NESTOR MAKHNO IN THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR Michael Malet THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE TeutonicScan €> Michael Malet \982 AU rights reserved. No parI of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, wilhom permission Fim ed/lIOn 1982 Reprinted /985 To my children Published by lain, Saffron, and Jonquil THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD London rind BasingSloke Compafl/u rind reprutntatiW!S throughout the warld ISBN 0-333-2S969-6 Pnnted /II Great Bmain Antony Rowe Ltd, Ch/ppenham 5;landort � Signalur RNB 10043 Akz.·N. \d.·N. I, "'i • '. • I I • Contents ... Acknowledgements VIII Preface ox • Chronology XI .. Introduction XVII Glossary xx' PART 1 MILITARY HISTORY 1917-21 1 Relative Peace, 1917-18 3 2 The Rise of the Balko, July 19I5-February 1919 13 3 The Year 1919 29 4 Stalemate, January-October 1920 54 5 The End, October I92O-August 1921 64 PART 2 MAKHNOVSCHYNA-ORGAN1SATION 6 Makhno's Military Organisation and Capabilities 83 7 Civilian Organisation 107 PART 3 IDEOLOGY 8 Peasants and Workers 117 9 Makhno and the Bolsheviks 126 10 Other Enemies and Rivals 138 11 Anarchism and the Anarchists 157 12 Anti-Semitism 168 13 Some Ideological Questions 175 PART 4 EXILE J 4 The Bitter End 183 References 193 Bibliography 198 Index 213 • • '" Acknowledgements Preface My first thanks are due to three university lecturers who have helped Until the appearance of Michael PaJii's book in 1976, the role of and encouraged me over the years: John Erickson and Z. A. B. Nestor Makhno in the events of the Russian civil war was almost Zeman inspired my initial interest in Russian and Soviet history, unknown. His ideas and activities are still anathema in the Sovict and directed me to\\8rds the particular area of study which has led Union, the work on him in his own country in the 1920s �no�n to this book; Professor L. B. Schapiro not only directed my only to a few specialists; his ideology has but a small followl�g m research, but was of personal help and encouragement. Western Europe and the United States; his main area of operatlOns, the Ukraine, is virtually unknown in the West among the general This book could not have been written without the help of public; and the history of his times has been largely written in terms numerous friends. I would ask their forgiveness for not indicating of the winners rather than the losers, even where the latter helped the special help each has given, for this would be invidious. They decide the outcome. include: Professor Jean Maitron; Yuey Boshyk; Dr John Bradley; Alexandre Skirda; Agustin Souchy; Albert Meltzer; Peter Newell; This book has three main aims: to place Makhno, and the move­ Professor Paul A\ rich; Dr Victor Swoboda; Terry Liddle; Leah ment he led historically where they belong - in the context of a Feldman-Downes; Ida Melt-Lazarevich; Giovanni Baldelli; Georges civil war and a conflict of ideas, neither of which is finished. With Balkanski; Arthur Mendes-George; William Fishman; Mick this in mind, the book has been divided schematically, so that the many questions only indirectly connected with milit ry evcnts can CosteJlo; Keith Nalhan; Laurens Ouer and Soleru Higuchi. Would � . be adequately discussed and easily referred to. In hlS. the work IS any people omitted please accept my apologies and consider them­ � . selves included. complementary to that of Palij, whic� see�s pT1m�r�ly to place Makhno and the Makhno movement 10 theIr Ukramlan context. Last, but not Ica�t. I should like to thank the staffs of: the It is very much the author's hope that his work will be of intcrest Bibliotheque de Documentation Internationale Contemporaine, outwith academic and left-wing political circles. Paris; the British r-.lu\eum; the Centre Internationale de Recherches sur i'Anarchismc, Geneva: the Foreign Office Library; Harvard It will be clear from the book that the author has somc sympathy University Library; the Hoover Library at Stanford University, with Makhno and his ideals, but he trusts that this has not led to California; the Internationaal Instituut voor Sociale Geschiedenis, gross distortion or untruth. Amsterdam; the Lihrary of Congress, Washington; the New York M.M. Public Library and the Public Record Office. All those concerned 23 February 1979 have been both courteous and helpful. • ... " '1111 Chronology (I) EVENTS DIRECTLY CONCERNING NESTOR MAKHNO 14/27.10.1889 Birth of Nestor Makhno. , 1896-1902 Nestor at school. 1906 He joins local anarchist--communist group. August 1908 Arrest of Makhno and others. 1910 Their trial by court martial, Katerynoslav. 2/15.3.1917 Makhno and Arshinov released in Moscow. 24.3/6.4. 