First Timeline Test

executive committee of the revolutionary military council meets, examines situations at the white front and re soviets. decide only the people should democratically make the drastic decisions needed to take action, and call extraordinary congress for June 15, triggering bolshevik repression. I am ioook look ok I'll kk LL I look

Makhno recieved telegram announcing Gregoriev revolt against Bolsheviks, and demanding he denounce and fight him. makhnovists issue response condemning his actions, but requiring more info before publicly declining him. send community if enquiry to area he's operating to find out more.

Trotsky has arrived in Ukraine by now, and leads brutal repression of anarchist insurgents, capturing them and executing them on the spot. on this date issues one of many responses to makhnovist congress convocation article. Kostin, Polynin, Dobrolyubov, and others executed for merely having been caught discussing the congress.

"Nabat" decided to direct its forces toward this region. At the beginning of June, 1919, they sent to Gulyai- Polye several militants, including Voline, Mrachnyi and losif Emigrant. They were going to transfer the central organs of the Confederation to Gulyai-Polye immediately after the congress of workers and peasants called for June 15 by the Revolutionary Military Council. But the simultaneous attacks on the region by the Bolsheviks and the Denikinists kept this plan from being carried out. Mrachnyi was

"In a single day the peasants of Gulyai-Polye formed a regiment to try to save their village. They armed themselves with domestic utensils: axes, picks, old rifles, shot guns, etc. They set out to meet the Cossacks with the aim of breaking their thrust. About ten miles from Gulyai-Polye, near the village of Svyatodu khovka in the district of Aleksandrovsk, they encountered a considerable number of Don and Kuban Cossacks. The Gulyai-Polye insurgents engaged in a heroic and murderous battle with them, and wer

bolsheviks continued to feign friendship, sending Makhno armored train and asking him to resist to the end, promising other reinforcements.

several detachments if red army arrive at Gyaichur, 13 miles from GP, with military commissars Mezhlauk,Voroshilov, et al. contact insurgents, and a kind of joint staff created Mezhlauk and Voroshilov on same armored train as Makhno, directing military ops together. but Voroshilov has in hand trotsky's order to capture Makhno and all other leaders of makhnovshina, disarm them and shoot any who resist. NM is warned in time and decided to abandon his post to pacify the bolsheviks.

NM informs staff of Insurrectionary army of decision to step down, adding that for time being, working as a simple fighter would be more useful under the circumstances. sent soviet high command an explanation (arshinov page 128)

Bolshevik papers declare Makhno has opened up the front to the whites. meanwhile, Makhno has reported to his leadership that red trips have abandoned their posts at the front in Grishino, allowing Denikin direct access to GulyaiPolye from NE. hordes of cossacks overrun area - not from insurrectionary front, but from left flank where bolsheviks were stationed. makhnovists are entirely bypassed on whites' way in.

According to an individual who commanded several divisions of the Red Army, and to several Bolshevik military leaders who held high posts, Trotsky formulated his relation- ship to the Makhnovshchina in the following terms: it would be better to yield the vihole Ukraine to Denikin than to permit a further development of the Makhnovshchina. Denikin's movement, being frankly counter-revolutionary, can be undermined later by means of class propaganda, whereas the Makhnovshchina develops in the depths of the mas

resigns as leader to save anarchists from Trotsky, sending soviet high command a statement stepping down - to remove any association of his alleged aspirations against them, and remove any excuse to persecute the insurgents. in person he goes to alexandrovsk with his small cavalry detachment, and hands over the command if his Insurrectionary army of anarchists to the freshly installed Bolshevik commander, who was presumably gobsmacked

To our great surprise, the majority of contemporary Russian anarchists, pretending to play a leading role in the field of anarchist thought, were not able to recognize the salient qualities of Makhno's personality. Many of them saw and judged him from a Bolshevik perspective, getting their materials from the hands of State agents, or else limited themselves to trifles. In this context, P, A. Kropotkin was a striking exception. "Tell Comrade Makhno from me to take care of himself, for there are not many peop

When the insurrectionary army retreated toward Uman in the summer of 1919, there were several cases when insur- gents plundered Jewish homes. When the insurrectionary army examined these cases, it was learned that one group of four or five men was involved in all these incidents-men who had earlier belonged to Grigor'ev's detachments and who had been incorporated into the Makhnovist army after Grigor'ev was shot. This group was disarmed and discharged imme- diately. Following this, all the combatants who ha

Rosa Luxembourg commune destroyed by Bolsheviks, and some days later it's leadership called and shit by denikin

NM unexpectedly falls back with them to alexandrovsk, after escaping Bolshevik trap at Gyaichur. they immediately seize chief of staff, several staff members and members of revolutionary military council, signaling several captures and executions. NM explains to his army the need to leave them and convinced them to put up with temporary Bolshevik leadership. they agree, but look forward to his return. he goes into hiding with a small cavalry detachment. as Red units, they continue to fight off whites

ekaterinaslav captured by whites. until a few days earlier, trotsky was writing of the threat of Denikin

saves Trotsky's own recovery team (sent to capture him) from whites

bolsheviks take GP in criminal invasion.

proposed date for extraordinary congress of workers, peasants and insurgents delegates (did it happen!?)

Kharkov captured by whites. the red army immediately withdraws, without even confronting Denikin - totally abandoning Ukraine to the counter-revolution, and rolling away with the trains and ammunition. Makhno decides he must come back into this and act independently against the whites and the reds

Denikin devastates local peasants. as Denikin advances, peasants flee, and insurgents drift towards Makhno - in few weeks he has an entirely new detachment randomly emerged around him. he retreats tactically measuring and considering den. in gp many are killed, and all the Jewish women are raped.

Cherednyakov was a peasant and an anarchist who was soon outlawed by the Bolshevik authorities. He and his detachment joined the general insurrectionary army of Makhno, and he fought on the Azov front against Denikin. At the time of Denikin's invasion of the Gulyai-Polye region in June, 1919, he was captured and given 300 blows of the whip. He escaped. In the summer of 1919 he again fell into the hands of Denikin's troops in the region of Poltava, and was shot.

Later the anarchists could only work in conditions of military activity, under continual fire from all sides, and were obliged to move daily from place to place. The anarchists who joined the army did everything they could do in these conditions of constant warfare. Some of them, like Makeev and Kogan, took part in military activitv; most of them did cultural work among the insurgents and in the villages which the Makhnovist army traversed. But this was not creative and constructive work among the masses in

Makhno initiates a congress of insurgents, with governments if ekaterinaslav, kherson, and tauride. 20k people come - peasants, insurgents, and Makhno and Gregoriev's detachments. Gregoriev speaks, entreating the people to chase out the Bolsheviks, and even consider joining Denikin to do so. Makhno speaks next and tears shit out of Gregoriev as counter revolutionary, and condemns his anti-Semitic pogroms. he goes for a gun, and it's shot down by chubenko and Makhno, and his immediate assistants are too, by

large numbers of red soldiers advance from Novi bug to pomoshchnaya looking for Makhno, bringing their commanders as captives - kochergin, dybets etc. meet makhnovists at dobrovelichkovka in gov of kherson. major blow for bolsheviks, reducing forces in UK to almost nothing. Makhno takes pause to regroup and organise these forces arriving from all sides

Makhno undertakes desperate offensive against Denikin, who is thrice pushed back 30-50 miles. NM captures 3 armored trained, including the enormous "invincible". but freshly reinforced, Denikin again pushed NM West, with advantage of arms and numbers. makhnovists almost completely out of cartridges. 2/3 attacks against denikin about scoring ammo. makhnovists also forced to battle bolsheviks retreating from Odessa, forcing further retreat out if Elisavetgrad-pomoshchnaya-voznesnsk

makhnovists retreat in midst of incessant combat. Denikin troops distinguish themselves with energy and obstinacy. Makhno admires their grit. by contrast, red cavalry never directly attack makhnovists, despite their numerically advantage, without the support of artillery etc

Denikins cavalry and Cossacks begin to exert enormous pressure on makhnovist troops, seeking to encircle them on all sides. NM sees that smallest error on his part could end his entire army, carefully deciding moment for decisive blow. Denikins troops neared Kursk, and NM thought the further north, the easier to attack their rear. also was retreating westward away from their superior forces.

Denikin reinforced from Odessa and voznesensk. insurgents abandon railroads, blowing up their armoured trains, and retreat along country roads from village to village, as whites pressure, eager to annihilate them.

after month long fighting retreat, makhnovists arrive at uman, occupied by petliura troops, also at waste with Denikin. 8000 wounded troops at makhnovists rear train, hindering all activity and mobility. after deciding to attempt military neutrality, the petliurists send delegation to makhnovist camp going to avoid new military front with Makhno, which suits NM - send own delegation to zhmerinka to make practice of strict military neutrality, desire political differences. petliurists even take makhnovists w

makhnovists suspicions about petliurist are confirmed when congress they are negotiating with denikins force to surround and exterminate makhnovists. on these dates Denikinist 4 or 5 Denikinist regiments already at makhnovists rear, on westward side - only able to get there through Petliuras territory.

makhnovists completely surrounded by denikins forces by evening. bulk of D's forces concentrated to east, but city of uman in his power. makhnovists must act quickly or be obliterated.

