Харьковская операция (декабрь 1919 г.)

Харьковская операция (декабрь 1919 г.)
Часть Южного фронта . Гражданской войны в России
Парад Красной Армии в Харькове.
Дата 24 ноября - 12 декабря 1919 г. Расположение Kharkiv , Ukraine 49 ° 59'33 "N 36 ° 13'52" E Результат Советская победа
Воюющие стороны
Юг России Донская Республика	Российская СФСР Украинская ССР
Командиры и лидеры
Anton Denikin Vladimir May-Mayevsky Sergei Ulagay Konstantin Mamontov	Alexander Yegorov Anatoliy Gekker Semyon Budyonny Ieronim Uborevich Grigori Sokolnikov
Units involved
Armed Forces of South Russia Volunteer Army Don Army	Southern Front 8th Army 13th Army 14th Army 1st Cavalry Army
Strength
47,000 infantry 23,000 cavalry 227 artillery cannons 1,600 machine guns	58,000 infantry 13,000 cavalry 455 artillery cannons 1,660 machine guns

Харьковская операция (24 ноября — 12 декабря 1919) — наступление в годы Гражданской войны в России Южного фронта Красной Армии под командованием Александра Егорова против белогвардейских войск Антона Деникина .

Прелюдия

В октябре 1919 года Красная Армия перешла в контрнаступление против Вооружённых Сил Юга России , чтобы остановить их наступление на Москву и вернуть утраченные за два предыдущих месяца территории. 13–20 октября красные вынудили Владимира Май-Маевского отойти Добровольческую армию из российской столицы в Курск . 24 октября кавалерийский корпус Семена Буденного белую конницу Андрея Шкуро и Константина Мамонтова (позже преобразованный в 1-ю Конную армию) разгромил под Воронежем . Ожесточенный бой за железнодорожный узел Касторное длился почти месяц и наконец завершился победой красных. 15 ноября Красная Армия отбила Курск у белых. These successes opened the way for the Reds to continue their march south towards Kharkiv, which had been captured by the Whites in June 1919. The command of the Red Army set the Southern Front with the task of finally liquidating the Volunteer Army.

Battle

On 23 November, Red forces occupied the Rylsk-Lgov-Kursk-Tim-Kastornoye line and developed a general advance towards Kharkiv and Kupiansk. The main strike towards Kharkiv was carried out by the 14th Army under the command of Ieronim Uborevich and the 13th Army under the command of Anatoly Gekker. The 13th Army was also entrusted with the task of capturing Kupiansk, in cooperation with Budyonny's Cavalry Army. The 8th Army was to secure their actions by attacking in the direction of Starobilsk.

The Whites attempted a counterattack at the junction of the 13th Army and the 1st Cavalry Army, concentrating the cavalry corps of Konstantin Mamontov and Sergei Ulagay in the area of Volchansk and Valuyki. However, on 28 November, the Reds went on a counter-offensive, occupying Sumy-Oboyan-Stary Oskol-Ostrogozhsk-Liski-Bobrov line, while the 1st Cavalry Army and the 13th Army moved far ahead, capturing Novy Oskol. On 3–7 December, a fierce battle between the red and white cavalry took place, which ultimately ended with the success of the 1st Cavalry Army. By 9 December, the 13th Army captured Volchansk, the 1st Cavalry Army captured Volokonovka and Valuyki, and the 8th Army captured Biryuch. Meanwhile, the 14th Army broke through the White defenses between Okhtyrka and Grayvoron, capturing Belgorod, Bohodukhiv and Valky. On 11 December, the 14th Army occupied Merefa and cut off the Whites' escape route to the south.

At the same time, the 13th Army bypassed Kharkiv and first captured Kupiansk, located to the east of it. By 12 December, Kharkiv itself had been captured by the 14th Army. The 1st Cavalry Army withdrew towards Svatove and occupied it on 17 December, preventing the Whites from leaving Kharkiv to the east. The entry of the Bolsheviks into Kharkiv was received rather favourably by the local inhabitants. In June 1919, they had welcomed the Whites in the hope of improving the economic situation in the city, counting on overcoming difficulties in supplying Kharkiv with food and restarting closed industrial plants. However, by August 1919, the population, especially the workers, became disillusioned with the rule of the Whites. Particular anger was aroused by rumours that Anton Denikin intended to give power in the city to Andrei Shkuro, who aroused widespread terror.

After the fall of Kharkiv, the hitherto disciplined retreat of the Volunteer Army towards the Don and the North Caucasus turned into a disorderly flight; civilians favouring them withdrew together with the whites, and an epidemic of typhus broke out among those retreating. On the other hand, the Reds' victory in the Battle of Kharkiv enabled them to continue their march south and recapture Donbas, which also took place at the turn of 1919 and 1920.

Bibliography

• Kenez, Peter (2004). Red Advance, White Defeat. Civil War in South Russia 1919–1920. Washington DC: New Academia Publishing. ISBN 0974493457.
• Smele, J. D. (2015). The "Russian" Civil Wars 1916-1926. Ten Years That Shook the World. London: C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 9781849047210.