Makhnovshchina is anarchism or banditry?

Makhnovshchina is a movement of the times of the Civil War, whose ideology had the features of anarchism. The name comes from the name of the leader of the anarchists - Nestor Makhno. In the history of the Civil War, the figure of Nestor Makhno occupied a special place, it is a mythologized hero, and in the official literature this is a sharply negative figure of the enemy, a political adventurer, a bandit. These approaches do not stand up to criticism, lack sufficient depth, serious documentary arguments. They created the wrong image of not only one person, but also the whole phenomenon of social life, such as the Makhnovshchina during the Civil War.

When did the movement of Nestor Makhno begin?

The beginning of counting can be considered 1918. Makhnovshchina during the Civil War had a specific social portrait. In the detachments led by Makhno went the peasants of the south of Yekaterinoslav, who actively participated in the approval of Soviet power in Ukraine in the first half of 1919. It is about this period of their activity that is mentioned in this publication. Then the ways of the Makhnovists and the Red Army began to diverge further and further. Despite this, the rebels played an important role in defeating Denikin, and then Wrangel.

Nestor Makhno is a talented organizer

In the fight against the enemies of the revolution, Nestor Makhno proved himself to be a talented organizer and an original partisan commander. Under his leadership, at some points tens of thousands of peasants were united.

At the heart of the disagreements between the Makhnovists and the Soviet government lay the opposition of the peasantry to the policy of "war communism", as well as the different views of the Bolsheviks and anarchists on the role of the state in building socialism. After the introduction of the new economic policy, the majority of the peasants left the Makhnovist detachments. Makhnovshchina is a movement that began to acquire the character of political banditry. Obviously, this fact forced Makhno, who was constantly struck by the Red Army, to stop further struggle and in August 1921 to cross the border with Romania.

The influence of Nestor Makhno on the anarchist movement

Echoes of his views can be found in the Makhnovshchina. This movement became a kind of "brainchild" Nestor Makhno. Rebels often referred to as "father".

With this insurgent title he was proud and often signed under public documents.

By the end of 1918 Nestor Makhno managed to unite under his command the majority of insurgent groups operating in this region. At the end of 1918 Nestor Makhno, together with the Soviet Army, conducted a bold operation to capture Yekaterinoslav, but the success was short-lived. The city had to be handled with considerable losses.

Nestor Makhno and the Soviet Government

In February 1919 the headquarters of Nestor Makhno signed an agreement on the entry of his detachments into the Red Zadneprovsky Division as the 3rd Zadneprovsky Brigade. Makhnovshchina is a movement that distinguished itself by bravery in battles against the Entente troops and whites in the spring of 1919. Mariupol was captured by them. But between the rebels and the Bolsheviks there were sharp contradictions in ideological issues. The Makhnovists could not recognize the principles of the dictatorship of the proletariat and "military communism", especially the surplus-appropriation and socialization of agriculture. These contradictions escalated with particular force in the spring of 1919, led to mutual accusations and became a stumbling block in relations after L. Trotsky launched a struggle against "guerrilla" on the Ukrainian front.

The role of the anarchist movement in the defeat of the army of A. Denikin

In August 1919 Nestor Makhno announced the creation of the revolutionary insurrectionary army of Ukraine. Her efforts were directed, first of all, to the struggle against the Denikinites, who at that time seized most of Ukraine and waged a successful offensive against Moscow. In September, Makhno concluded a short-term allied treaty with the army of the Ukrainian People's Republic on joint action against the Denikinites. In the battle near Peregonovka near Uman, the Makhnovists defeated the selected white officers' regiments, after which they made a swift raid into the White rear in the south of Ukraine, then almost completely disorganized them in the fall of 1919. Makhnovtsy during this time captured the city of Alexandrovsk, Berdyansk, Ekaterinoslav, Nikopol, Mariupol, Melitopol. This significant circumstance forced General A. Denikin to remove the best cavalry formations from the Bolshevik front and to throw them against the insurgents. This, in turn, allowed the Reds to stop Denikin's offensive and reverse the situation to his advantage. But this time the full union of the Makhnovists with the Reds did not work.

As soon as Denikin's danger was overcome, the Red Army from January 1920 led the struggle to destroy the Makhnovists. In the summer of 1920 the latter carried out 3 raids on the Left-Bank Ukraine, generally breaking 1,400 versts. In the autumn of 1920, the Soviets again used the Makhnovists in the war with the army of General P. Wrangel. The Makhnovist cavalry raided the White rear, took part in the forcing of Sivash and the break in the defense of Perekop and Yushun. Immediately after seizing the Crimea, the Reds, in strict security mode, launched a new operation to destroy the rebels.

Makhnovshchina, the year of creation of which can safely be called 1918, had a noticeable influence on the events of the Civil War in the territory of Ukraine.