Short list of Major Figures in RCW

[Jorje Vidrio]

For an American neophyte who knows next to nothing about the RCW {but who is really getting interested in the subject matter}, could some kind soul make a short list of the half dozen or so major figures in the RCW?

I know of Lenin, Stalin, Kerensky, & Trotsky, but who are all these other obviously important peoples?

[barbu]

Southern Whites (which really equals Don Cossacks + anti Bolshevik officers and generals fleeing south):

Kaledin, Krasnov = Occupied the position of leader of the Don Cossacks (ataman) in succesion. Kaledin died before June 1918, so you won't see him in the Grand Campaign scenario.

Kornilov = White General. A very strong-minded and bold person (think Patton without all the military successes). Attempted a coup d'etat against Kerensky, was imprisoned, escaped south. Dies early in 1918, so you won't see him in the Grand Campaign scenario.

Denikhin = White General. Pretty much the person in charge of the whole Russian war effort in the South after Kornilov's death.

Alekseyev = Prior to the revolution, Chief of Staff and then Commander of the (whole) Russian Army.

Wrangel = commander of the White Army in the South in its last phases.

(I think I'm forgetting somebody...)

Northern/White Whites

Yudenich = Commander of White Russian troops to the west of Moscow, i.e. Baltic States. Attacked Petrograd at some point. I don't know much more, I'm sure others do.

Siberian Whites

Kolchak = Admiral. Gained renown in the Baltic Sea and in the Black Sea during WW1. Takes control of Siberia in late 1918 (one of the scenarios starts exactly at that moment).

The Czech Legion (yes, they are a major figure ) : Czech soldiers who had fought for the Austro-Hungarian empire (since their lands were part of it) and who during the war were imprisoned and persuaded to fight on the side of Russia. When the revolution(s) happened they were left pretty much to fend for themselves. Caused *major* headaches for the Bolsheviks in Siberia.

[barbu]

I don't usually double-post, but I think it's nice to have a chronology here as well:

1914 = WW1 begins.

1917, february = Anti-Czar revolution. Kerensky (a Social-Democrat) pretty much takes control.

1917, november = Bolshevik revolution/coup d'etat. Whites start fleeing south.

1918 (spring) = Non-Bolshevik forms of political organization establish themselves across Russia. The two main places are the South (i.e. the Don) and Siberia. The Bolshevik government signs the Brest-Litovsk treaty with Germany and leaves the war.

1918 (summer) = Start of the "Grand Campaign" scenario. The Czar is executed by a Bolshevik firing squad. Fighting in the South has become widespread. The Central Powers claim that the Bolsheviks have broken the terms of the peace treaty by spreading Bolshevik propaganda in Germany and advance into the Ukraine.

November 1918 = Another RUS scenario starts here (forgot the name). Kolchak takes control of Siberia. WW1 ends, Germans leave home; British, French and other Allied troops can now intervene in strength in the Russian Civil War.

Edit: I have also attached a strategic map with names written on it if Russian geography is not exactly familiar to you.

[Baris]

Nikolai Nikolaevich Yudenich: One of the senior,successful commanders before the Feb revolution in Tzarist army. Previously he was commanding 4th Caucasian corps in ww1. He succesfully managed to take control of cities of Sarikamish, Malazgirt, Erzurum ,Trabzon, and Erzincan from Ottoman Empire around 1915-16. After 1917 Feb revolution he was promoted but then his promotion revoked. Supported white movement (Ataman Kornilov) and gathered the troops around Estonia to attack Petrograd where Trotsky on defense.

Some corrections for Barbu's Caucasian map, but that was not very clear in game. Republics around Caucasia. 1918-1920 (Color coded)

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[barbu]

Awesome map Do you have more maps like that for other territories that had been part of the Russian Empire?

[Baris]

Unfortunately not Barbu. But it would be a good idea prepare a map and fill in the generic parts of the map with some sub-factions and leaders for the newcomers and players who will enjoy more detailed information about the conflict.

