The Caucasian Front () was a

front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * '' The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and ...

of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

which existed between January 16, 1920 and May 29, 1921, and was the continuation of the

Southeastern Front The Southeastern Front was a front of the Red Army during World War II. It was formed on August 5, 1942, out of parts of the Stalingrad Front, using the command elements from the First Tank Army and the disbanded Southern Front. The front's mai ...

. The Front headquarters were located in Millerovo, and then in

Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

. Its task was completing the liquidation of the North Caucasian group of

Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (, ; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as the acting supreme ruler of the Russian State and the commander-in-chief of the White movement–aligned armed forces of South Russia during the Ru ...

's Army and conquering the Caucasus.

Operations

The troops of the Caucasian Front conducted the Don–Manych Operation in January-February 1920. During the 2nd and 3rd stages of the North Caucasian operation it defeated the troops of

and occupied the North Caucasus, seizing more than 100.000 prisoners, 330 guns and more than 500 machine guns.
In August-September 1920, the troops of the Caucasian Front defeated the White

Ulagay's Landing Ulagay's Landing is the generally accepted name for a military operation by Pyotr Wrangel's White Russian Army, under command of Sergei Ulagay, against the Red Army in the Kuban between August 14 and September 7, 1920 during the Russian Civil Wa ...

in Kuban. In Autumn 1920 - Spring 1921, the Caucasian Front established Soviet power in

Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...

Tiflis Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

Kutaisi Kutaisi ( ; ka, ქუთაისი ) is a city in the Imereti region of the Georgia (country), Republic of Georgia. One of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, it is the List o ...

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ), historically Batum or Batoum, is the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), second-largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast ...

Erivan Yerevan ( , , ; ; sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia, as well as one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerev ...

and the rest of

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...

. The Front was disbanded on May 29, 1921, and its troops and administration were transferred to the Separate Caucasian Army and the North Caucasian Military District.

Composition

* 8th Army (Jan. 16 - March 20, 1920), * 9th Army (Jan. 16, 1920 - May 29, 1921), * 10th Army (Jan. 16 - July 4, 1920), * 10th Terek-Dagestan Army (March 7 - May 29, 1921), * 11th Army (Jan. 16, 1920 - May 29, 1921), *

1st Cavalry Army __NOTOC__ The 1st Cavalry Army (), or ''Konarmia'' (Кона́рмия, "Horsearmy"), was a prominent Red Army military formation that served in the Russian Civil War and Polish–Soviet War, Polish-Soviet War. History Formation On 17 Novem ...

(January 16 - March 18, 1920), * Reserve Army (September-December 1920), * Maritime Expeditionary Division (Aug.-Sept., Nov.-Dec. 1920), * Ekaterinodar and Yeisk fortified areas, * 2nd Aviation Fleet

Commanders

Vasily Shorin Vasily Ivanovich Shorin (; 26 December 1870 January 1871 Kalyazin ''–'' 29 June 1938, Leningrad) was a Soviet military commander, who commanded several military units of the Red Army during the Russian Civil War. Biography He graduated fro ...

(January 16 - 24, 1920) * Fedor Afanasyev ''acting'', (January 24 - February 3, 1920) *

Mikhail Tukhachevsky Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevsky ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Тухачевский, Mikhail Nikolayevich Tukhachevskiy, p=tʊxɐˈtɕefskʲɪj; – 12 June 1937), nicknamed the Red Napoleon, was a Soviet general who was prominen ...

(February 4 - April 24, 1920) * Ivar Smilga (April 24 - May 15, 1920) *

Vladimir Gittis Vladimir Mikhailovich Gittis (Russian: Влади́мир Миха́йлович Ги́ттис; 24 June 1881 – 22 August 1938) was a Soviet military commander and komkor. He fought in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I before going o ...

(May 15, 1920 - May 29, 1921)

Members of the Revolutionary Military Council

* Valentin Trifonov (January 16, 1920 - May 29, 1921) * Ivar Smilga (January 16 - May 21, 1920, January 26 - May 29, 1921) *

Sergey Ivanovich Gusev Sergei Ivanovich Gusev (AKA "Gussev") (Russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Гу́сев) (real name - Yakov Davidovich Drabkin: Russian — Я́ков Дави́дович Дра́бкин) (1 January 1874 – 10 June 1933) was a Russian re ...

(January 16 - August 29, 1920) *

Sergo Ordzhonikidze Sergo Konstantinovich Ordzhonikidze, ; (born Grigol Konstantines dze Orjonikidze; 18 February 1937) was an Old Bolshevik and a Soviet statesman. Born and raised in Georgia, in the Russian Empire, Ordzhonikidze joined the Bolsheviks at an e ...

(February 3, 1920 - May 29, 1921) * Sergei Markov (June 22, 1920 - May 29, 1921) *

Arkady Rosengolts Arkady Pavlovich Rosengolts (Russian: Арка́дий Па́влович Розенго́льц; 4 November 1889 – 15 March 1938; sometimes spelled Rosengoltz or Rosenholz) was a Bolshevik revolutionary, Soviet military leader, politician an ...

(August 23 - September 5, 1920)

Chiefs of Staff

* Fedor Afanasyev (January 16 - February 23, 1920) * V. V. Lyubimov (February 23 - March 6, 1920) *

Semyon Pugachov Semyon Andreevich Pugachov (Russian: Семён Андреевич Пугачёв; 26 February 1889 – 23 March 1943) was a Russian soldier who served in the Russian Imperial The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of nort ...

(March 7, 1920 - May 29, 1921) {{Soviet fronts of the Russian Civil War Soviet units and formations of the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1920 Military units and formations disestablished in 1921 Soviet fronts