policy, January 2005 Table of contens Executive Summary. 5 1. Introduction . 7 2. The President 1. Constitutional framework . 11 2. Havel versus Klaus . 13 3. The Presidentís position on the Iraq crisis . 15 3. The Government 1. Constitutional framework . 21 2. Governmental resolution: articulation of the Czech position. 22 3. Continuity of foreign policy ñ the Czech Republic and the ëcoalition of the willingí. 23 4. Political constellation within government . 26 5. Proposal of the Foreign Ministry . 27 6. Acceptance of the governmental position . 29 7. The power of personalities . 30 4. The Parliament 1. General framework. 35 2. Debate and role of the Parliament before the initiation of the Iraqi operation . 36 3. The Chamber of Deputies ñ critique by the opposition . 38 4. The Senate debate ñ lower influence of the political parties, higher influence of personalities . 39 5. Parliamentary discussion during the Iraq crisis. 42 6. Discussion on the dispatching of a field hospital to Basra . 43 5. The Political Parties 1. Czech Social Democratic Party (»SSD): Ambivalent workhorse of the Czech government . 50 2. Antiwar resolution of the »SSD Congress: A blow for the »SSD in government. 51 3. Smaller coalition parties: pro-American but constructive and loyal . 54 4. Civic Democratic Party (ODS): Clear position, weak critique of the government and conflict with Klaus . 55 5. Communist party (KS»M): Weak in influence but strong in rhetoric . 57 6. Conclusion . 59 7. Annexes. (in Czech version only) 3 Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY David Kr·l has been the chairman of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy since ■ The Czech government expressed political support for the general objectives of 2000 where he also serves as the director of EU policies programme.
    [Show full text]
  • Operation “Tomis III” and Ideological Diversion. Václav Havel in The
    Promising young playwright Václav Havel in Schiller-Theater-Werkstatt, West Berlin, 1968 60Photo: Czech News Agency (ČTK) articles and studies Operation “Tomis III” and Ideological Diversion VÁCLAV HAVEL IN THE DOCUMENTS OF THE STATE SECURITY, 1965–1968 PAVEL žÁČEK Václav Havel attracted the interest of the State Security (StB) at the age of 28 at the latest, remaining in their sights until the end of the existence of the Communist totalitarian regime in Czechoslovakia. The first phase of his “targeting”, which ran until March 1968 and was organised by the 6th department of the (culture) II/A section of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior (National Security Corps) in Prague, under the codename “Tomis III”, is particularly richly documented. This makes it possible to reconstruct the efforts of the pillars of power to keep the regime going in the period of social crisis before the Prague Spring. Analysis of the file agenda and other archive materials allow us to cast light on the circumstances of the creation of a “candidate agent” file on Havel, which occurred at the start of August 1965, evidently as the result of poor coordination of individual StB headquarters – and which 20 years ago became the subject of media controversy.1 First interest national economy […] GROSSMAN deliv- perfect fascism, and all those present In the agent report of collaborator ered a matching analysis of the situa- chimed in. […] The Source said that “Mirek” (Pavel Vačkář, b. 1940)2 of 24 tion, explained the emergence of liberal- he had met nobody at na Zábradlí who June 1964, the superintendent of the ism after “Stalin’s fall”, and spoke about was at least loyal to the government, 6th department of the (culture) II/A sec- a revolt by artists against rigid and non- either among the friends that visited tion of the Regional Directorate of sensical Socialist Realism […] Havel lat- the theatre or actors and staff them- the Ministry of the Interior (KS-MV), er described with a smile preparations selves… Capt.
    [Show full text]
  • Russian Conventional Armed Forces: on the Verge of Collapse?
