The Interpretation of Action of the Czecho-Slovak legionaries in 1918–1920 in the Works of the French Military Representatives in Russia

Abstract

The article deals with the reflection of the main events connected with the history of activity by the Czecho-Slovak Army Corps during the Civil War in Russia, as depicted in the memoirs of the officers of the Army of the French Republic who commanded the military missions in Russia or served in them. Regarding the historiography of the problem, it stands to mention that both the Russian and the Czech and Slovak historiography contain a considerable part of scientific works that are concerned with the reasons for the emergence of the military coup against the Soviet power by the Corps. Th is particular group of studies is devoted to the definition of the activity in Siberia of the famous Slovak scientist and politician, general of the French Army, and War Minister of the Czechoslovak Republic, Milan Rastislav Štefánik. Especially the works of the Russian historians E.P. Serapionova and E.F. Firsov deserve particular attention. Th e place that the Czecho-Slovak Army Corps occupied in the projects of the Entente powers on the organization of the Allied intervention in Russia is the subject of study in the works of A.Iu. Pavlov, Yu.M. Galkina and E.P. Feskova. However, the problem of how these aspects are reflected in the memoirs of French military representatives, who were witnesses of the events, has not been suffi ciently studied. Th e principal sources for this article are the memoirs and diaries of A. Vergé, A. Guinet, P. Pascal, M. Janin, L. Grondijse, J. Lasiez and G. Dubarbier. Th e study shows that the sources analyzed in the article are of great significance because they allow for an examination of the problem presented in the article from different perspectives.