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The Civil War occupies a special place in Russian history. Almost the entire population took part in the hostilities, which encompassed most of the country. Participants in the hostilities were also peasants, among whom the number of deserters prevailed. The number of reasons and methods of desertion increased throughout the war period, from falsification of documents to armed insurrections of peasants. At the end of the war the fight against desertion was complicated by banditry. Desertion could not be eliminated under the threat of firing squad as a traditional measure. The fight against desertion was also hampered by the rear, which was flooded with deserters. Nevertheless, the war ended in victory for the Bolsheviks and the Red Army. How can such an outcome of the war be explained if the Bolshevik leadership had no experience of combat operations, let alone experience of desertion? How was it possible to create a regular Red Army and achieve victory? Answers to these and other questions are presented in this work, which is addressed to all those interested in the history of Russia.
About the author
Dolgova Angela Valerievna is a lecturer at the Department of General National History at Perm State University. Born on January 25, 1980 in the village of Vilgort, Cherdynsky District, Perm Region. In 2004, she graduated with honors from the Faculty of History and Political Science of the Perm State University. Her field of research is the history of the Civil War.
