The Russian Civil War (1) : The Red Army (Men at Arms Series, 293) [Paperback]

Mikhail Khvostov (Author), Andrei Karachtchouk (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: May 15, 1996

The main instrument with which the Bolsheviks imposed communism on Russia was the Red Army. Traditionally the origins of this army were among the factory workers who laid down their tools and took up arms as a way of expressing their grievances. Already formed by the time of the revolutions of 1905 and February 1917, these militant workers organised themselves into parliamentary detachments known as the krasnogvardeytsi, or 'Red Guards'. In this first of two volumes [see Men-at-Arms 305: White Armies] focusing on the Russian Civil War (1917-1923), Mikhail Khvostov examines the Red Army's organisation, weaponry, uniforms and insignia.

Editorial Reviews

Review

On Russian Civil War (1) and Russian Civil War (2): "Each book is a wealth of information essential to anyone interested in the RCW from Murmansk to the Ukraine and Crimea to Siberia and the Far East... What is most striking about all of these books is the evolution of the skill of the artist Andrei Karachtchouk... These books are an essential part of anyone's Russian Civil War library." -HMG

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (May 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855326086
• ISBN-13: 978-1855326088
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #950,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR (2): WHITE ARMIES, July 25, 2010

By 

Robert A. Lynn "Militaryhistorywriter" (Orlando, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Russian Civil War (2): White Armies (Men-at-Arms) (v. 2) (Paperback)

THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR (2): WHITE ARMIES
MIKHAIL KHVOSTOV
OSPREY PUBLISHING, 2004
QUALITY SOFTCOVER, $17.95, 48 PAGES, PHOTOGRAPHS, ILLUSTRATIONS, TABLES


The Russian Civil War of 1918-1922 arose out of the cataclysmic events of World War One. This civil war dwarfed all others of the 20th Century in scope and significance. The lives of tens of millions were lost or changed forever in the ensuing conflagration-from battle, disease, famine, imprisonment, execution, dislocation, and exile. New weapons of war emerged. The airplane, armored car, tank, and armored train wee tested over the vast expanses of Russia, the largest country in the world, in a war of mobility not seen on the relatively static fronts that characterized World War One. Even so, the older weapons of war remained. This was the last war in which cavalry armies duelled en masse, sword on lance. Bugles still rang and unfurled flags fluttered above infantry charging into the steel mouths of guns. More than two dozen countries took part in these torturous years of civil war. Peripheral regions of the former Russian Empire that had broken away to form new nations had to fight for independence: Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. Other countries directly intervened in the conflict as a consequence of events arising out of World War One, including Great Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Japan, Germnay, Austria-Hungary, Romania, Greece, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States. Still others participated in the fighting because their troops were trapped inside Russia at the end of World War One, such as Serbia and Czechoslovakia, or fought because the civil war spilled over into their territory, for example, Mongolia and China. At the end, the maps of Northeastern and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Far East had to be redrawn. Soon after the 1917 February revolution, and the abdication of Czar Nicholas II, the White cause began to emerge and oppose the Bolsheviks. There was, however, no single, united White Army to fight the Red Army and the forces available to the Whites represented a spectrum of political factions including monarchist military organizations and Social-Democrats. Many of the Cossack hosts also sided with the Whites, seeing it as an opportunity to create their own independent states; others remained neutral or hostile to both sides. This fascinating book, THE RUSSIAN CIVIL WAR (2) WHITE ARMIES examines the colorful uniforms and the equipment of the White armies of the Russian Civil War. With that being said, there is one mistake that must be corrected in regard to the caption on Page 46. The initial deployment of 1,889 enlisted and 48 officers of the 12th, 13th, and 62nd Infantry Regiments of the 8th Infantry Division deployed to Russia on the USS Thomas in mid-August, 1918. This was followed by a second deployment of 1,886 on the USS Sheridan and 1,811 on the USS Logan in September, 1918 to Russia. Prior to the above deployments, were the deployments of the 27th and 31st Infantry Regiments from the Philippines on the USS Merritt, USS Crook, and USS Warren to Russia via Japan in early August, 1918. They were the first U.S. Army units to arrive in Vladivostok. Seventy-five U.S. Marines from the USS Brooklyn (the flagship of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet) were reinforced by fifty U.S. Marines from the USS New Orleans (it had sailed from Cavite, Philippines).


Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Russian Civil War White Armies, July 20, 2009

By 

R. Gottschalk (Philadelphia PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Russian Civil War (2): White Armies (Men-at-Arms) (v. 2) (Paperback)

Top notch. I can't imagine that you would find this information anywhere else without conducting exhaustive research.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Russian Civil War (White Armies), October 4, 2007

By 

G. Dzara - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Russian Civil War (2): White Armies (Men-at-Arms) (v. 2) (Paperback)

A very informative book with great illustrations.
I highly recommend this book to someone with an
interest in this period.