On the evening of September 25 the Makhnovist troops, who until then had been marching westward, sud- denly turned all their forces eastward and marched straight toward the main forces of Denikin's army.

The Makhnovist retreat had covered more than 400 miles and had lasted close to four months. It had been unimaginably difficult. The insurgents lacked clothes and shoes. Through torrid heat, enveloped by clouds of dust, under a hail of bullets and shells, they went further and further away from their own region toward an unknown destination. But they were all animated by the idea of victory over the enemy, and they valiantly endured the rigors of the retreat. Only occasionally did the least patient among the

after last minute, tense entry into Street battle that his loyal troops are about to lose - Batko enters and routs the five Denikinist regiments. they are cut down, driven into rivers and brutally killed - just as they were trying to do to the mkvsts

makhnovists set out in the directions, sweeping through villages, turns and cities and removing all vestiges of exploitation and servitude. pomeschiks, kulaks, police, priests, denikins Mayors, officers in hiding, swept out. prisons, police stations, posts - all destroyed. all known to be enemies of peasants and workers condemned to death. so much for bolsheviks accusations of Makhno being a kulak.

army returns to the dniepr at incredible speed. in a day covers 60 miles. occupies dolinskaya, krivoi rog and nikopol.

retakes kichkass bridge, and aleksandrovosk. moved so far, news had not even come about events at uman - so whites were uneasy and defenceless. alexan. followed by pologi, GP, berdyansk, melitopol, Mariupol. after ten days, entire southern Ukraine free of Denikin. berdyansk and Mariupol hold huge munitions stores. volnokhakha holds shells. now NM good railroads surrounding these stores, and denikins starved of ammo.

Denikin send reserves from taganrog, and they're routed by makhnovists, who flow to bottom of donets basin and northward.

insurgents flock to Makhnovists from south and north, even red army detachments from Russia arrive at this time. troops from orel, under command of Ogarkov, arrive at ekaterinaslav, having battled bolsheviks on the way and denikinists. however no connective larger army is organised to defend the revolutionary territory from bolshevik invasion after denikins withdrawal, whether from victorious intoxication or laziness, and upon bolshevik entry Makhnovists are forced to withdrawal into GP area,a fact the bols

Let us recall the following facts: when the Makhnavi occupied Ekaterinoslav in October, 1919, they did not in any way disturb the soldiers and officers of Denikin's army who were under going treatment in hospitals, believing that the murder of a disarmed enemy was not worthy of the honor of a revolutionary. General Slashchev, at that time under Denikin's orders today under the Bolsheviks), who took Ekaterincslav a month later put to death all the sick and wounded Makhnovists who were in the hospitals. The c

the constant civil warfare engulfing the region engendered strict discipline in the army and extreme severity toward their enemies . In spite of these characteristics , the Makhno- vists remained first of all revolutionaries. When they occupied Ekaterinoslav in October, 1919, the Makhnovists did not in any way disturb the soldiers of Denikin's or of other armies who were being treated in the hospitals of the city, whether they were plain soldiers or officers. And these same Makhno- vists shot their own comm

In the ''Declaration" published by the Revolutionary Military Council of the army in October, 1919, in the section dealing with the national question, the Makhnovists stated: When speaking of Ukrainian independence, we do not mean national independence in Petliura's sense, but the social independence of workers and peasants. We declare that Ukrainian, and all other, working people have the right to self-determination not as an 'independent nation," but as "independent workers." On the question of the langua

makhnovists occupy ekatarinoslav and surrounds. Denikin realised sitch and announced his campaign is moving from north to south. gen. Mai maevsky tells Cossacks the event are raging in with, endangering homes, and they must rush there to protect their land.

denikins best cavalry troops, commander by mamantov and shkuro, transferred from northern front to GP region, but it's too late. insurgents are enflamed throughout Ukraine. due to freak reinforcements and armored cars, whites briefly make makhnovists retreat from Mariupol, berdyansk and GP. but NM occupies sinelnikovo, pavlograd, ekaterinaslav and others.

Caucasian regiments, especially Chechen cavalry, perish by thousands, and refuse to fight NM any longer, abandoning their posts and returning to Caucasus - Denikinist disintegration begins.

We believe that if Makhno had possessed more ex- tensive knowledge in the fields of history and political and social sciences, the revolutionary insurrection would have recorded, instead of inevitable defeats, a series of victories which would have played a colossal and perhaps decisive role in the development of the Russian revolution. In addition, Makhno possessed one characteristic that sometimes diminished his dominant qualities: at times he exhibited a certain carelessness. Though full of energy and wi

red's advance hugely in the wake of the whites retreat. the way cleared by makhnovists, same as a year earlier against the Hetman.

makhnovists control a few large towns, like Alexandrovsk. either meetings are held with full military update briefings, and asking what is needed. workers are told they are in their own and will have to make committees etc. they are basically called, but railways get cracking on it, and eventually progress begins to be made.

regional congress of peasants and workers at alexandrovsk. 200 delegates (180 peasants, 20 workers), lasts over a week. intense, energetic spirit from participants due in part to a: army returning to control of home region, men returning to their mothers. B: the congress was meeting in absolute freedom - no influence whatsoever from powers above them. bonkers! voline speaks lucidly and the peasants love it. would marusya have spoken? methinks she would've.

delegates return to their village, which are almost immediately occupied by a last thrust by denikin. this disruption, before immediate takeover by bolshevik entry from north, prevents the establishment and communication of the resolutions from the Congress and prevents natural order before it can begin.

in ekaterinaslav, held by insurgents and host to the Congress, is shelled everyday for as month by denikins armored trains, hooked up on the Dnieper. whenever meetings were called, the denikinists were informed and would shell the area, preventing any kind of organisation. but they do establish newspapers in both Russian and Ukrainian. freedom of speech is upheld, with papers printed by left and right sr's, bolsheviks, etc. despite bolsheviks repressing press freedoms wherever they went, and having locally

polonsky, commander of 3rd insurrectional regiment (crimean) of 'authoritarian organisation' he is executed by the Makhnovists, among others.

1. All socialist political parties, organizations and tendencies have the right to propagate their ideas, theories, views and opinions freely, both orally and in writing. No restriction of socialist freedom of speech and press will be allowed, and no persecution may take place in this domain. Remark, Military communiques may not be printed unless they are supplied by the editors of the central organ of the revolutionary insurgents, Put' k Svobode. 2. In allowing all political parties and organizations full

At the end of the month the Makhnovists were forced to leave Ekaterinoslav. But they had time to demonstrate to the working masses that true freedom resides in the hands of the workers themselves, and that it begins to radiate and develop as soon as statelessness and equality are established among them.

after such epic heroism and struggle, Makhnovists are convinced that bolsheviks could no longer pretend that they are counter revolutionary, and the red army could no longer be convinced of communist party lies. they assume that when the red army Congress through, they will be sympathetic and supportive, and their military and revolutionary activity citations to this attitude. big mistake.

half the Makhnovist forces suffering from typhus.

Makhnovists forced to abandon Ekaterinaslav when general Slaschev attacks while retreating forces to Crimea, holding the city only very briefly.

Makhnovists regroup in region between cities of melitopol, nikopol, aleksandrovsk. staff of army halt in aleksandrovsk, knowing of red army's approach. they are expecting comradely relations, and do not prepare for conflict.

several divisions of Red Army arrive in region of Ekaterinaslav and Aleksandrovsk. encounter between soldiers is warm. general meeting is organised at which combatants shake hands and declare that they would fight together against a common enemy: capitalism and counter revolution. some units even show a desire to go over to the Makhnovists. this alliance lasts about a week.

commander of mk army receives order from revolutionary military council of the 14th corps of the red army to move insurrectionary army to the polish front. immediately recognised as first step of bolshevik attack on mks - sending mks to polish front meant reminding them from Ukraine- the center of their revolution, so bolsheviks can take over the rebellious region. the order also irks the Makhnovists: the 14th corps (or any part of red army) had no relationship with mks, and no right to order them around, w

"* * * DECLARATION OF THE REVOLUTIONARY INSURGENT ARMY OF THE UKRAINE (MAKHNOVIST) To all the peasants and workers of the Ukraine. To be sent by telegraph, telephone or post to all villages, rural districts, and governments of the Ukraine. To be read at peasant gatherings, in fac- tories and in workshops. Fellow workers! The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of the Ukraine (Makhnovist) was called into existence as a protest against the oppression of the workers and peasants by the bourgeois-landlord authority on

In the middle of January, 1920, the Bolsheviks de clared Makhno and the members of his army outlaws for their refusal to go to the Polish front. This date marked the beginning of a violent struggle between the Makhnovists and the Communist power. We will not go into all the details of this struggle, which lasted nine months. We will only note that it was a merciless struggle on both sides. The Bolsheviks relied on their numerous well-armed and well-supplied divi- sions. In order to avert fraternization betw

Naturally the Makhnovists-revolutionary sons of a people in revolution-could not remain indifferent to such a monstrous distortion of the revolution. They replied to the Bolshevik terror with blows no less severe. They employed against the Bolsheviks all methods of guerrilla warfare which they had formerly used in their struggle against the Hetman Skoropadsky. Whenever the Red Army units entered into combat with the Makhnovists, the battle followed all the rules of war, and it was unfortunately the simple s

Makhnovists kill almost all officers captured as the architects of the revolutionary perversion, but don't harm a single red army soldier, considering them victims and comrades.

