Troubles. 1919 year. 100 years ago, in the fall of 1919, Operation White Sword began. The White North-Western Army under the command of Yudenich, with the support of Estonian troops and the British fleet, tried to take red Petrograd. At the end of September - October, the White Guards broke through the defenses of the Red Army and reached the closest approaches to Petrograd.
Failure of the first offensive on Petrograd
In the spring and summer of 1919, the White Guards, with the support of the Estonian army, made the first attempt to take Petrograd (the May offensive of the Northern Corps, How the Whites broke through to Petrograd). In the second half of May, the White Guard Northern Corps and Estonian troops, breaking through the defenses of the Red Army (Petrograd was defended by the troops of the Western Front as part of the 7th and 15th armies), captured Gdov, Yamburg and Pskov. At the end of May, the Whites reached Luga, Ropsha and Gatchina, on June 11-12 - to the forts "Krasnaya Gorka" and "Gray Horse", where an anti-Soviet rebellion broke out.
The red front staggered. The Petrograd direction was considered calm, there were not the best units here. Many soldiers went over to the side of the enemy, surrendered or fled. The command was unsatisfactory. However, the Soviet government reacted immediately and restored the defenses of Petrograd in the most decisive manner. On May 22, the Central Committee of the RCP (b) appealed to the workers with an appeal "To protect Petrograd", adopted a resolution on the mobilization of communists and workers in the northwestern provinces to the Petrograd sector of the front, which was recognized as the most important. A commission headed by Stalin and Deputy Chairman of the Cheka Peters arrived in Petrograd from Moscow to investigate and take emergency measures. In Petrograd, a "purge" was carried out, the White Guard, anti-Soviet underground, ready for an uprising, was suppressed. Mobilization was hastily carried out in the city, new units were formed, reserves were drawn up from Central Russia, units from other fronts. The proximity of such a large city to the front, with a powerful industrial potential, large population, the main base of the Baltic Fleet, became an important precondition for the victory of the Red Army in the Petrograd direction.
As a result, the White offensive was drowned out. The troops of the Northern Corps of Rodzianko, even with the support of the Estonians, on which the white rear rested, were too small and weak to storm such a huge city, the former capital of the Russian Empire. No help was received from Finland. The Finns, who planned to build "Greater Finland" at the expense of Russian lands (Karelia, the Kola Peninsula), began an invasion back in April (How "Greater Finland" planned to seize Petrograd). In the second half of April, the Finnish "Olonets Volunteer Army" captured Olonets and reached Lodeynoye Pole. In early May, the Finnish army was driven back from Lodeynoye Pole, and on May 6, Soviet troops liberated Olonets. The joint action of the Northern Corps and Finland against Petrograd did not take place.
Rodzianko's army quickly fizzled out. There were not enough weapons and ammunition. The supply from Estonia was discontinued. Then the whites lost the support of the Estonian troops. The Whites captured a large territory, the Pskov region. However, war has already swept through these lands twice. The plundered, devastated lands could not provide either soldiers or food. The Whites were never able to get a rear base on Russian soil.
In addition, there was no unity in the white movement itself. Its leaders were in conflict. "Ataman of peasant and partisan detachments" Bulak-Balakhovich strove to lead the white army in the Baltic States, clashed with Rodzianko and Yudenich (took over the army on October 2). Having captured Pskov, Bulak-Balakhovich established his own order in the city. Pskov was completely plundered, and the population was terrorized. Also, "dad" was caught in printing counterfeit money ("kerenok"). Rodzianko tried to calm down the raging "dad". He wanted to transfer his detachment to the newly created 2nd Corps of General Arsenyev and reorganize it into a regular unit with its organization and discipline. However, the "father" did not want to obey such an order and offered to reorganize his detachment into the "Peasant Army".
