N. V. Tchaikovsky and A. I. Denikin: Dialogue, Collaboration, and Controversy of the Anti-Bolshevik Movement Leaders in the Days of the Civil War in Russia: Documents from Russian and Foreign Archives

Abstract

The article presents the activities of the anti-Bolshevik movement leaders, N.V. Tchaikovsky in the North and General A.I. Denikin in the South of Russia in the days of the Civil War. The object and aim of the research is to analyze their relations, dialogue, collaboration, and contradicting views on state building, interrelations of civil and military powers, relations with the foreign allies by studying archival documents. Most of the studied documents are from documentary collections of the former Russian Historical Archive Abroad in Prague transferred in 1946 to Moscow and now mostly stored in the State Archive of the Russian Federation: personal provenance fonds of N. V. Tchaikovsky and A. I. Denikin, documentary collection of the “Society of Northerners.” The article analyzes a long letter written by Tchaikovsky and addressed to Denikin (April 1919), where he assesses organization of power in the Northern Region, relations of the military, including foreign allies and Commander-in-Chief of the Entente forces, with the government of the Northern Region. It presents documents on Tchaikovsky’s views on the political process in South Russia at the time when he was a member of the Russian Political Delegation of the Russian Political Conference in Paris; on relations of the White movement with nationalities. The article highlights Tchaikovsky’s meeting with the Polish leader Josef Pilsudski in an attempt to organize a military alliance of Denikin’s forces with Poland. It assesses Tchaikovsky’s participation in the South Russian Government in 1920 and his relations with General Denikin at the same period. Tchaikovsky sought to implement a “middle” course, balancing the “left” and the “right” fractions, civil and military powers; to demonstrate democratic nature of the Government; and to gain support of a considerable part of the population, while General Denikin was in favor of military dictatorship. Neither approach brought success to the anti-Bolshevik movement in the Civil War. However, identifying and introducing into scientific use documents of these two leaders of the anti-Bolshevik movement is important for proper understanding of its history.