"COMRADE PEASANTSI For many years the working peasantry of the Ukraine Thousands housands of the best Sons of the Revolution have fallen in the battle for the complete liberation of the Working People from every oppression. Through the heroic efforts of the peasant Insurgent Army of the Ukraine, the hangman Denikin was dealt a fatal blow. The insurgent Peasants, with their leader-Batko Makhno-at their head, remaining for long months in the home front of the white guard, sur rounded ten times by a strong ene

"A WORD TO THE PEASANTS AND WORKERS OF THE UKRAINE Brother peasants and workers! For more than three years you have been engaged in a struggle with capitalism and thanks to Your efforts, Your steadfastness and energy. You have brought this struggle nearly to a close. The enemies of the revolution have been exhausted by Your blows and You, anticipating victory, got ready to celebrate. You believed that Your unceasing, often unequal, struggle with the enemies of the revolution, would give You a chance to put

WHO ARE THE MAKHNOVISTS AND WHAT ARE THEY FIGHTING FOR? 1. The Makhnovists are peasants and workers who rose as early as 1918 against the coercion of the German-Magyar, Austrian and Hetman bourgeois authority in the Ukraine The Makhnovists are those working people who raised the battle standard against the Denikinists and any kind of oppression, violence and lies, wherever they ariginated. The Makhnovists are the very workers by whose labor the bourgeoisie in general and now the Soviet bourgeoisie in partic

"DOWN WITH FRATRICIDE! Brothers in the Red Army! The stooges of Nicholas kept you in the dark and ordered you to fratricidal war with the Japanese and then with the Germans and with many other peoples for the sake of increasing their own wealth; to your lot fell death at the front and complete ruin at home. But the storm cloud and the fog, through which You could see nothing, lifted; the sun began to shine; You under- stood and were finished with fratricidal war. But it was the calm before a new storm. Now

"TO ALL WORKERS OF THE PLOUGH AND THE HAMMER! Brothers! A new and mortal danger is approaching all working people. All the dark forces that served the bloody Nicholas have united with the help of the Polish landlords, the French instructors and the traitors of the Petliurist move- ment in the Ukraine in order to establish an autocracy over us, to burden us with landlords, capitalists, Zemstvo leaders, policemen and other hangmen of the peasants and workers. Comrades! The commissars and bosses of the Com- mu

The Bolshevik terror against the Makhnovists con- tained all the symptoms of terror inherent in a ruling caste. If Makhnovist prisoners were not shot on the spot, they were imprisoned and subjected to all types of torture to force them to repudiate the movement, to denounce their comrades and to take employment with the police. The assistant to the commander of the 13th insurgent regiment, Berezovsky, was taken prisoner by the Bolsheviks and became an agent of the Special Section (Cheka); but according to h

mks "for two months the intelligence of insurgents army been receiving information from many sources about the fact that the ruling Communist-Bolshevik Party, unable in spite of all its regiments and divisions to vanquish the independent and free insurrection of the Makhnov- shchina in open combat, has been plotting, with the help of mercenaries, to assassinate the leader of the revolutionary insurrection, comrade Nestor Makhno. We possess precise information about the fact that a special section has been i

"TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE Why, comrades, are you sitting at home? Why are you not in our ranks? Or are you waiting for the arrival of the commissars with punitive detachments to draft you by force? Don't fool yourselves that they won't find you, that you will hide, escape. The Bolshevik authority has already shown that it will stop at nothing: they will arrest your family and rela- tives, they will take hostages, if necessary, they will fire upon the entire village with artillery-and in some way or another, you

"A WORD FROM THE MAKHNOVISTS TO THE LABORING COSSACKS OF THE DON AND THE KUBAN Comrade laboring Cossacks! For two years you languished under the oppression of the Tsarist general Denikin. For two years your deadly enemies, the pomeshchiks and barons, forced you to defend the interests of the rich, the oppressors of the working people. For two successive years you were forced to knuckle under, and by your own sweat and blood the rich made themselves richer, feasted and led depraved lives. For two years in th

"COMRADES IN THE RED ARMY! Your commanders and commissars are frightening and convincing you that we Makhnovists are murdering captured Red Army men. Comrades! This infamous lie has been concocted by your leaders only so that you, like slaves, would defend the interests of the commissars, so that you would not let your- selves be taken prisoner by us Makhnovists and so you would not learn the truth about our worker-peasant Makhnovist movement We, comrades, have risen against the oppression of all tyrants. F

"PAUSE! READ! CONSIDER! Comrade in the Red Army! You were sent by your commissars and commanders to capture the insurgent Makhnovists. Following orders from your chiefs, you will destroy peaceful villages, search, arrest and kill people you don't know but whom they have pointed out to you as enemies of the people. They tell you that the Makhnovists are bandits and counter-revolutionaries. They tell you; they order you; they do not ask you; they send you; and, like obedient slaves of your leaders, you go to

THE CAPTURE OF MANTSEV'S AGENTS On June 20, one hour after the arrival of a group of revolutionary insurgents (Makhnovists) in Turkenovka, ten miles from Gulyai-Polye, a certain Fedya Glushchenko, who during the preceeding year had worked in counter-espionage for the insurrectionary army, and who had just arrived in the village, ap- proached Comrade Makhno in the street and said to him nervously: "Batko, I have some very important information for you!..." Comrade Makhno instructed him to make his communicat

"COMRADES IN THE RED ARMY ON THE FRONT LINE AND IN THE HOME GUARD! The people of the Ukraine, oppressed by Your com- manders and commissars, and sometimes even directly by You under the leadership of these Commanders and Com- missars, protest against such coercion: they waited for you as the liberators of the working masses from the yoke of the Denikinist gang of hangmen; but after Your arrival in the Ukraine the groans, weeping and wails of the suffering people grew still louder. Executions everywhere, the

wrangel sends letter to Makhno seeking partnership. it's unanimously decided to immediately execute Wrangel's messenger. incident reported in mk press, and clear to bolsheviks who continued to claim an alliance

bolshevik chief commissar of war, having made military-political agreement with mks, finally about there is no allowance between wrangel and mk, putting it down to faulty information.

wrangel begins to get the upper hand. advanced systematically and threatening entire Donetsk Basin. due to polish front, wrangel is serious that to whole revolution, and at one point an enormous threat. wrangel and the counter-revolutionary threat had to be ended by any means necessary, even if that meant siding with the bolsheviks

mks send 2x telegrams to Moscow asking bolsheviks to end hostilities for time being and work together to end wrangel. they don't respond, instead continuing to attack both military and in press.

in September 1920, when Ekaterinaslav was evacuated by the Communists, and when Wrangel occupied Berdyansk, Aleksandrovsk, Gulyai-Polye and Sinel'nikovo, a plenipotentiary delegation from the Central Committee of the Communist-Bolshevik Party, headed by the Communist Ivanov, came to Starobel'sk, where the Makhno- vists were camped, to begin negotiations on the subject of combined action against Wrangel. These negotiations took place on the spot, in Starobel'sk, and it was there that a preliminary military-p

kurilenko, budanov and Popov head an mk military and political delegation, depart for Kharkov to ratify clauses, and to maintain contact with bolshevik staff of southern front.

We cite two characteristic examples of Bolshevik executions: Sereda--peasant, Makhnovist insurgent, native of the govern ment of Ekaterinoslav, belonging to no party. He took care of the finances of the army and was paymaster. Sometimes the replaced Makhno, whom he loved and over whom he watched with extra ordinary devotion. In October, 1920, at the time of the agreement between the Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists, a bullet went through his chest and another remained inside during a battle against Wrangel. N

mks set it to attack Wrangel, front extending from sinel'nikovo to aleksandrovsk, pologi, berdyansk. mks advance towards perekop. in first battled between pologi and orekhov, Wrangel's troops let by general drozdov, were beaten and 4000 prisoners taken.