    Order Code 97-820 F CRS Issue Brief for Congress Received through the CRS Web Russian Conventional Armed Forces: On the Verge of Collapse? September 4, 1997 (name redacted) Specialist in Russian Affairs Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress Russian Conventional Armed Forces: On the Verge of Collapse? Summary All quantitative indicators show a sharp, and in most cases an accelerating, decline in the size of the Russian armed forces. Since 1986, Russian military manpower has decreased by over 70 percent; tanks and other armored vehicles by two-thirds; and artillery, combat aircraft, and surface warships by one-third. Weapons procurement has been plummeting for over a decade. In some key categories, such as aircraft, tanks, and surface warships, procurement has virtually stopped. This has led not only to a decline in present inventory, but implies a long-term crisis of bloc obsolescence in the future. Russian Government decisions and the budget deficit crisis have hit the Ministry of Defense very hard, cutting defense spending drastically and transforming the Defense Ministry into a residual claimant on scarce resources. Many experts believe that if these budgetary constraints continue for 2-3 more years, they must lead either to more drastic force reductions or to military collapse. Military capabilities are also in decline. Reportedly, few, if any, of Russia’s army divisions are combat-ready. Field exercises, flight training, and out-of-area naval deployments have been sharply reduced. Morale is low, partly because of non-payment of servicemen’s salaries. Draft evasion and desertion are rising.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction 1. Samuel P. Huntington, “Civilian Control of the Military: A
    Notes Introduction 1. Samuel P. Huntington, “Civilian Control of the Military: A Theoretical State- ment,” in Political Behavior: A Reader in Theory and Research, ed. Heinz Eulau, Samuel J. Eldersveld, and Morris Janowitz (Glencoe: Free Press, 1956), 380. Among those in agreement with Huntington are S. E. Finer, The Man on Horseback: The Role of the Military in Politics (New York: Praeger, 1962); Bengt Abrahamsson, Military Pro- fessionalization and Political Power (Beverly Hills: Sage, 1972); Claude E. Welch Jr., Civilian Control of the Military (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976); Amos Perlmutter, The Military and Politics in Modern Times (New Haven: Yale Uni- versity Press, 1977), and in The Political Influence of the Military (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980). Chapter 1 1. Samuel P. Huntington, The Soldier and the State (Cambridge: Harvard Univer- sity Press, 1957), 3. 2. Samuel P. Huntington, “Civilian Control of the Military: A Theoretical State- ment,” in Heinz Eulau, Samuel J. Eldersveld, and Morris Janowitz, eds., Political Be- havior: A Reader in Theory and Research (Glencoe: Free Press, 1956), 380. 3. Among those in agreement with Huntington are S. E. Finer, The Man on Horse- back: The Role of the Military in Politics (New York: Praeger, 1962); Bengt Abrahams- son, Military Professionalization and Political Power (Beverly Hills: Sage, 1972); Claude E. Welch Jr., Civilian Control of the Military (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1976); Amos Perlmutter, The Military and Politics in Modern Times (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1977), and in The Political Influence of the Military (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1980).
    [Show full text]
  • Manpower Problems of the Russian Armed Forces
    Conflict Studies Research Centre D62 Manpower Problems of The Russian Armed Forces M J Orr Introduction On 15 January Lt Gen Vasiliy Smirnov, deputy head of the main organization- mobilization directorate of the Russian general staff, announced the preliminary results of the autumn 2001 conscription period. "The plan of the autumn call-up as laid down in the Russian Federation's President's decree No. 148 has been carried out. Between October and December 2001 more than 194,000 Russian citizens, aged from 18 to 27, were sent to the army and fleet … (T)he quality of the conscript contingent is getting worse. Out of every 100 potential conscripts last year the military commissariats were only able to draft 12 young men; the remainder had legal reasons for being excused military service. Today in Russia every third potential conscript proves unfit for service on health grounds … more than 50% of the conscripts sent to the forces have health limitations on their fitness for service."1 Such statements emerge from the organization-mobilization department twice a year, as a sort of ritual bringing the conscription campaign to a close. Each time the decreed quantity of recruits has been found and each time their quality has declined. Within these standardized announcements there is no suggestion that the whole system for recruiting the Russian armed forces is steadily collapsing. Last autumn, however, there were indications that, at long last, the Russian government has accepted that the system must be changed. Programmes to phase out conscription are being considered although it is not clear that the general staff has accepted that a professional army is desirable or practical.
