The 2nd Azov Corps was a military formation of the

Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine The Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine (; RIAU), also known as ''Makhnovtsi'' (), named after their founder Nestor Makhno, was an Anarchism, anarchist army formed largely of Ukrainians, Ukrainian peasants and workers during the Russian C ...

, one of the 4 corps that was created on 1 September 1919, and existed until 1920.

History

On 1 September 1919, a meeting of insurgents was held in Dobrovelychkivka, at which a delegate was elected from each regiment. The meeting discussed the question of the further political existence of the

Makhnovshchina The Makhnovshchina (, ) was a Political movement#Mass movements, mass movement to establish anarchist communism in southern Ukraine, southern and eastern Ukraine during the Ukrainian War of Independence of 1917–1921. Named after Nestor Makhno, ...

as an independent organism. They also discussed the issue of reorganizing the insurgent regiments into a single army that would be effective in guerrilla warfare. The meeting elected a

Military Revolutionary Council The Military Revolutionary Council (, VRS) was the ''de facto'' executive of the Makhnovshchina, empowered to act during the interim between sittings of the Regional Congresses. Function Its powers covered both military and civil matters in ...

, as the central command of the insurgents. The insurgent regiments led by

Nestor Makhno Nestor Ivanovych Makhno (, ; 7 November 1888 – 25 July 1934), also known as Bat'ko Makhno ( , ), was a Ukrainians, Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary and the commander of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine during the Ukrainian War o ...

were officially named the

(RIAU). Viktor Belash was in charge of organizing the army. Belash developed the structure of the RIAU, which consisted of four

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

(three active and one reserve), each built from a number of

divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...

, which were in turn divided into

regiments A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service, or specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted in one ...

battalions A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of up to one thousand soldiers. A battalion is commanded by a lieutenant colonel and subdivided into several Company (military unit), companies, each typically commanded by a Major (rank), ...

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

and

platoons A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

. Vdovichenko was appointed at the head of the 2nd Azov Corps. On 27 September 1919, the 1st corps took part in the

Battle of Peregonovka The Battle of Peregonovka () or Battle of Perehonivka () was a September 1919 military conflict in which the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine defeated the Volunteer Army. After retreating west across Ukraine for four months and 600 kilom ...

, in which the RIAU won a major victory. On 28 September 1919, Makhno decided to conduct a deep raid on Katerynoslav, in which the 1st corps also took part. The Insurgent Army set off on a march in three main

columns A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

for the raid. The infantry in carts and cavalry made daily marches of 80–90 versts. The right column, which was made up of the infantry units of the 2nd corps, advanced 315 versts through , Sofiyevka, Dolinskaya,

Kryvyi Rih Kryvyi Rih ( ; , ), also known as Krivoy Rog ( ), is a city in central Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Kryvyi Rih Raion and its subordinate Kryvyi Rih urban hromada in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. The city is part of the Kryvyi Rih Metropo ...

, Apostolove and Nikopol. On 8 October, the corps occupied

Berdyansk Berdiansk or Berdyansk (, ; , ) is a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, south-eastern Ukraine. It is on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, which is connected to the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Berdiansk Raion. The ...

, on 9 October –

Prymorsk Prymorsk (, ; ) is a city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Prymorsk urban hromada in Berdiansk Raion. Population: History Prymorsk was a settlement in Taurida Governorate of the Russian Empire, or ...

, Osipenko, on 14 October it occupied

Mariupol Mariupol is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius, Kalmius River. Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was the tenth-largest city in the coun ...

, from here Vdovichenko sent the 2nd cavalry brigade to occupy the city of

Taganrog Taganrog (, ) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don (river), Don River. It is in the Black Sea region. Population: Located at the site of a ...

, which was Denikin's headquarters. By the evening of 16 October, the 2nd cavalry brigade occupied Novoazovsk, 65 versts west of Taganrog. By this time, Karani had occupied the railway line from Mariupol to the station with Vdovichenko's infantry, leading an offensive on Volnovakha, where there was a White Guard group guarding the artillery base. On 24 October 1919, the corps commander, Vdovichenko, issued order No. 1 to the "Urban and Rural Councils, other organizations and authorities" for the arrest of deserters who left the Insurgent Army. On 11 January 1920, at a meeting of commanders in

Huliaipole Huliaipole ( ; ) is a small city in Polohy Raion, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. It is known as the birthplace of Ukrainian anarchist revolutionary Nestor Makhno. In January 2022, it had an estimated population of Huliaipole was attacked by ...

, it was decided to send the 2nd corps to the Berdyansk and Mariupol districts, where it would then dissolve. In the Mariupol district in the spring of 1920, Foma Kozhyn's formations of 100 sabers with 30 '' tachankas'' and Maskalevsky's 500 cavalry, collected from the remnants of the 2nd corps, were raided.

Composition

* 1st cavalry brigade * 2nd cavalry brigade: ** 4th Novospasovskiy regiment. ** 6th Mariupol regiment * 3rd cavalry brigade

References

Bibliography

* *{{cite book, first=Nestor, last=Makhno, script-title=ru:Крестьянское движение на Украине. 1918—1921: Документы и материалы, series=Крестьянская революция в России. 1902—1922 гг.: Документы и материалы, editor=V. Danilov and T. Shanin, location=Moscow, publisher="Russian political encyclopedia" (ROSSPEN), year=2006, pages=1000, language=ru Corps of Ukraine Paramilitary forces of Ukraine Defunct anarchist militant groups Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine Ukraine in the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1918 Soviet units and formations of the Russian Civil War Military units and formations disestablished in 1920 History of Rostov Oblast History of Kherson Oblast Military history of Mariupol

History

Composition

See also

References

Bibliography