It is well known how much significance the Bolsheviks attached to the fact that the peasants called Makhno "Batko." In Chapter 3 we described how and in what cir- cumstances he was given this name. After 1920 he was usually called "Malyi" ("Shorty''), a nickname referring to his short stature, which was introduced by chance by one of the insurgents.

the region (above) liberated from Wrangel's troops. by November the mks together with red army had already reached perekop. once mks joined reds to defeat wrangel, morale in the area grew, dooming wrangel. his defeat was expected immediately

The role of the Makhnavists in liberating the Crimea of Wrangel's troops was the following. While the Red Army blocked Perekop, some of the Makhnovist troops, following the orders of the staff, went 20 miles to the left of the Isthmus and set out over the ice of the Sivash Strait, which was frozen at this time. The Cavalry, commanded by Mar chenko, an anarchist peasant originally from Gulyai-Polye, went first, followed by a machine gun regiment commanded by Kozhin. The crossing was made under violent and co

The free soviet of Gulyai- Polye was established in the middle of November, 1920, but it was not a fully developed institution, since as a completely new practical step of the workers it needed time and ex- perience. At this same time the Council of Revolutionary Insurgents drew up and published the "Fundamental Statutes of the Free Soviets" (Draft). The workers of Gulyai-Polye also devoted a great deal of attention to the question of schooling. The repeated armed invasions had seriously disrupted education

The insurgents also devoted a great deal of attention to theater. Even before the agreement with the Bolsheviks, while the insurrectionary army was forced to fight daily against its numerous adversaries, the army always maintained a drama section composed of the insurgents themselves; this section presented plays for the insurgents and frequently for peasants from neighboring villages, whenever the military situation allowed. There is a fairly large playhouse in Gulyai-Polye. But professional dramatic artis

starting close on a slightly ott confrontation between a denikinist and a peasant, with the dk wearing a uniform sporting a bullet hole or two, pulling out to reveal the theatrical seeing and rowdy, full audience: "I will mention a play written by a young Gulyai-Polye peasant who took an active part in different phases of the insurrectionary movement. This play was called "The Life of the Makhnovists" and consisted of several acts. The action begins in the summer of 1919, when Denikin's army occupied all of

The fourth clause of the political agreement-the clause in which the Makhnovists demanded that the Bolshe viks recognize the workers and peasants' right to economic and social self-management-turned out to be completely unacceptable to the Soviet Government. The representatives of the Makhnovshchina demanded that the Soviet authorities choose between two possibilities: either sign the clause in question, or explain why they were against it. The Makhno vists submitted this clause to public evaluation by the

At about this time, Wrangel's expedition was com- pletely destroyed. For the uninitiated, this circumstance would not appear to affect the agreement between the Makhnovists and the Soviet Government. But the Makhno vists saw in this circumstance the beginning of the end of the agreement. As soon as Simon Karetnik's dispatch-announc ing that he was with the insurrectionary troops in the Crimea and marching on Simferopol-arrived in Gulyai Polye. Grigory Vasilevsky, Makhno's aide, exclaimed: "This is the end o

First of all, on November 23, 1920, in Pologi and Gulyai-Polye, the Makhnovists arrested nine Bolshevik spies belonging to the 42nd Infantry Division of the Red Army, who confessed that they had been sent to Gulyai-Polye by the chief of the counter-espionage service to obtain informa- tion about the location of the houses of Makhno, the mem- bers of his staff, the commanders of the insurrectionary army and the members of the Council. After this, they were supposed to remain in Gulyai-Polye to wait for the a

This was said on November 16, and on November 26th the Bolsheviks treacherously attacked the Makhnovist staff and troops in the Crimea and in Gulyai Polye; they seized the Makhnovist representatives in Kharkov, destroyed all the recently established anarchist organizations and imprisoned all the anarchists. they proceeded the same way all over the Ukraine.The Soviet authorities were not slow to explain their treachery by means of their favorite argument: the Makhno- vists and the anarchists were preparing a

The response of the Soviet Government in Kharkov was as follows: the so-called plot is nothing but a simple misunderstanding; nevertheless the Soviet authorities, desiring to clear up the matter, are putting it in the hands of a special commission and propose that the staff of the Makhnovist army delegate two members to take part in the work of this commission. This response was sent from Kharkov by direct wire on November 25.

The following morning, P. Rybin, secretary of the Council of revolutionary insurgents, again discussed this question with Khar'kov by direct wire; the Bolsheviks assured him that the affair of the 42nd Division would certainly be resolved to the complete satisfaction of the Makhnovists, and added that the 4th clause of the politi- cal agreement was also about to be settled in a satisfactory manner. This discussion took place on November 26 th at 9 a.m. However, six hours earlier, at 3 a.m., the Makhnovist r

The third campaign of the Bolsheviks against the Makhnovists was at the same time a campaign against the Ukrainian peasantry. The general aim of this campaign was not merely to destroy the Makhnovist army, but to subjugate the dissatisfied peasants and to remove from them all possi- bility of organizing any type of revolutionary-guerrilla move- ment. The enormous Red Army, freed from the war against Wrangel, made it fully possible for the Bolsheviks to carry out this plan. The Red Divisions travelled throug

On November 26, when Gulyai Polye was surrounded by Red troops, only a special group of 150 to 200 Makhna vist horsemen were there. With this handful of men, Makhno routed the cavalry regiment of the Red Army, which was advancing on Gulyai-Polye from Uspenorka, and thus caped from the enemy's grip. During the subsequent week he organized the units of insurgents that flocked to him from all sides, as well as some Red Army units who left the Bolsheviks and came to join him. He succeeded in forming a unit of 1

the day after the attack on Gulyai-Polye, the Makhnovists found on the Red Army pris "Forward against Makhno!" "Death to Makhnovism!". the prisoners said they had received these proclamations on November 15th and 16th; they contained a call to action against Makhno, who was accused of having violated the clauses of the political and military agreement, of having refused to to the Caucasian front of having planned an uprising against the Soviet power, etc. This proves that all these accusations were fabricat

For some time the Makhnovists were encouraged by the thought that victory would be on their side. It appeared to them that it was only necessary to defeat two or three Bolshevik divisions for an important part of the Red Army to join them, and the rest to retreat toward the north. But soon the peasants of various districts brought news that the Bol- sheviks were installing whole regiments, primarily of cavalry, in all the villages, and were concentrating enormous military forces in various places. In fact,

ORDER TO COMRADE MAKHNO, COMMANDER OF THE INSURREC TIONARY ARMY. COPIES TO THE COMMANDERS OF THE ARMIES ON THE SOUTHERN FRONT. NO. 00149. ISSUED AT GENERAL HEAD- QUARTERS, MELITOPOL'. NOVEMBER 23, 1920. By reason of the cessation of hostilities against Wrangel, and in view of his complete defeat, the Rev- olutionary Military Council of the Southern Front considers that the task of the partisan army is com- pleted. It therefore proposes to the Revolutionary Military Council of the Insurrectionary Army that i

mks hear about frunzes order for first time, as it is hidden from them to prevent them preparing or readying themselves. this is when it appeared in papers for first time too, acting as designed as legal proof. The assault on the Makhnovists was accompanied by mass arrests of anarchists. The purpose of these arrests was not only the total destruction of all anarchist thought and activity, but also the stifling of any possibility of protest, of any attempt to explain to the people the real meaning of what wa

We have already mentioned that the staff of the Makhnovist army in the Crimea had been treacherously seized. The commander of the cavalry, Marchenko, although surrounded and fiercely attacked by numerous units of the Bolshevik 4th Army, managed to escape and break a passage through the natural obstacles and barricades of the fortified Perekop Isthmus. Leading his men, or rather the remnants of his men, by forced marches during the day and night, he succeeded in rejoining Makhno in the little village of Kerm

It was no longer a question of achieving victory over the Bolshevik armies, but of avoiding the complete destruction of the insurrectionary army. This army, reduced to some 3000 soldiers, was obliged to fight daily, each time against an enemy of 10,000 to 15,000 men. In these conditions, catas- trophe was no longer in doubt. The Council of Revolutionary Insurgents then decided to abandon the southern region provisionally, leaving Makhno full freedom as to the direction of the general retreat.

Exactly a week later he occupied Gulyai-Polye, having routed the 42nd Division of the Red Army and taken nearly 6000 prisoners. Of these, about 2000 men declared themselves willing to join the insurrectionary army; the rest were set free on the same day, after having attended a large public meeting.

Three days later Makhno inflicted another serious defeat on the Bolsheviks near Andre evka. During the whole night and the following day. he fought two divisions of the Red Army, and ended by defeat ing them, again taking from 8000 to 10,000 prisoners. As in Gulyai-Polye, these prisoners were set free: volunteers te mained with the insurrectionary army. Makhno then struck three further consecutive blows at the Red Army: near Komar'. Tsare-Konstantinovka and Berdyansk. The Bolshe vik infantry fought reluctan

For some time the Makhnovists were encouraged by the thought that victory would be on their side. It appeared to them that it was only necessary to defeat two or three Bolshevik divisions for an important part of the Red Army to join them, and the rest to retreat toward the north. But soon the peasants various districts brought news that the Bol- sheviks were installing whole regiments, primarily of cavalry. in all the villages, and were concentrating enormous military forces in various places. In fact, Mak

But three days later he had to fight another battle, near the village of Konstantin (inhabited by Greek peasants), against a very large cavalry force and a vigorous artillery. From several officers who were captured, Makhno learned that there were four Bolshevik armies-two cavalry and two mixed-and that the Red commander hoped to surround him with the assist- ance of several additional divisions. This information agreed perfectly with that furnished by the peasants, as well as with the observations and conc

"Two days after your departure, my dear friend, I took the village of Korocha (in the government of Kursk), where I distributed several thousand copies of the "Statutes of the Free Soviets." Then I set out through Varpnyarka and the Don region toward Ekaterinoslav and Tauride. I had to fight fierce battles every day-on one side against the Bolshevik-Com munist infantry which followed us step by step, and on the other side against the Second Cavalry army, which was sent against us by the Bolshevik command. Y

"At the beginning of March, 1921, I asked Brova and Maslak to form a special unit from among the troops who were with me, and to proceed toward the Don and the Kuban. Another group was formed under the command of Parkhomenko and sent to the Voronezh region. (Parkhomenko was killed, and an anarchist from Chuguev replaced him.) A third group, composed of 600 horsemen and Ivanyuk's regiment was sent toward Khar'kov.