Sabotage and bickering between the commander of the North-Western Army, General Rodzianko and Bulak-Balakhovich, continued for more than a month. The leaders of the British military mission, Generals Marsh and Gough, and the Estonian commander-in-chief Laidoner, took part in this conflict. Bulak-Balakhovich's proximity to the Estonian British military leadership irritated Yudenich and Rodzianko. They saw the intrigues of the "dad" against the command of the North-Western Army, but could not suppress his rebellion without the sanction of the allies. As a result, the new commander of the North-Western Army, General Yudenich, with the full support of the army commanders, ordered the arrest of the "dad". A detachment of Colonel Permikin was sent to Pskov. “Bulak-Balakhovich fled under the protection of the Estonians. The withdrawal from the front of part of the White forces and the Estonians who supported them allowed the 15th Red Army to occupy Pskov quite easily. In September, Bulak-Balakhovich tried to arrest the command of the North-Western Army in order to lead it, but his conspiracy was exposed. In the future, the "father" with his detachment was in the service of the Estonians.
On June 21, troops of the 7th Red Army, with the support of the Baltic Fleet, broke through the defenses of the Northern Army (deployed from the Northern Corps on June 19, from July 1 - the North-Western Army) and liberated Yamburg on August 5. In late June - early July, the troops of the 7th Army, in cooperation with the Onega military flotilla, during the Vidlitsa operation, threw the Finnish troops back to the border. The troops of the 15th Army, which went over to the offensive in mid-August, liberated Pskov on August 26.
Thus, with the liberation of Yamburg and Pskov by the Red Army, the first White Guard offensive on Petrograd was summed up. The defeated white units settled on a narrow bridgehead between Lake Peipsi and the Plyussa River. Yudenich's army found itself squeezed on a narrow patch of land with the "capital" in Gdov. On the right flank, the Reds threatened from Pskov, Lake Peipsi and Estonia across the river. Narva were in the rear, the sea on the left flank. The army headquarters in Narva, the "government" in Reval are already on foreign territory. There was a temporary lull in the Petrograd direction.
It should be noted that the Civil War in the north-west of Soviet Russia is interesting for the intertwining of the interests of Germany (at the first stage of the formation of the Baltic limitrophes and white formations), the Entente - primarily England, which tried to occupy a dominant position in the Baltic region, the nationalist aspirations of the Baltic limitrophes and Finland … White formations in these conditions in the northwest turned out to be very weak and very much dependent on the support of external sponsors of the Civil War in Russia. So, the Northern Corps (then the army) was very much dependent on the position of Estonia and the British.
Establishment of the Northwest Government
In early August 1919, the Estonian government raised the issue of recognizing independence from the white movement, threatening otherwise to end support for Rodzianko's army. On August 10, the deputy chief of the British military mission in the Baltic, General Marsh (March), summoned the members of the Political Conference under Yudenich to Reval (One of the best generals of the First World War N. N. Yudenich, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4), a group of industrialists from the Committee for Russian Affairs in Finland and public figures. Here he gave them an ultimatum: immediately, without leaving the room, to form a "government of the North-Western region of Russia." Otherwise, the British will stop helping the White movement and the White Guards will not receive anything from the goods already brought (weapons, uniforms, etc.). This government was to immediately recognize the independence of Estonia, conclude an alliance agreement with it. Also, the British have prepared a list of government members and the text of the treaty recognizing the full independence of Estonia.
Remembering the extremely difficult situation of the army and seeing no other way out, the members of the meeting accepted the British ultimatum. Yudenich, who was at the front, could not arrive at the meeting on time due to the upset communication routes. But he demanded of Marsh not to make a decision without him. But the decision was made. On August 11, the government headed by Lianozov was created. Yudenich was appointed Minister of War and Commander-in-Chief. At the same time, the British changed the statement again in a day. If on August 10 General Marsh suggested that the Russian and Estonian representatives sign a document with mutual equal and direct obligations (the formed Russian government pledged to recognize the full independence of Estonia, and the Estonian government was to provide armed support to the White Army "in the liberation of Petrograd"), then the document of August 11 was already a unilateral obligation of the Russians to recognize the independence of Estonia and a request to the Estonian government to assist in the attack on Petrograd.