    [Show full text]
  • Russia and Asia: the Emerging Security Agenda
    Russia and Asia The Emerging Security Agenda Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI is an independent international institute for research into problems of peace and conflict, especially those of arms control and disarmament. It was established in 1966 to commemorate Sweden’s 150 years of unbroken peace. The Institute is financed mainly by the Swedish Parliament. The staff and the Governing Board are international. The Institute also has an Advisory Committee as an international consultative body. The Governing Board is not responsible for the views expressed in the publications of the Institute. Governing Board Professor Daniel Tarschys, Chairman (Sweden) Dr Oscar Arias Sánchez (Costa Rica) Dr Willem F. van Eekelen (Netherlands) Sir Marrack Goulding (United Kingdom) Dr Catherine Kelleher (United States) Dr Lothar Rühl (Germany) Professor Ronald G. Sutherland (Canada) Dr Abdullah Toukan (Jordan) The Director Director Dr Adam Daniel Rotfeld (Poland) Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Signalistg. 9, S-1769 70 Solna, Sweden Cable: SIPRI Telephone: 46 8/655 97 00 Telefax: 46 8/655 97 33 E-mail: [email protected] Internet URL: http://www.sipri.se Russia and Asia The Emerging Security Agenda Edited by Gennady Chufrin OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 1999 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Athens
    [Show full text]
  • THE LAND WARFARE PAPERS Perestroika and Soviet Military
    THE LAND WARFARE PAPERS No.5 OCTOBER 1990 Perestroika and Soviet Military Personnel By Robert B. Davis A National Security Affairs Paper Published on Occasion by THE INSTITUTE OF LAND WARFARE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY Arlington, Virginia PERESTROIKA AND SOVIET MILITARY PERSONNEL by Robert B. Davis THE INSTITUTE OF LAND WARFARE ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY AN AUSA INSTITUTE OF LAND WARFARE PAPER In 1988 the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) established within its existing organization a new entity known as the Institute of Land Warfare. Its purpose is to extend the educational work of AUSA by sponsoring scholarly publications, to include books, monographs and essays on key defense issues, as well as workshops and symposia. A work selected for publication as a Land Warfare Paper represents research by the author which, in the opinion of the editorial board, will contribute to a better understanding of a particular defense or national security issue. Publication as an AUSA Institute of Land Warfare Paper does not indicate that the Association of the United States Army agrees with everything in the paper, but does suggest that AUSA believes the paper will stimulate the thinking of AUSA members and others concerned about important defense issues. LAND WARFARE PAPER NO. S, OCTOBER 1990 Perestroika and Soviet Military Personnel by Robert B. Davis Mr. Robert B. Davis is a research psychologist with the U.S. Army Foreign Science and Technology Center in Charlottesville, Virginia. Mr. Davis received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas College and his advanced degree from Troy State University, Alabama.
    [Show full text]
  • President Putin and His Generals Bureaucratic Control and War-Fighting Culture
    President Putin and His Generals Bureaucratic Control and WarWar---FightingFighting Culture Pavel Baev November 2001 PONARS Policy Memo 205 International Peace Research Institute Since the attacks on the United States on September 11, Russian president Vladimir Putin has moved Russia decisively toward the West, staking out a prominent place in the U.S.- led antiterrorist coalition. He has also redefined the war in Chechnya as just another theatre in this global campaign, thereby hoping to reduce the level and intensity of Western criticism. Putin quickly allied with the West diplomatically and politically in antiterrorist efforts, but the ability of the Russian military to be a useful partner in this campaign may inhibit Russia’s desire/efforts to be a useful contributor to the joint efforts in combating terrorism. Will Putin be able to transform the Russian military into a reliable partner with the West and, perhaps down the road, for NATO? Although the answer involves a host of issues, from resources available to the military to hunger and violence in the barracks, the key to successful military reform will be whether or not the military leadership accepts Putin’s authority. The president has shown skill and firmness in consolidating his control, but his relations with the top brass are far from being problem-free and hidden tensions might be building. Cadre Reshuffling Putin’s uncertain control over the military leadership manifested itself most obviously in July 2000 when Defense Minister Igor Sergeev and Chief of the General Staff Anatoli Kvashnin clashed head-to-head over priorities in resource allocation. Putin rightly saw more to that public scandal than just personal animosity and did not rush with disciplinary actions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cyber Defence Unit of the Estonian Defence League