"About the same time, our best comrade and revolu- tionary Vdovichenko was wounded in the fighting, and had to be taken to Novospasovka for treatment, ac- companied by a small detachment. An expeditionary force of Bolsheviks discovered his hiding, place; Vdovichenko and his comrade Matrosenko [Ukrainian indigent and peasant poet], while defending themselves against the enemy and seeing that they were about to be captured, shot themselves. Matrosenko died instantly, but Vdovichenko's bullet was embedded unde

"During this time I myself made a raid across the Dnieper toward Nikolaev; then I re-crossed the Dnieper above Perekop and went toward our region, where I hoped to meet some of our detachments. But the Communist command had prepared an ambush for me near Melitopol'. It was impossible either to ad- Kance or to re-cross the Dnieper, since the snow had begun to melt and the river was covered with floating Ice. We had to fight, which meant that I had to get back into the saddle [with a fucking gun torn foot] an

"But two days later, we were attacked by fresh and powerful enemy units. I must tell you that these daily combats had accustomed our men to placing so little value on their lives that exploits of extraordinary heroism had be come daily events. With a cry of "Live free or die fighting," the men would throw themselves into the midst of no-matter what unit, overturning enemies much stronger than themselves and forcing them to flee. During one counter-attack, which was bold to the point of folly, I was struck w

We cite two characteristic examples of Bolshevik executions: Sereda--peasant, Makhnovist insurgent, native of the govern ment of Ekaterinoslav, belonging to no party. He took care of the finances of the army and was paymaster. Sometimes the replaced Makhno, whom he loved and over whom he watched with extra ordinary devotion. In October, 1920, at the time of the agreement between the Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists, a bullet went through his chest and another remained inside during a battle against Wrangel. N

"They carried me for a dozen versts in a cart before dressing my wound, and I lost a great deal of blood. I remained unconscious, under the guard of Lev Zin'kovsky. This was March 14. During the night of the 15th, I regained consciousness. All the com manders of our army and the members of the staff, with Belash at their head, assembled at my bedside, asking me to sign an order to send detachments of 100 to 200 men to Kurilenko, Kozhin and others who were directing the insurrectionary movement in var- ious

example 2: Bogush - anarchist who had just returned from America with other anarchists expelled from the United States. At the time of the agreement between the Makhnovists and the Bolsheviks, he was at Khar'kov, and having heard about the legendary Gulyai-Polye, he wanted to go there to become acquainted with the Makhnovshchina. At this time, the Bolsheviks facilitated such journeys by putting at the disposal of the Makhnovists in Khar'kov a locomotive and a railway car to transport militants working in th

"By the morning of March 16, all these detachments had already left except for a small, special unit that re- mained with me. And at this moment the 9th Red Cavalry Division fell upon us and forced us to break camp; they pursued us for 13 hours and over 180 versts. Finally, upon leaving Sloboda on the shore of the Sea of Azov, we were able to change horses and halt for five hours.

"At dawn on March 17, we resumed the march toward Novospasovka, but after 17 versts on the road we met a new and quite fresh force of Bolsheviks. They had been sent after Kurilenko, but having lost sight of him, they fell on us. After pursuing us for 25 versts (we were completely exhausted and really in- capable of fighting), these horsemen threw themselves on us. What were we to do? I was not only incapable of getting into the saddle; I could not even sit up. I was lying in the bottom of the cart, and saw

"During April I re-established contact with all the units of our troops, and sent those who were nearby to the Poltava region.

But Makhno grew and developed together with the growth and development of the Russian Revolution. Every year he became more intense. In 1921 he was much more profound than he had been in 1918-1919.

A month later, comrade Shchus' was killed in battle in the Poltava region. He was then chief of staff for Zabud'ko's group. He had worked honorably and valiantly.

A month later Kurilenko was killed. He covered the march of our troops along the railway tracks, took personal charge of stationing the units, and was always in the leading squad. One day he was surprised by Budenny's cavalry and perished in the fight.

On May 18, 1921, Budenny's horsemen were on the march from the Ekaterinoslav region toward the Don, to put down a peasant insurrection led by our comrades Brova and Maslak (who had been chief of Budenny's 1st Brigade and had joined us with all his men). Our group was formed of several detachments united under the command of Petrenko-Platonov; the main staff and I formed part of the group. The group was 15 to 20 versts from the road along which Bu- denny's army moved. Knowing, among other things, that I was

Then I formed a unit of former Siberians, and sent them, armed and equipped with necessities, to Siberia, under the command of comrade Glazunov. At the beginning of August 1921, we learned from Bolshevik newspapers that this unit had made its ap- pearance in the government of Samara. Then no more was said about it.

During the whole summer of 1921 we did not cease fighting. The extreme drought of that season and the con- sequent bad harvests in the governments of Ekaterinoslav, Tauride and parts of Kherson and Poltava, as well as the Don region, forced us to move in one direction toward Kuban and below Tsaritsyn and Saratov, and in the other direction toward Kiev and Chernigov. In the latter place the struggle was led by comrade Kozhin. When we met again, he gave me a bundle of resolutions taken by the peasants of Cher

On August 13, 1921, accompanied by 100 horse- men, I set out toward the Dnieper, and on the morn- ing of the 16th we crossed the river between Orlik and Kremenchug with the help of 17 peasant fishing boats. On this day I was wounded six times, but not seri- ously, On the way we met several of our units, and ex- plained to them the reasons for our departure for abroad. They all said the same thing: "Go and get well, Batko, and then come back and help us..."

On August 19 we came upon the 7th Cavalry Division of the Red Army, camped along the Ingulets River, 12 versts from Bobrinets. To go back meant trouble, since we had been seen by a cavalry regiment on our right which was advancing to cut off our retreat. I therefore asked Zin'kovsky to put me on horseback. In an instant, with drawn sabres and loud cheers, we hurled ourselves on the division's machine guns, which were massed in a village. We managed to capture 13 "Maxim and three "Lewis" guns. Then we prepar

On August 22, they had to take care of me again; a bullet struck me in the neck and came out of the right cheek. Once again I was lying in the bottom of a cart.

On the 26th we were obliged to fight a new battle with the Reds. We lost our best comrades and fighters: Petrenko-Platonov and Ivanyuk. I was forced to change our route for the last time,

and on August 28, 1921, I crossed the Dniester. I am now abroad...

At the time of their third assault on the insurrec- tionary region, the Soviet power did everything possible to deal the death blow to the Makhnovshchina. Due to their numerous troops freed from military operations in the Cri- mea and to their superiority in armaments, they succeeded in defeating the insurrectionary army in the summer of 1921, and in forcing the central core of this army, headed by Nestor Makhno, to retreat to Roumanian territory. After this the Red Army occupied the entire insurrectionary

In January the Makhnovists were disorganized by the typhus epidemic. All the members of the staff had typhoid fever. Makhno himself had contracted a particularly acute form of typhus. The majority of the soldiers of the army had to leave the ranks because of the illness, and were scattered in the villages. It was in these conditions that the Makhnovists had to face their numerous enemies and to care for Makhno, who was unconscious for many days. It was a moment of concern, sacrifice and devoted care for the

Though the Bolshevik troops were much more numer- ous, Makhno and his detachments constantly kept out of their reach. But the Bolsheviks managed to establish them- selves solidly in several places, and to stop the free develop- ment of the region, which had begun in 1919. It was then that mass executions of peasants began. Many will remember that the Soviet press, in articles on the struggle with Makhno, cited the number of Makhno- vists defeated, captured or shot. But this press always neg- lected to menti

Arshinov loses entire archive. makhnos memoirs, all of it.

Voline pens preface to arshinov's history

"Thanks to its revolutionary energy and its demagogic confusion of the revolutionary idea of the workers with its own idea of political domination, Bolshevism drew the masses to itself and made extensive use of their confidence. The misfortune of the masses consisted of the fact that they accepted the doctrines of socialism and communism completely and straightforwardly, as the people always ac cept the ideas of truth, justice and goodness. However, in these doctrines truth is nothing more than a lure, a be

Pyotr Arshiniv born - Yekaterinaslav

father dies, 10 months old.

enters school, but plays truant

Ice skating accident, drowns and freezes

starts handling ox team for mother

drops school fully for work

enters local school, attends winter, shepherds in summer.

