Youth of the Civil War: history in fates

Abstract

Working with award lists, orders and announcements of the High Command of the White Army, I suddenly came across a very peculiar set of documents concerning the participation of children and youth in the Civil War on the side of the whites. A characteristic feature of the White resistance, which began immediately after the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks in October 1917, from the very beginning was the massive participation of young people - pupils of military school, cadets, gymnasium students, high school and university students. Throughout the Civil War, the White Army constantly experienced a shortage of fighters and problems with mobilizing the population. Many documents that I came across in the course of my searches tell about this. In the orders of the commander-in-chief, in the reports of the officers, much is said about irreplaceable losses, difficulties of the new conscription, and melting of military contingents. The article reveals the tragedy of Russia, which survived a fratricidal war, and shows the fate of those who were able to return to productive work in Soviet times. The materials of the article, based on archival documents, make it possible to comprehend with renewed vigor the dramatic events of the early 20th century in Russia.