The Northwest government is located in Reval. In September, the Lianozov government recognized the independence of Latvia and Finland. The issuance of its own currency began. An offensive against Petrograd by forces of the North-Western Army alone did not promise a quick victory. Therefore, in its foreign policy activities, the northwestern government made every effort to attract Estonia and Finland to the attack on Petrograd. However, the negotiations dragged on and the question of direct and open action by Estonia and Finland against the Bolsheviks remained open. The main condition for the provision of armed assistance to Yudenich's army, Estonia and Finland, set forth the demand for the immediate and unconditional recognition of their state independence not only by the northwestern government, but also by Admiral Kolchak and the League of Nations. And the "supreme ruler" Kolchak categorically refused to recognize the independence of Estonia. The government forcibly created by the British did not go into military affairs, limiting itself to the role of an advisory and administrative body under Commander-in-Chief Yudenich.
At the same time, the British did not provide effective assistance to the White Guards. Due to their intrigues, the receipt of the necessary weapons and uniforms by the troops continued to be delayed. While they were negotiating, while unloading, while delivering … The Red Army did not wait and defeated the enemy. Small in number, poorly armed and without ammunition, the discouraged North-Western Army retreated across the Luga River, blowing up bridges behind it. The recognition of independence did not improve relations with Estonians either. On the contrary, seeing the weakness of the whites, seeing the British wiping their feet on them, they gained strength and became insolent. The Estonian troops looked at the White Guards with hostility, as possible opponents of their independence, the Estonian authorities, as best they could, put a spoke in their wheels. Homegrown Estonian politicians and national intelligentsia, intoxicated by “freedom”, dreamed of creating their own “state”. An information campaign was conducted against the "Great Russian" governments of Kolchak, Denikin and the North-Western Army, a bubble of threats from white officers who promised to move to Revel after the capture of Petrograd was inflated.
True, the high command, headed by General Laidoner, understood that the Estonian troops were still too weak to resist the Reds, and if they reached the Estonian border, they would quickly establish Soviet power there. It was obvious that it was better to fight the enemy on foreign territory and with the wrong hands. Let the Russians weaken the Russians. Therefore, Laidoner willingly agreed to a military-technical agreement with Yudenich. He threw in a little help with weapons and money. Estonian regiments moved into Russian territory and guarded the rear, secondary sectors of the front, which made it possible for the whites to concentrate all their forces and resources in the main directions. However, the anti-Russian propaganda did its job, the Estonian troops were increasingly hostile to the whites.
Yudenich's army never received effective assistance from the allied command. An international scandal erupted when Gough and Marsh's antics of establishing a northwest government were publicized. It turned out that the British military mission only has the authority to be under Yudenich, and not to arbitrarily rebuild the life of the Baltic states. A diplomatic conflict arose between France and England. The French themselves broke the wood in the south of Russia, but here they tried to act as defenders of the interests of the Russians. Mainly because of a possible future threat from Germany. Paris to have an ally in the east against the Germans. As a result, the Supreme Council transferred the general leadership of the allied forces in the western region from England to France. Gough and Marsh were recalled. France sent General Nissel to the Baltic. But while negotiations were going on, time was lost. By October, Nissel had not yet reached Revel. During the decisive battles, Yudenich's army was left without the support of the Entente.
The idea of a new offensive on Petrograd
The Soviet government tried to regulate relations with the Baltic countries. Finland was recognized by the Council of People's Commissars back in December 1917. In response to the note of the People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs Chicherin of August 31, 1919 to Estonia, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia gathered in Revel on September 14 to resolve the issue of peace negotiations. On September 29, 1919, a conciliation conference of the Baltic states opened in Yuryev. On October 4, the governments of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania notified Moscow of their agreement to start preliminary negotiations on October 25 in Yuryev. At the same time, Estonia slowed down the start of negotiations with Soviet Russia. The Estonian government wanted to provide itself for two scenarios: the victory of the Whites and the capture of Petrograd, and the victory of the Red Army. These negotiations provided diplomatic cover for the offensive of Yudenich's army against Petrograd. Weakened the vigilance of the Soviet command in the Petrograd direction.