NM leaves school for full-time job, farmhand on noble and kulak farms.

saves stacked by alerting the senior stablehand, had heroic epiphany from Batko Ivan (p 19)

NM has firm hatred of his exploiters, wishing he could get even with them

NM first contact with political world

1905 REVOLUTION - breaks NM out of small circle and into torrent of Revolutionary activity. checks out several organisations, joins anarcho-communists

Arshinov joins revolutionary movement, becomes Bolshevik in 1905

arshinov working trains near persian border, editor of rain workers paper

Arshinov pursued by cops, returns to Ukraine, becomes anarchist, more organising/terrorising. [RMF: volines preface to "history" details this period and conversation to anarchism]

tsarist govt widely install strict military tribunals, activism limited

arshinov and co blow police station, kill several officers. police don't find who did it

Arshinov arrested, sentenced to death. escapes to western europe for 2 years. arrested/escapes again in 09.

arshinov shoots head of rail yard for handing 100 workers over to tribunal

captured after helping Semenyuta kill head of police. Semenyuta had written to make cop think he was writing from Belgium, and so he felt relaxed enough to go to the theatre unguarded. Semenyuta and others waited outside and shot him. condemned to be hanged for anarchism and terrorism

We knew Makhno during the three stages of his de- velopment: The first stage begins when he was condemned to forced labor as a young revolutionary. In prison he did not distinguish himself from the others--he led the same life as the other prisoners, he was in irons, he sat in the dungeons, he responded to the roll call. His only characteristic that attracted attention was his tireless energy. He was constantly engaged in discussions and controversies, and flooded the prison with his writings. He had a pass

commuted to life imprisonment due to age. at butyrki. learns much, has awful time often in solitary due to insubordination

Arshinov arrested 3rd time, held in Austria, then Butyrki

arshinov imprisoned with Makhno until 1917. deepens convictions and theory and forms close friendship with NM

During the first days of the 1917 revolution, a group of anarchist-communists was organized in Gulyai-Polye; this group carried out significant revolutionary work in the region. Out of this group emerged several remarkable par- ticipants and guides of the Makhnovshchina: N. Makhno, S. Karetnik, Marchenko, Kalashnikov, Lyutyi, Grigory Makhno and others. This group retained close links with the Makhno- vist movement from its very origin.

The second stage of Makhno's development extends from March 1,1917, to the summer of 1918. During this time he undertook feverish revolutionary activity in the region of Gulyai-Polye. Unions of workers and peasant associations in Gulyai-Polye, the first soviet of workers and peasants which met there, were the results of Makhno's untiring activity in 1917. He became extremely popular among the peasants of the region, but since the revolution brought forward numerous energetic individuals, he was not particul

Proletarian Insurrection in Moscow. Makhno and all political prisoners freed. returns to Gulyai Polye, only political prisoners from there to be returned

Nicholas II abdication

nm immediately starts organising. founds farm workers union, workers commune, local peasants soviet (council)

Makhno, back in gp, takes morning walk and cruises paths with friendly, smiling policeman who arrested and harassed him in 07. panic attack ensues, before he decides not to gun him down

ukrainian kulaks/liberal bourgeois/intelligentsia nationalists hold military congress to organise Ukrainian troops into nationalist force for independence

assembles pomeschiks to hand over all documents relating to land and buildings. undergoes inventory and reports to local and regional society congress. equalises status of poms and kulaks with peasants for land use. gives them share of land and tools and livestock equal to labourers. neighbors do similar

october revolution - Bolshevik coup d'etat. Makhno released, heads home. Arshinov high in federation of anarchist groups

Ukrainian Bourgeois/kulaks establish Central Rada, independent government

Rada publish manifesto announcing ukrainian democratic republic. this is the petliurists. Bolsheviks need Ukraine to control revolution, and quickly send trips to Kiev.

Bolsheviks and Petliurists battle furiously for Kiev, and occupy it. Petliurist government and army forced west where they protest occupation.

80k demonstration in ekaterinaslav. Nestor gets out of prison, hears about it. heads home

NM visits Moscow during Austrian occupation of Ukraine. stays with arshinov

The Makhnovshchina is a revolutionary mass move- ment created by the historical living conditions of the poorest sectors of the Russian peasantry. Whether or not Makhno had existed, this movement would inevitably have risen from the depths and would have expressed itself in original forms. From the very first days of the revolution, it rose out of the depths of the people in various parts of Russia. If it had not appeared in the Ukraine, it could just as well have appeared elsewhere. Its seeds were carried

treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Brutal, punitive counter-revolutionary retribution ensues./

Bolsheviks retreat from Kiev to great Russia after 2 months it so, giving way to the Austro German occupation. petliurist army take advantage and reestablish themselves in Kiev, by force if arms, rather than popular demand.

petliurists again displaced (petliura jailed) when Austro-Germans install pomeschiki leadership under Hetman Skoropadsky, much easier to deal with that petliurists for them. pomeschik reaction begins, and petliurists assume a more revolutionary tone. petliurusts take southern cities, and establish the Directorate, organ of power

Gregoriev joins Hetman Skoropadsky's coup d'etat

we knew NM from the states of his development: finally, the third stage includes his activity in the ranks of the revolutionary insurrection from the time of the Hetman until today. It is unquestionable that the insurrection of the peasant masses, the field of revolutionary and military ac- tivity, was the context in which his personality was able to develop fully. In the spring of 1919, when we saw him for the first time in this new environment, as a leader of the revolutionary Insurrection, he was already

goes to Moscow to consult with anarchists. gives up on indecisive intellectual city anarchists and returns with his own ideas

Gregoriev abandons Hetman to create his own army, joining petliurist revolt in November

nm travels home to GP. receives offer from Bolsheviks to work on their behalf in peace, rejects it. almost captured on train, but rich Jew from go saves him with bribe

Makhno becomes known as 'Batko', named by Schus just before they are forced into hopelessly assaulting an Austrian battalion and pomeschik detachment, and routing them entirely. subsequently, in revenge, the village where they did it suffers shelling, executions and the entire village being burnt to the ground.

re-captures Gulyai Polye after 3 day battle, conciliate. sensing fall of Hetman, youth flick to him in droves.

Hetman still holds Kiev, so nm heads north, occupying railways at chaplino, grishino, and more to pavlograd, turning west towards ekaterinaslav - and encounters petliura forces. they court him hoping to absorb his force, but he declares them a bourgeoisie movement and restates answering convictions. only struggle again them was possible. continues towards ek to oust petliura. stops at nazhne-dneprovsk, where communist forces give him command if party workers detachments, which he accepts.

NM takes a huge risk - fills commuter train with troops, sends it straight across dniepr bridge into central station. Makhnovists poor out and secure station, moving outwards. and manage to defeat petliurist army to capture ek. fire to bad garrison, city is recaptured by petliura, returning with reinforcements from zaporozhye. two assassination attempts are made on nm, with both thrown bombs failing to go off. nm retreats to sinelnikovo, digging in and establishing front. petliurists disintegrate and melt a

Gregoriev wins several territories in south Russia and crushes residual Hetmanate force. takes mykolaiv on dec 13 and declares himself city commissioner.

Toward the end of 1918 and the beginning of 1919, other anarchist groups were organized in the region of the Makhnovshchina, and tried to relate to it. However, some of these groups, for example in Berdyansk and some other places, did not live up to their name and offered nothing but obstacles to the movement. Fortunately the movement was healthy enough to do without them.

Hetman Skoropadsky flees. Petliurists March into Kiev with Simon Petliura at their head. take control of all major Cities and regions of Uk except the southern areas where NM and insurrection are. it seems the bourgeois separatists domination is assured, but this is illusory. their power quickly erodes as huge numbers desert them, hostile to their aspirations. many joining nakhnovists.

Communes are established in seized estates by peasants, including "Rosa Luxembourg"

entire expanse of the Ukraine from the government of Kursk to the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea, had already been liberated from the Hetman's forces by peasant revolu- tionary insurrectionary detachments. With the fall of the Hetman these detachments partially dispersed throughout the villages, and partially retired to the coastal regions of the Sea of Azov, where there was already a threat of a new counter- revolution, that of General Denikin.

Bolsheviks enter Ukraine and In most of the Ukraine the Bolsheviks found that the terrain had already been cleared, like Karkov by anarchist Cherednyakov. In the places where they encountered Petliurists, they defeated them by military force and took their place. The decisive encounter between the Bolsheviks and the Petliurists took place in the region of Kiev, which from the time of the entry of the Directorate had been the center of Petliurist political activity and the rallying point for Petliura's troop

greek-french forces "southern intervention" force Gregoriev it if

Denikins forces enter Ukraine from south east, intent on capturing it en route to Moscow. makhnovists surprise them, devastating their plans and beating then back towards Don river and sea of azov. makhnovists establish front that defends Ukraine for six months.shkuro (in particular) takes on guerilla tactics of nm, but against peasants and especially Jews in revenge massacres, attempts to create blame, sow conflict. Makhno embarrasses denikins army, and as revenge they brutally torture captured fighters, e

beating back denikin, nm captures 100 cars of wheat, which are sent to Moscow to propel the revolution forward, delivered by a certain of makhnovists.

first regional congress held at the Insurrectionary camp at bol'shaya Mikhailovka.

Bolshevik forces and class agitators enter from north, to establish communist power throughout the Ukraine

At the beginning of 1919 there were in Gulyai-Polye not only local peasant anarchists like Makhno, Karetnik, Marchenko, Vasilevsky and others, but also anarchists who came from organizations in other cities: Burbyga, Mikhalev- Pavlenko and others. They worked exclusively among the insurrectionary troops at the front or at the rear.

Bolsheviks take Kiev, petliurists retreat to western uk, Bolsheviks take reins of state power. despite all statements of comradeship and class harmony, all centres have been taken by military force, whether from petliura or peasants.

Following certain anti-Semitic incidents which oc curred in the region in February, 1919, Makhno proposed to all the Jewish colonies that they organize their self-defense and he furnished the necessary guns and ammunition to all these colonies. At the same time Makhno organized a series of meetings in the region where he appealed to the masses to struggle against anti-Semitism. The Jewish working population, in turn, expressed profound solidarity and revolutionary brotherhood toward the revolutionary insurr

2nd revolutionary congress of soviets in gp. army size: 20k. impending threat of denikin investigated. peasants, workers and insurgents resolve to a ten year voluntary and egalitarian mobilisation. villages start sending flood of new volunteering troops, but there aren't nearly enough arms for them.

first meeting between Bolshevik military command and Makhno under much good will. Makhno invited and expected to absorb makhnovist revolutionaries into soviet forces. given the looming white invasion - and hoping to keep idealogical differences a war of ideas - the makhnovists form union with bolsheviks, which they will regret but will ready them for future.

