Fighting with Capital, You Are Awarded the Ruble... Awarding Red Army Soldiers with Valuable Gifts and Monetary Awards during the Civil War (1917–1922)

Abstract

Introduction. The experience of awarding Red Army soldiers with valuable gifts and cash prizes in a difficult economic situation during the Civil War is analyzed. It is stated that the abolition of the award system of imperial Russia led to the need to introduce awards for Red Army soldiers and commanders simultaneously with the creation of the Red Army. Materials and Methods. The study involved collections of official documents, official statistics, as well as scientific literature. The study was based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and systematics. The need to process quantitative data led to the use of the statistical method. Results. To ensure the need of the army for awarding, the country’s leadership actively used the awarding of valuable gifts and monetary rewards of both individual military personnel and entire military formations (bonus with salaries of monetary allowance). It is noted that the award production was regulated by a single documentary base with the highest award of the republic – the Order of the Red Banner. Conclusions. It is stated that valuable gifts and cash prizes were the most massive material awards during the war. Due to the catastrophic situation with the financial system and material allowance, their rewards had a great motivational effect on the military.