Estonian Foreign Minister Noski said to Margulies, Minister of Trade, Industry and Supply of the Northwest Government:
“Hurry up to prepare the offensive, and we will support you. But know that everything must be done before November, because later we will no longer be able to evade peace negotiations with the Bolsheviks."
The beginning diplomatic negotiations between Estonia and the Bolsheviks forced the White Guards to rush to the offensive on Petrograd, so that with its capture, once and for all, discourage the Baltic limitrophes from negotiating independence with the Soviet government. In addition, the attention of whites in north-west Russia was focused on the fighting on the Southern Front, where Denikin's forces were breaking through to Moscow. In September - early October 1919, the offensive of Denikin's army on Moscow developed successfully, it even seemed that the red Southern Front was falling apart and a little more and the White Guards would take the capital. It seemed that the moment to strike at Petrograd was the most favorable. The offensive of Yudenich's army will contribute to the victory of the AFSR in the Moscow direction and the overall victory of the white movement in Russia.
The British also pushed for an offensive on Petrograd. The British military mission assured Yudenich that with the offensive of the North-Western Army, the British fleet would provide support on the coastal flank and undertake an operation against Kronstadt and the Red Baltic Fleet. It was prudent to launch an offensive before winter, while the British fleet could provide support. Then the waters of the Gulf of Finland will be frozen in ice. Also, the whites had to prove their usefulness to the Entente in order to be supported.
In September 1919, the Northwest Army revived. Finally, the whites received weapons, ammunition, ammunition, food, which were supposed to arrive in the summer. The Entente stepped up supplies. True, there was a lot of outright rubbish. The war in Europe ended and the Westerners got rid of the scrap metal. So, out of the batch of tanks sent, only one turned out to be serviceable, the rest required major repairs. The airplanes turned out to be unsuitable, since the motors sent to them were of the wrong brand. The English guns were not of high quality, they were without locks. But on the whole, the army was armed, outfitted, and supplied with ammunition. The units began to receive food rations and allowances. Discipline recovered, fighting spirit recovered.
The white leadership in the northwest was not unanimous about the future offensive. Part of the government believed that it was premature. The army is too small, so it is necessary to gain time, form new units, prepare and arm them, and only then strike at Petrograd. However, the opinion of the military leadership headed by Yudenich won. The generals believed that it was necessary to attack immediately, while Denikin was advancing in the south, there were supplies from England and Estonia did not make peace with Soviet Russia.
State of the Northwest Army
At the time of the second offensive, the Northwestern Army consisted of 26 infantry regiments, 2 cavalry regiments, 2 separate battalions and an amphibious sea detachment, in total about 18, 5 thousand people. The army was armed with about 500 machine guns, 57 guns, 4 armored trains ("Admiral Kolchak", "Admiral Essen", "Talabchanin" and "Pskovityanin"), 6 tanks, 6 airplanes and 2 armored cars.
The composition was motley. The soldiers were from peasants mobilized in the front line who did not want to fight, former prisoners of war of the old army who were in the camps of Austria-Hungary and Germany, and deserters from the Red Army. The most combat-ready was the Lieven detachment (monarchical), it was well equipped by the German authorities, and with its bearing and discipline resembled the units of the old army. Among the officers were supporters of an orientation towards Germany. In the rear, a mass of unworthy element was concentrated: cowards who were afraid of the front line, greedy parasites from the civilian and military, generals and former officials, gendarmes, adventure seekers who craved profit at any cost (the robbery of Petrograd or a defeated, crumbling army).
The army's troops were divided into 2 corps: 1st under the command of Count Palen (2nd, 3rd and 5th Livenskaya divisions), 2nd - General Arsenyev (4th division and a separate brigade). There were also separate units - the 1st separate division of Dzerozhinsky (3, 2 thousand people), the 1st and 2nd reserve regiments, a tank battalion and a landing naval detachment.
The White Guards planned to seize Petrograd by a sudden and powerful blow along the shortest direction Yamburg - Gatchina. Auxiliary and diversionary strikes were delivered in the Luga and Pskov directions.