Bolsheviks begin media campaign against makhnovists, labeling them a kulak movement and counter Revolutionary. soon supplies of arms etc heavily reduced, and revolutionary militants arrested leaving it returning to gp

Arshinov travels to Gulyai oloye, joins Makhno

In the spring of 1919 some comrades arrived in Gulyat- Polye with the intention of organizing cultural and educa tional activity in the region: they created the newspaper Putk Svobode - the principal organ of the Makhnovists - and organized the Gulyai-Polye Anarchist Federation, which worked with the army as well as among the peasants. At that time, an anarchist group linked to the ''Nabat" Confederation was organized in Gulyal Polye. This group worked closely with the Makhnovists, especially in the field o

we knew NM from the states of his development - finally, the third stage includes his activity in the ranks of the revolutionary insurrection from the time of the Hetman until today. It is unquestionable that the insurrection of the peasant masses, the field of revolutionary and military ac- tivity, was the context in which his personality was able to develop fully. In the spring of 1919, when we saw him for the first time in this new environment, as a leader of the revolutionary Insurrection, he was alread

thousands of villagers from area around GP/Mariupol area flock to join insurgency to defend their new independence. bolsheviks are bound by treaty to supply arms, but immediately start to restrict supply, limiting they pennyroyal of insurgency, who are forced to make raids on whites to get ammo.

bol. assignation attempt on Makhno. they bribe insurgent leader (pokrovskoe) to ambush GP, and capture NM and leadership. NM is about to leave berdyansk and figures it out by luck. literally flies home and surprises, catches and executes them.

third regional congress of peasants, workers and insurgents. dybenko delivers telegram declaring the organisers counter-revolutionary. they understand the nature of this attack, and view for indignant resolution against it. print and deliver to ask workers, and leaders make detailed reply. this is in full on pg 99

Bolshevik officials start investigation of UK insurgency.

Bolshevik commander of southern front, Antonov, arrives in go to meet Makhno himself

extraordinary plenipotentiary of the national defense council, kamenev, joins Antonov in GP. they celebrate the peasants for their revolutionary spirit and for heroicalky repelling the Hetman and defending against denikin et al. but in private he chides the executive and demand the dissolution of the military council. he's told that this can only be dissolved by the peoples will, so - no. they leave, with full friendliness, but the Bolshevik press ramp attacks up even more. diplomacy? or reconnaissance bef

In May, 36 anarchist workers came to Gulyai-Polye from Ivanovo Voznesensk. Among them were the fairly well- known anarchists, Chernyakov and Makeov. Some of these people settled in a commune about four miles from Gulyai Polye, some engaged in cultural work in the region, and the rest joined the army. It was also in May, 1919, that the Confederation of Anarchist Organizations of the Ukraine, "Nabat," the most active and effective of all the anarchist organizations in Russia, began to see that the pulse of th

On May 4th or 5th, 1919, Makhno and a few com- manders hurriedly left the front and went to Gulyai-Polye, where they were awaited by the Extraordinary Pleni- potentiary of the Republic, L. Kamenev, who had arrived from Khar'kov with other representatives of the Soviet gov- ernment. At the Verkhnii Tokmak station, Makhno saw a poster with the words: "Death to Jews, Save the Revolution, Long Live Batko Makhno. "Who put up that poster?" Makhno asked. He learned that the poster had been put up by an insurgent w

"WORKERS, PEASANTS AND INSURGENTS. FOR THE OPPRESSED, AGAINST THE OPPRESSORS-ALWAYS! During the painful days of reaction, when the situa- tion of the Ukrainian peasants was especially difficult and seemed hopeless, you were the first to rise as fearless and unconquerable fighters for the great cause of the liberation of the working masses. . . This was the most beautiful and joyful moment in the history of our revolution. You marched against the enemy with weapons in your hands as conscious revolu- tionarie

shkuro tries to woo Makhno into alliance to save Russians. makhnovists satirically print the letter in their paper and mock it hard. Bolsheviks reprint the news, writing it selectively it if context to report the alliance is happening, to put dirt on Makhno

We described earlier the speed and determination with which the Makhnovists executed Grigor'ev and his staff, and we mentioned that one of the main reasons for this execution was their participation in pogroms of Jews. We can mention other events of this nature with which we are familiar. On May 12, 1919, several Jewish families-20 people in all-were killed in the Jewish agricultural colony of Gor'kaya, near Aleksandrovsk. The Makhnovist staff immediately set up a special commission to investigate this even

The First Recruitment

makhnovist insurgent Army becomes subordinate to Red Army under Dybenko's

after capturing berdyansk, Chernyak given lead for recruitment and kontrraz makhno's (Red) brigade, hunting out whites and hetman traitors from GP

spymaster Lev Golik warns NM of Dybenko plot on his life

Chernyak reports cheka interference in berdyansk

makhnovist brigade reforms into 1st insurgent division. NM resigns to protect movement. staff arrested and eventually shot. NM and sotnia escape.

Maria Nikiforova (Marusya) takes some kontrraz "specialists" to end Civil War with surgical strikes

Marusya meets Makhno at tokmak station to get find for her suicide missions. makhno refuses, they almost shoot each other, and he finally relents.

Marusya fails in her raids and is caught by Denikins SS.

Marusya convicted and executed. Cherednyak fights on against Kolchak

anarchist plot foiled, anarchists shot

kovalevich's squad arrive in Khar'kov to find the staff already shot. instead of exacting revenge they establish an underground in Moscow (MOAP) and across the region, climaxing in an almost successful bombing of the entire executive of the Bolsheviks (including Lenin)

MOAP expands with agents through the cheka. plan for even more ambitious bombing - the entire soviet government in the Kremlin

MOAP plot foiled when cheka ambush at Marusya's further apartment. Kovalevich shot, captured, and killed.

MOAP liquidated by cheka in epic gun fight, and subsequent arrests. Q: was MOAP part of makhnovshina, or its own group? finding members were all kontrraz founders...

Bolsheviks have fled ukraine having purged makhnovshina, consequently the front collapses and makhnovshina beaten back to Uman

estimated - Red supply concur escape north through Petliurist front, are decimated by makhnovists

estimated - NM smashes Denikins rear. MOAP not active, maybe awaiting news from front

Moscow underground (kontrraz/MOAP) await news before blowing up the fucking Kremlin

kontrraz may have struck at the heart of red power had they not just been wiped out themselves

makhno's kontrraz contribute to coup whereby 58th division of RKKA defect to Makhnovists

all-army meeting convened to re-elect leadership and restructure for mobile partisan warfare. army becomes RPAU (M) - and forms the feared and punitive Black Sotnia

Vasilevsky, one of NMs key kontrraz's, was active from 18-20. the kontrraz targeted not only whites and Bolsheviks, but also Petliurists -especially in the time of close contact with them.

vasilevsky at meeting of makhnovist and Gregoriev leadership, preceding their unification. Kontrrazvedka have investigated area to advertising numbers and mood of peasantry

Ataman Gregoriev executed by Makhnovists for antisemitism and asking with Denikin

nearing Petliurist positions, nm send delegation to team up against whites, but Petliura is negotiating with whites too, hoping whites and makhno will destroy each other and leave him Ukraine.

kontrraz report double cross, and NM disguises himself, sneaks into Petliurist camp and scuffles with Denikin colonel (!?)

In the absence of anarchist nabat members, retreating insurgents find the boys filled with nationalist intellectuals. Galina Kuzmenko won over to nationalism, and her, Schus, and others attempt to repave NM and merge with Petliura

agreement with Petliura signed this day. also kontrraz planning his assassination in case he fucks them around.

Anti-Petliura propaganda started in earnest to steal troops. also a troop of kontrraz head to a meeting with SP in Uman to kill him, but he boosts before NM arrives (wise move). unknown terrorists arrive in town, get surrounded by Petliurist troops, killed in fun battle, and both NM and SP forced to retreat to their bases.

in autumn (Makhnovists peak) several petliurist atamans (and their troops) defected to makhno their anarchist comprehension tested by the Kontrrazvedka. two however were executed, sisterly after a surge in antisemitic pogroms after they joined.

while attacking Moscow, Makhnovists demolish Denikin's rear. "the building of a new life was begun"

4th regional congress, issues statement demanding self-organizing, community justice system, feeding into a voluntary self-defense force. "leads to... the tyranny of momentary rage; lynch law" Bolsheviks denounce arbitrariness and lawlessness, citing brutality of Kontrrazvedka.

testimony of sadistic torture from Bolsheviks who tangled with kontrraz, apparently largely refutable. many bodies thrown into the river

strict discipline enforced, with serious offences sentenced by open courts. for insurgents shot for robbing a peasant

commander bogdanov shot for imposing levy on bourgeois for own benefit

Aleksandrovsk Congress: resolution#3: special commission to "investigate and resolve grievances and misunderstandings with kontrraz". this is maybe toothless, but causes a pulling back

Volin (at some point)testifies to the rev. tribunal of 14th army of the many company's he's recieved about kontrraz. makhno shuts him down, recalling the assistance they have paid to Volin, including accompanying him north for a lecture (when he was arrested)

when whites retreat, NM gives names of "jackasses" (of all shades) to kontrraz to eliminate. however the oversight of Belash and commanders Karetnikov and Kalashnikov intervene, instead screening the arrested and judges it inadvisable due to likelihood of retribution. all are released in the promise of ceasing cooperation with whites.

authors evidence suggests that black terror was absolutely minute compared to the brutality of whites and insurmountable slaughter by the reds later

Makhno takes Ekaterinoslav, declares free press. revkom paper shreds kontrraz abuse of power. nm demand shooting of reporters, and is barely talked down by Shtarm (what is Shtarm?!). apparently he was aware by this time of Bolshevik moles, hence desire to quiet them. This shows that he was no dictator, and refrained from even repeating the red press.

