The Perm Operation (November 1918 – January 1919) was a military operation during the

Russian Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Russian Civil War , partof = the Russian Revolution and the aftermath of World War I , image = , caption = Clockwise from top left: {{flatlist, *Soldiers ...

Background

At the end of 1918, the situation on the

Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War spread to the east in May 1918, with a series of revolts along the route of the Trans-Siberian Railway, on the part of the Czechoslovak Legion and officers of the Russian Army. Provisional anti-Bolshevik local governmen ...

was unclear. The forces of the Eastern White Movement tried to advance in two directions simultaneously: on the one hand towards the North-West to connect with the Northern Russia Front, on the other hand towards the South-West to connect with the Southern Russia Front and the troops of

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December O.S. 4 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 4 December1872 – 7 August 19 ...

and

Pyotr Wrangel Baron Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel (russian: Пётр Никола́евич барон Вра́нгель, translit=Pëtr Nikoláevič Vrángel', p=ˈvranɡʲɪlʲ, german: Freiherr Peter Nikolaus von Wrangel; April 25, 1928), also known by his ni ...

. The Red Army considered the Southwestern advance of the White Army as the main threat, and concentrated its main forces in the Southern Ural region.

Offensive of Siberian Army

On 29 November the 1st Middle Siberian Corps of the

Siberian Army The Siberian Army (russian: Сибирская армия, Sibirskaya Armiya) was an anti-Bolshevik army during the Russian Civil War, which fought from June 1918 – July 1919 in Siberia – Ural Region. Background After the Bolsheviks' se ...

, led by

Anatoly Pepelyayev Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyayev (russian: Анатолий Николаевич Пепеляев; , in Tomsk – 14 January 1938) was a White Russian general who led the Siberian armies of Admiral Kolchak during the Russian Civil War. His el ...

, began its advance towards the North-West. On 21 December the Siberian Army captured

Kungur Kungur (russian: Кунгу́р) is a town in the southeast of Perm Krai, Russia, located in the Ural Mountains at the confluence of the rivers Iren and Shakva with the Sylva (Kama's basin). Population: 64,800 (1959); 36,000 (1939). Histo ...

, and on 24 December

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia **Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administrat ...

. The Red Army lost 18,000 men, but the losses of the White Army were also great. Therefore, on 6 January 1919, White Russian Supreme Commander

Alexander Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (russian: link=no, Александр Васильевич Колчак; – 7 February 1920) was an Imperial Russian admiral, military leader and polar explorer who served in the Imperial Russian Navy and fough ...

ordered the 1st Middle Siberian Corps of the Siberian Army to hold its advance and defend.

Counteroffensive of Red Army

On 19 January the Red Army began its counteroffensive to recapture Perm and Kungur. Up to 28 January the Red 2nd Army advanced 20–40 km, the Red 3rd Army only 10–20 km. The main objectives weren't achieved. {{DEFAULTSORT:Perm Operation (1918-19) Battles of the Russian Civil War November 1918 events December 1918 events January 1919 events