A brief overview of the thirteen Cossack troops, which by the beginning of the 20th century formed the Cossack shell of Russia. The history of the founding of each, the structure of government, land ownership, as well as the vicissitudes of fate in the tragic years of the civil war.
1. Don Cossack army
The Don Cossack army is the oldest, eminent and honored Cossack army in Russia. It officially dates back to January 3, 1570 (the date of seniority), when the free Don Cossacks received the tsar's letter of service to Russia. Since the 18th century, the Don Cossacks have participated in all the wars waged by the Russian Empire, and especially distinguished themselves in the Patriotic War of 1812.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Don Cossack army was located on the territory of modern Volgograd, Voronezh, Rostov regions, the Republic of Kalmykia, as well as Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.
In 1913, the population of the Don Cossack army numbered about 1 million 495 thousand people of both sexes, of which more than 21 thousand Cossacks were in active service in peacetime, who were equipped with 2 guards regiments, 1 guards Cossack battery, 17 cavalry regiments, 6 separate cavalry hundreds, 7 horse-artillery batteries and 9 local teams. Cossacks with their families mainly lived in 134 villages and 1,728 farms. The army owned 12 million acres of land. The capital of the army was Novocherkassk.
The highest power in the Don Cossack army was possessed by a military mandate ataman with the rights of a commander of the troops of a district and a governor (in special cases - a governor-general).
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The management of the districts was carried out by the district atamans and district chiefs appointed by the military order ataman, as well as by district military chiefs with the rights and duties of district military chiefs. Bodies of public administration were village and farm boards, headed by their chieftains and gatherings (circles). The military circle, held on January 1, May 6, August 30 and October 1, had the status of a military parade and a church holiday.
After the fall of the autocracy on the Don, Cossack self-government was restored, and in 1918, on the Don Salvation Circle, the formation of the Great Don Army was proclaimed. During the Civil War, especially after the adoption of the secret circular of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) of January 24, 1919, the Don Cossacks were subjected to terror and physical destruction.
2. Kuban Cossack army
The Kuban Cossack army originates from the famous Zaporozhian Cossacks, who founded a Cossack community in the lower reaches of the Dnieper in the 1530s - Sich. At the end of the 18th century, by decree of Catherine II, Zaporozhye Cossacks with families of 25 thousand people were resettled to the Kuban and formed the Black Sea Cossack army. As an independent, the Kuban army was formed in 1861 on the territory of the Kuban region and was formed mainly at the expense of the reorganized Black Sea Cossack army. The Kuban Cossacks gained fame thanks to their active participation in hostilities in the Caucasus in the 19th century (they took part in the defeat of the Kazi-mulla detachments, in the capture of the village of Gunib and the capture of Imam Shamil, in the expedition to Tuapse and Sochi).
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kuban Cossack army was located on the territory of the modern Republic of Adygea, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, the Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. In 1913, the population of the Kuban Cossack army numbered about 1 million 367 thousand people of both sexes, of which more than 15 thousand Cossacks were in active service in peacetime, with whom the Kuban hundreds of His Imperial Majesty's own convoy, 11 cavalry regiments, 1 cavalry division were completed, 6 Plastun battalions, 5 Cossack batteries and 4 local teams. Cossacks with their families lived in 274 villages and 32 farms. The army owned 6.8 million acres of land. The capital of the army was Yekaterinodar.
The highest power in the Kuban Cossack army was possessed by a military order chieftain, who was also the head of the Kuban region. Under him, a regional government was created, to which the boards of departments were subordinate. The leadership of the departments was carried out by the atamans of the departments appointed by the military order ataman, who, together with the board, monitored public order, disposed of the police, approved the elected village atamans and controlled their activities, were in charge of mobilizations, regular military recruits, training camps, etc.
The organs of public administration were stanitsa boards headed by their chieftains and gatherings (circles). The military circle, held on August 30, on the day of the patron saint of the army - St. the faithful Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, had the status of a military parade and a church holiday.
After the fall of the autocracy for a short period, Cossack self-government was restored in full in the Kuban. In April 1917, the Kuban Military Rada was created, which performed the functions of the Kuban government. In 1917-1920, the Kuban Cossacks were subjected to mass extermination.
3. Terek Cossack army
The Terek Cossack army officially dates back to the Cossack settlements on the Terek in 1577. As an independent army, the army was formed in 1861 on the territory of the Terek region and was formed at the expense of the reorganized Linear Caucasian Cossack army.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Terek Cossack army was located on the territory of the modern Republic of Dagestan, the Republic of Ingushetia, the Republic of North Ossetia - Alania, the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, the Chechen Republic and the Stavropol Territory. In military-administrative terms, it was divided into four departments: Pyatigorsk (the villages of the Volga Cossack regiment), Mozdok (the villages of the Gorsko-Mozdok Cossack regiment), Kizlyarsky (the villages of the Kizlyar-Grebensky Cossack regiment), Sunzhensky (the villages of the Sunzhensky-Vladikavkaz regiment).
In 1913, the population of the Terek Cossack army numbered over 200 thousand people of both sexes, of whom 4 thousand Cossacks were in active service in peacetime, who were staffed by the Terek hundreds of His Imperial Majesty's own convoy, 4 cavalry regiments, 2 horse batteries and 4 local teams.
Cossacks with their families lived in 70 villages. The army owned 1.9 million acres of land. The capital of the army was Vladikavkaz. The military circle, held on August 25, on the day of the patron saint of the army - St. Bartholomew, had the status of a military parade and a church holiday.
The highest power in the Terek region, as in the entire Caucasus, was possessed by the tsar's governor, who owned the rights of the regional minister of internal affairs, he also headed the local administration of the Terek and Kuban regions. He was also awarded the title of military order chieftain of the Caucasian Cossack troops (Tersky and Kuban).
After the fall of the autocracy, the situation on the Terek worsened, riots began, which were aggravated by the actions of the demobilized units of the Caucasian Front. At the end of 1917, the active Chechens burned down the village of Field Marshal, plundered the villages of Vozdvizhenskaya, Kokhanovskaya, Ilyinskaya, Gudermes and expelled the entire Russian population of the Khasavyurt District. At the Prokhladnaya station, a group of revolutionary soldiers shot the Terek military chieftain M. A. Karaulov. With the outbreak of the Civil War, the Cossacks were drawn into a long fratricidal slaughter.