White general about the tactics and features of the Civil War
The Civil War was very different from the First World War. Tactically, this was expressed in maneuver warfare, in which mounted units and technical means (armored trains, armored cars) began to play a much larger role. Psychologically, the situation changed even more: the military leader now had to fear, for example, the unexpected defection of some of his units to the enemy’s side. Or a surprise attack from the rear by a rebel detachment of local residents.
In addition, the armies of the Civil War were small, fought over vast areas of the former Russian Empire and actually had no rear. A solid front also often did not exist.
However, many white military leaders sought to fight “the old fashioned way,” using the methods of the First World War, which was an unaffordable luxury in those conditions. This is largely why the White Guards, like the Reds, were promoted to leadership positions by young commanders who were not ossified in the patterns of previous wars and who understood the peculiarities of the Civil War.
One of them was Nikolai Stepanovich Timanovsky, from a peasant background, he began serving in the Russian Imperial Army in 1902 as a volunteer. Participant in the Russian-Japanese, World War I and Civil Wars. He was wounded several times, personally went into bayonet attacks, received many orders, and was awarded an honorary weapon.
The rank of Lieutenant General N.S. Timanovsky received it already in the White Army, in the summer of 1919. He became the commander of General Markov's Officer Division (one of the elite white units in the South of Russia - the Markovites). But at the end of 1919, Nikolai Stepanovich died of typhus. He was thirty-four years old.
Not long ago, researchers R.G. Gagkuev and S.G. Shilova published the “instructions” of this young white military leader to his troops. In it, Timanovsky talked about the peculiarities of military operations during the Russian Civil War.
Timanovsky was a supporter of offensive actions, even if the enemy has superiority in numbers. You cannot sit on the defensive, otherwise you will be overwhelmed by numbers or the enemies will find a weak spot in the position you hold. Moreover, the Whites did not have enough strength to create numerous units that could hold a wide continuous front. Timanovsky attached great importance to the fighting spirit of the army, which, in his opinion, often decided the outcome of the battle.
“The best way to achieve the goal in war, that is, victory, is offensive actions, forcing the enemy to do what we want, and not vice versa...” (c) N. S. Timanovsky.
Timanovsky attached particular importance to reconnaissance and discipline. Communication between small units must be maintained by all means, preventing unexpected partisan raids. Moreover, intelligence can be trusted only to “reliable people” from among officers and volunteers, and not soldiers mobilized or recruited from captured Red Army soldiers. Panic, in his opinion, must be suppressed by the most severe measures, up to and including shooting the cowards on the spot, without trial.
When occupying populated areas, it is necessary to take away weapons from the local population, again, without stopping before executions. In general, this document can greatly “sober up” people with “lofty” ideas about any of the sides of the Civil War. Both the Reds and the Whites sought to preserve their armed forces using the most severe measures, not stopping at “mutual responsibility” and mass executions.
“In view of the unreliability of mobilized and former Red Army soldiers arriving for replenishment, it is necessary immediately upon their arrival to write down their addresses, warning that for escaping to the Bolsheviks not only their families will be subjected to severe punishment, but a corresponding number of people from among their comrades will be shot... "(c) N. S. Timanovsky.
Timanovsky’s remarks on the topic of “night rest” are also interesting: only soldiers from “officer companies” can be posted as guards, but not mobilized peasants and not captured Red Army soldiers. “Disarm” populated areas, but do not rob civilians.
If we talk about tactics, Timanovsky proposed the following:
Distract the enemy with small forces on the main sector of the front (it is advisable to support them with machine guns and artillery), at the same time collect a shock “fist” and hit the enemy with it in “unprotected places.” Along the flanks, rear, command height, and so on.
It is advisable, in the event of a successful attack, to organize an effective pursuit by cavalry, to capture as many prisoners as possible (this is both a replenishment for one’s own army and a loss for someone else’s).
The infantry should move quickly, in thin chains; it is advisable to have veterans and officers in the last chain who will support the attack or stop the fleeing.
Infantrymen should conserve their ammo. Also, the white general Timanovsky talks about the need to have tachankas. Artillerymen must act “in conjunction” with the infantry and pay attention to the fight against armored trains and other enemy equipment, hitting primarily important targets.
“Cavalry: must be the most active. In a real war, there is complete room for maneuver... Massive horse attacks have found their place on the battlefield. The actions of the cavalry of Generals Shkuro and Baron Wrangel are known to everyone...” (c) N. S. Timanovsky.
For Timanovsky, the main branch of the military remains the infantry, which must be competently supported by artillerymen, cavalrymen, and technical units (armored trains, tanks, aviation, armored vehicles). Tanks for N. S. Timanovsky are, first of all, an effective psychological weapon.
In general, Timanovsky’s instructions are quite competent, corresponding to the realities of the Civil War. It is clear that the white general created the contents of the instructions based on his own experience.
Here is a link to Timanovsky’s instructions itself. Naturally, it is written in Russian:
https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/instruktsiya-belogo-generala-n-s-timanovskogo-ob-osobennostyah-vedeniya-boevyh-deystviy-v-grazhdanskuyu-voynuThe instructions indicate the recommended structure of units (company, battalion, regiment). Recommendations for managing divisions and units. Recommendations for marching and combat.
03 February 2016, 01:49:33 PM