1917 Makhno back in Hulyai Pole. 29.3/11.4.1917 Foundations of Hulyai Pole Peasant Union laid. Early June 1917 Makhno leads successful strike, Hulyai Pole. 11/24-16/29.6.1917 1st Provincial Peasant Congress, Kateryno­ , slav. August 1917 Hulyai Pole group letter to Kropotkin. 28.8/10.9. 1917 Regiment disarmed at Orikhiv. 2/15-4/17, 12.1917 Provincial Congress of Workers', Peasants', and Soldiers' Deputies, Katerynoslav. 27,12.1917/9,1.1918 Sixteen Cossack trains try to break through at Olexandrivske. 1/14.• 1918 Makhno helps to restore Soviet power, Olex­ andrivske. 15.4,1918 Hulyai Pole betrayed 10 Central Powers. End April 1918 Taganrog conference of Hulyai Pole anar­ chists. 4.5. 1918 Makhno leaves Rostov for Tsarilsyn. 2 or 3.6.1918 Makhno leaves Saratov for Moscow. 29.6.1918 Makhno leaves Moscow for the Ukraine. 4.7. 1918 Makhno makes first contacts with peasants, from Rozhdestvenka. July 1918 Schus takes refuge in forest after defeat. 28.9.1918 First brief occupation of Hulyai Pole. • " . ... ". Nes!or Makhno in the Russian Civil War Chronology Xlll 5.10.1918 Battle of Dibrivki. 5.11)-4.11. 1919 Occupation of Olexandrivske. 12-16.11.1918 Founding Conference of Nabal, Kursk. 7.10. 1919 Start of five-day battle at Volnovakha. 27.11.1918 Permanent occupation of Hulyai Pole. 23/24.10.1919 Occupation and abandonment of Mariupil. 26.12.1918 Bolshevik and insurgent forces under 27.10-2.11.1919 Olexandrivske congress. Makhno attack Katerynoslav. 28.IIHU1.1919 First occupation of Katerynoslav. 29.12.1918 Nationalists relake Katerynoslav. 9.11-9.12.1919 Second occupation of Katerynoslav. 3.1.1919 Front unit delegate congress, Palohy. November 1919 Makhnovist-Borotbist talks, Katerynoslav. 23.1.1919 1st regional congress, Velyka Mykhailivka. 4/5.12.1919 Arrest and execution of Polonski. 26.1.1919 Chubenko-Dybenko agreement, Nyzhnyod­ 5.1.1920 Meeting of Red and insurgent forces, Olex­ niprovske. andrivske. 12.2.1919 2nd regional congress, Hulyai Pole. 9.1.1920 Makhno outlawed by Bolsheviks. 5.4.1919 Makhno advance to KUlcinykove: Shkuro 14.1.1920 Volin, ill with typhus, seized by Bolsheviks counter-attack. in Kryvy Rih. 2-7.4.1919 Nabal congress, Yelyzavcthrad. 13.6.1920 Novouspenivka debacle. 10.4.1919 3rd regional congress, Hulyai Pole. 5.7.1920 Issue of 'Road to Freedom' - first Since 29.4.1919 Antonov-Ovseyenko at HuJyai Pole. Katerynoslav. April 1919 Arshinov arrives at Hulyai Pole. 9.7.1920 Vrangel messenger to Makhno hanged. April 1919 Rosa Luxemburg commune starts again. 1-7.8.1920 Makhno in Zinkiv. 7.5.1919 Kamencv at Hulyai Pole. 3-8.9. 1920 Nabat conference, Kharkiv. 12.5.1919 Gorkaya incident. 30.9.1920 Makhno proposed armistice to Bolsheviks. 14.5.1919 Renewed Makhnovist and Soviet attacks. 10/15.10.1920 Makhno-Bolshevik agreement signed. 17.5.1919 First number of 'Road to Freedom' pub­ 4.11.1920 Nabat paper reappeared, Kharkiv. lished. 7/8.11.1920 Successful crossing of Sivash. 19.5.1919 Shkuro counter-attack at junction of Makhno 22.11.1920 Makhno attends show at Polohy. brigade and 9th division of 13th Army. 23.11.1920 Frunze's Order 00149. 4.6.1919 Trotski's Order 1824 forbids 4th congress. 26.11.1920 Simultaneous attacks on anarchists and in­ 5.6.1919 Battle of Svyatodukhivka. surgents. 6.6.1919 Whites take Hulyai Pole. 1.12.1920 Battle of Tymoshivka. 9.6.1919 Makhno resigns his command, Haichur 12.12.1920 Attack on Berdyansk. station. 14-12.1920 Andriyivka 'konfuz'. 17.6.1919 Makhnovist staff shot under Order 1824, 30.12J920-22. 1.1921 Continuous Bolshevik pursuit. Kharkiv. 14/15.3.1921 Makhno seriously wounded: forces split. Early July 1919 Makhno-Hryhoriyiv agreement. June 1921 Death of Schus. 12.7.1919 Makhno attack on Yelyzavethrad. 28 and 30.6.1921 Bad insurgent defeats, Poltava province. 27.7.1919 Sentove denouement. 13-28.8.1921 Journey to Romania. 13-15.8.1919 Novy Buh revolt. 2.9.1921 Reported contact with Ukrainian mission, August 1919 Arrival of Volin: made chairman of R VS. Bucharest. 2-7.9.1919 Insurgent fighting against Whites in Pomi­ 17.9.1921 Russians demand Makhno's extradition. schna-Novoukrainka area. 1.12.1921 Goldman and Berkman left Russia. About 20.9. 1919 Makhno-Petliura agreement, Uman. 11.4.1922 Makhno expelled from Romania into Poland. 26.9.1919 Battle of Perehonivka. 27.11-1. 12.1923 His trial and acquittal, Warsaw. xov Nestor Makhno in the RI�ssian Civil War Chronology xv 4.1.1924 Sent to Jive under surveillance, Poznan 30.7. 1918 Murder of Field-Marshal Eichhorn, Kiyiv. • province. August 1918 Hryhoriyiv deserted Hetman for Petliura. July 1924 Makhno goes to Danzig. October 1918 Manuilski-Vynnychenko agreement. Winter 1924/5 Makhno escapes to Berlin. Early December 1918 Arrival of British military mission, Yeka­ By April 1925 Makhno in Paris. terinodar. March 1926 Publication of 'Platform'.