    The Cyber Defence Unit of the Estonian Defence League Legal, Policy and Organisational Analysis Kadri Kaska, Anna-Maria Osula, LTC Jan Stinissen Tallinn 2013 Disclaimer This publication is a product of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (the Centre) and it represents the views and interpretations of the Centre. This publication does not represent the opinions or policies of NATO and is designed to provide an independent position. Third-party sources are quoted as appropriate and the Centre is not responsible for the content of the external sources referenced in this publication. The Centre assumes no responsibility for any loss or harm arising from the use of information contained in this publication. Copies of this publication may be distributed for non-profit and non-commercial purpose only. Contact NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence Filtri tee 12, Tallinn 10132, Estonia [email protected] www.ccdcoe.org 2 Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 5 1. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................... 7 NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY COLLABORATION IN ESTONIA ............................................................................................... 7 ESTONIAN DEFENCE LEAGUE ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Who Were the “Greens”? Rumor and Collective Identity in the Russian Civil War
    Who Were the “Greens”? Rumor and Collective Identity in the Russian Civil War ERIK C. LANDIS In the volost center of Kostino-Otdelets, located near the southern border of Borisoglebsk uezd in Tambov province, there occurred what was identified as a “deserters’ revolt” in May 1919. While no one was killed, a group of known deserters from the local community raided the offices of the volost soviet, destroying many documents relating to the previous months’ attempts at military conscription, and stealing the small number of firearms and rubles held by the soviet administration and the volost Communist party cell. The provincial revolutionary tribunal investigated the affair soon after the events, for while there was an obvious threat of violence, no such escalation occurred, and the affair was left to civilian institutions to handle. The chairman of the volost soviet, A. M. Lysikov, began his account of the event on May 18, when he met with members of the community following a morning church service in order to explain the recent decrees and directives of the provincial and central governments.1 In the course of this discussion, he raised the fact that the Council of Workers’ and Peasants’ Defense in Moscow had declared a seven-day amnesty for all those young men who had failed to appear for mobilization to the Red Army, particularly those who had been born in 1892 and 1893, and had been subject to the most recent age-group mobilization.2 It was at this moment that one of the young men in the village approached him to ask if it was possible to ring the church bell and call for an open meeting of deserters in the volost, at which they could collectively agree whether to appear for mobilization.
    [Show full text]
  • Armed Forces of Georgian Democratic Republic in 1918–1921
    George Anchabadze Armed Forces of Georgian Democratic Republic .. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22364/luzv.5.06 Armed Forces of Georgian Democratic Republic in 1918–1921 Gruzijas Demokrātiskās Republikas bruņotie spēki 1918.–1921. gadā George Anchabadze, Doctor of History Sciences, Full professor Ilia State University, School of Arts and Sciences Kakutsa Cholokashvili Ave 3/5, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia E-mail: [email protected] The article is dedicated to the armed forces of the Georgian Democratic Republic (1918–1921). It shows the history of their creation and development, the composition and structure of the troops, as well as provides a brief insight into the combat path. It also shows the contradictions that existed between the socialist leadership of the country and a significant part of the officer corps, caused by ideological differences. The result of these contradictions were two forms of the armed organization of Georgia – the regular army and the People’s Guard, which caused discord in the armed forces. This circumstance, among other reasons, contributed to the military defeat of Georgia in the clash with Soviet Russia (1921). Keywords: Transcaucasia in 1918–1921, Georgian Democratic Republic, regular army of Georgia, the People’s Guard, The Soviet-Georgian War of 1921. Raksts veltīts Gruzijas Demokrātiskās Republikas bruņotajiem spēkiem 1918.–1921. gadā, tajā atspoguļota to izveidošanas un attīstības vēsture, kā arī karaspēka sastāvs un struktūra, bez tam īsumā raksturotas kaujas operācijas. Parādītas arī pretrunas, kas pastāvēja starp valsts sociālistisko vadību un lielu daļu virsnieku korpusa un kas izraisīja ideoloģiskas atšķirības. Šo pretrunu rezultāts bija divas Gruzijas bruņoto spēku organizatoriskās formas – regulārā armija un Tautas gvarde –, starp kurām pastāvēja nesaskaņas.
    [Show full text]