Many used the revolution (expropriations etc) to get rich. The Kontrraz are an exception, eg: Sobolev refusing to spend 1000 rubles on pants

Lev Zadov: Jewish metalworker and anarchist terrorist of Yuzovsk

Zadov imprisoned

Zadov released from prison. enter: Zinkovsky

Nabat (Tocsin) - the Ukrainian Federation of Anarchists

Bezmotivny (motiveless) terror becomes widespread across Russian Empire

BIRTH OF KONTRRAZVEDKA

Violence of revolution

Anarchists become intelligence specialists

Makhno exposed to nascent anarchist intelligence

Guliaipole anarchists gather intelligence about police chief to assassinate him

Zinkovsky rises as communist

Zinkovsky chief of staff for chernyak's detachment

Zinkovsky ditches duties, forms unit with brother Daniilo, and joins Makhno in GP

anarcho-communist Gulai-Polye Union of Poor Peasants group founded

Zinkovsky's work for Makhno begins forming village detachments

Z elected deputy regimental commander

Chernyak organises requisition groups for towns NM has captured

chernyak forms first anarchist Kontrradvezka at southern front

formation of the makhnovist kontrrazvedka

Chernyak and Marusya

The Zadneprovsky Division: Dybenko and the Atamans

two men? Chernyak vs Cherednyak...

The K gets busy: "provisioning" for the army in Mariupol and berdiansk

Gregoriev provisioning after capture of Odessa

Dybenko and Schors also provisioning in similar fashion

Makhnovists being suppressed through cutbacks in supplies, forcing provisioning through violent and clandestine means

makhnovist figures including Sobolev recorded seeking "reliable types" for heist in Moscow (!)

Sobolev confirmed as part of makhnovshina

the K formed of two groups: ex/terror specialists and those closest to NM, including Lyuty (from beginning as key bodyguard). Lyuty ordered to arrest all Bolshevik commissars this day

"Anarcho-amateurs" bolstered by incoming "specialists"

"Batko" (literally "Father") was a title bestowed on military leaders in the Ukrainian Cossack tradition

Glazgon reaches Makhno and helps found Kontrraz

early Kontrraz structure and activities: provisioning and pursuit of White agents

in retreat, NM's entourage perform functions of Kontrrazvedka

NM's acting-Kontrraz entourage head his security force "the Devil's Sotnia"

Kontrraz only shows centralised character in small units on the move

despite decentralised structure, kontrraz extended across the insurgent Army at it's peak (at this time)

the head of the Kontrrazvedka of the 1st Donetsk Corps, based in Alexandrovsk, was Zinkovsky, And the Konrrazvedka of the 2nd Azov Corps, based in Nikopol was headed by Golik.

Nestor Makhno born: Gulyai Polye. this date acc. to Galina, a year later officially, to delay service, and ultimately save Makhno from death sentence

NM taking part in many dangerous acts (burning unguarded buildings etc) in anarchist struggle

nm president of regional peasants union, agricultural commission, union of metal and carpentry, president of peasant and workers soviet of Gulyai

NM and partisans forced to retreat from taganrog, rostov, tsaritsyn - fighting all the way. local bourgeoisie out price on his head

insurrection takes on massive numbers, peasants everywhere assassinating and driving away landlords.

NMs detachment behind general attack against Hetmans counter-revolution. Austro German troops lacking energy due to events at home. Makhno frequently negotiates them to surrender and give up arms, it, failing that, chases them away under fire.

for over six months, peasants of gp live without external political authority, maintaining and improving social bonds and order under workers commune and free councils. displaced Bourgeois go feral and devolve socially

bolsheviks detachments in Crimea mutiny, depose their commanders, and set out to join Makhno. organised by makhnovists who had remained inside the red army: Kalashnikov, etc

struggle again becomes fierce, and denikins troops again suffer huge defeats.

All through the year of 1920 and even later, the Soviet authorities carried on the fight against the Makhnovists pre- agitation to persuade the country of this, using their press tending to be fighting banditry. They engaged in intense and all their means of propaganda to uphold the slander both inside and outside of Russia. At the same time, numerous infantry and cavalry divisions were sent against the insur- gents, for the purpose of destroying the movement and pushing its members toward the gulf of real

mks carry on struggle against entirety of bolsheviks system - all it's governmental forces in Ukraine and Russia. this is why they had to sometimes forced to leave their region and retreat up to 600 miles to avoid numerically superior forces. to donets basin, sometimes to governments of kharkov and poltava. as they went the propagandized and Eloise's, turning each place into mk auditorium

higher organ to direct the army and entire movement constructed: council of Ukrainian revolutionary insurgents (Makhnovists): consisting of seven members ejected or ratified by mass of insurgents. council divided into the sections: military affairs, organisation and general control, and education and culture.

mks more than once attempt to engage in battle with wrangel. twice the had military encounters with his troops, but both times the reds struck mks from behind, and they had to abandon the firing line and retreat. Soviets continue slander. through uk, Soviet papers spread fake news of alliance between Makhno and Wrangel. plenipotentiary of kharkov government claim Soviets have written proof of alliance, a clear lie. soviet authorities make use of this tactic to mislead workers who, disturbed by Wrangel succe

clauses of the agreement work,ed out and asked by the two contacting parties. mks to be released from jail, mks get freedom of press and right to participate in soviet elections, and hold their own Congress. military terms mean mks are part of, and subordinate to red army. they can keep all their structures and systems. mks must not accept soviet troops into their ranks (!). a special "fourth point of political arrangement" starting workers and peasants inside mk region must be allowed to organise their own

The central characteristic of Makhno's personality is his enormous willpower. It seems as if this man of small stature was made of a particularly hard material. He never backed away from an obstacle once he had resolved to surmount it. During the most difficult moments of his life, when catastrophes took place at the front, or when his best friends perished before his eyes, he outwardly remained completely calm, almost as if this did not concern him. Yet, even if he did not externally show his pain, he suff

aside from the fact that in several places fierce warfare took place against Wrangel's troops (Gulyai-Polye, for example, changed hands several times during this period), the Soviet authorities, despite the agreement, maintained a partial blockade of the region and did all they could to paralyze the creative constructive activ- ity of the workers. Nevertheless, the active core of the Makhnovists residing in Gulyai-Polye carried on energetic activity in the field of social construction. First of all they wer

Thirdly, during the months of October and November, 1920, namely while the military and political agreement between the Makhnovists and Bolsheviks was being nego- tiated and after it had just been concluded, two Bolshevik plots to assassinate Makhno at Gulyai-Polye were uncovered. We should add that the central staff of the Makhnovist army in Gulyai-Polye did not receive a single order to report to the Caucasian front. At this time Makhno was suffering from a serious leg wound and did not concern himself at

red army spies (see 27 Nov) issued with anti-mk proclamations and sent forth

Makhno's genius was about to be submitted to a su- preme test. It appeared absolutely impossible to escape from the monstrous network of troops advancing from all sides toward the small group of insurgents. Three thousand rev- olutionary fighters were surrounded by an army of at least 150,000 men. But Makhno did not for an instant lose cour age or presence of mind. He embarked on a heroic duel against this mass of troops. Surrounded on all sides by Red divisions, he marched like a legendary Titan, fighting

"During May, Kozhin's and Kuri- lenko's units joined us and formed a body of 2000 horsemen and several infantry regiments. It was de- cided to march on Khar'kov and to chase out the big bosses of the Bolshevik-Communist Party. But they were not asleep. They sent more than 60 armored cars, several divisions of cavalry, and a swarm of infantry against me. The fight with these troops lasted for several weeks.

Arshinov's history - last word: "The Makhnovshchina is now in a new situation, and it faces a new stage in the struggle for the social revolution. What sort of struggle will this be? Life itself will determine its character and its forms. But one thing is certain: until the last day the movement will remain true to oppressed humanity; until the last day it will struggle and be prepared to die for the great ideals of labor- freedom and equality. The Makhnovshchina is steadfast and immortal. Wherever the work

Peter Andreyevich Arshinov, also known as P. Marin, was a Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary and intellectual who chronicled Nestor Makhno's 1919–1921 uprising. Wikipedia Born: 26 July 1887, Andreyevka, Russia Died: 1937, Moscow, Russia

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