Another Major figure in the "minor", less detailed Tatar geography is "Mir Sultan Galijev". From my readings , He was mostly categorized as Marxist-Nationalist leader born in Kazan. From my sources, he was also a leader that interpreted clasical marxist theory of for his political ideas. İdea in mind is to form a independent ural state(Tatar-Bashkir Republic ) which would be influenced by marxism, islam and nationalism. His main interpretion was based on his theory "proletariat nations". His main point of view was even proletariat were successfull in the west and the Soviets, the faith of the eastern nations wont change. Revolutionary new born proteriat will become the new imperialists. He thought that any marxist interpretion in the soviets will be orthodox-marxism. Idea was Communism in Russia should'nt be centered around like in classic marxist "western proletariat" dialect. According to him by nature eastern communities are collectivist. Western proletariat are in an agreement with the bourgeoisi to exploit eastern communities.

But at the start of the civil war he joined Bolsheviks and from this move he was labelled as a "traitor" by uprising Bashkirs. He worked at the bolshevik commities. From english-wikipedia : ( For concensus about who he is)

"During the Civil War he was active in organising the defence of Kazan against the Whites in August 1918 and liquidating opposition after they had been driven out. He was also instrumental in ensuring that that the Bashkir people, led by Zeki Velidi, joined the Bolshevik side which weakened the military potential of Kolchak's army. His knowledge of national movements in the East won him the trust of Stalin and other highly placed Party and government figures. Sultan-Galiev carried out many tasks on the personal orders of Stalin. In April 1919 he again was rushed to the eastern front to help shore up the moral of the Tatar 21st division at Malmysh after Kolchak's Spring offensive had forced the Red Army to abandon Ishevsk to the Whites. In June 1919 he was sent to Kazan at request of the local Bolshevik administration to help resolve the national question among the Tatars, but he was soon recalled to Moscow by Lenin to work on the nationality issue in the Narkomnats until 1922"

Also from the wiki ( For concensus about who he is)

Stalin was not sympathetic to Mirsaid's attempt to synthesise Islam, nationalism and communism for a revolution in the East in general and among Muslim areas there in particular. Stalin, therefore, had Mirsäyet Soltanğäliev imprisoned and later executed (in Moscow on 28 January 1940) for being an independent ‘Muslim’ leader.[11] He was killed by the NKVD on the morning of 28 January 1940 at Lefort Prison by Stalin's order. The Soviet High Court returned his honour and rights back as a citizen and a party member by the decision taken on 30 April 1990 and declared that the charges of which he had been accused were based on a frame-up and false drops by the NKVD

I think he should be a "locked" leader in game just as Lenin. Even though some of his ideas are shallow by partially refusing dialectical materialism. Instead of class struggle he put emphesis on exploited eastern communities by west and even marxist-leninist soviet revolution.

[ERISS]

the charges of which he had been accused were based on a frame-up and false drops by the NKVD

As it could be otherwise for all who have been killed by the Chekas..:mdr maybe in just 3 first months after its creation, the Cheka bothered about truth).

About 'major' figures, they are not enough if you want to understand the whole War in all its theaters. You have to know at least a full dozen (I'll even say thirty).
About Ukraine, there was Petlioura (north-west, nationalist) and Makhno (south-east, anarchist).

[Baris]

As it could be otherwise for all who have been killed by the Chekas..:mdr maybe in just 3 first months after its creation, the Cheka bothers about truth).

About 'major' figures, they are not enough if you want to understand the whole War in all its theaters. You have to know at least a dozen.

Indeed. But this one seems as the major in the minor to fill some gaps in turkestan and volga theatre neglected in the game where Ukranine was clear Maybe the fact Machno anarchist is more well known? He had similar motivation but different ideology then Machno. But it seems his area of operation consists of caccasusia, tatar, kazakhistan, Crimea and the area around lake baikal seems as a big geography. Cities as Ufa, Kazan, Astrahan, Orenburg were also the area of opreation when serving as a bolshevik committe member. But no particular event and information in game. in 1918 august when Czech legion siege Kazan with the help of cossacks, he was at some point defending there with Vahidov.

But maybe this time cheka were right he was not innocent but why did they returned the honour 1990?
Maybe can help the player why some turkmen pop up as white and some others are in red color