Armed Forces of Southern Russia (AFSR) 1917-1920

Southern Whites, White Russians, Russian Civil War

Last modified: 2023-07-22 by valentin poposki
Keywords: russian empire | white army civil war | caucasus muslim |
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image by António Martins, 21 Oct 1997
The Imperial Flag was used by many White Russian Forces

On this page:

• Introduction - The White Russian Movement and the Armed Forces of Southern Russia 1917-1920
• The Use of the Russian Imperial Flag
• Armed Forces of Southern Russia Flag

• West Russian Volunteer Army 1918-1919
• Russian Volunteers 1917-1920
• Caucasus Muslim Nationalistic Regiment
• Russian Imperial Flag 1858-1883
• Russian Empire - Imperial Russia 1721-1917
• Soviet Union 1922-1991 - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
• Russian Federation 1992-present

Introduction: The White Russian Movement and the Armed Forces of Southern Russia 1917-1920

In quick succession Russia experienced the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II during the February Revolution, the establishment of a Provisional Government for a new Russian Republic, and then the Bolshevik-led October Revolution overthrowing the Provisional Government. Because of this confusion warfare would soon breakout. The two largest combatants were the Red Army, fighting for the establishment of a Bolshevik-led socialist state headed by Vladimir Lenin, and the loosely allied forces (known variously as the White Movement, the White Russians, the White Army or simply as the "Whites") which contained both right and left wing opposition to Bolshevik rule. The Armed Forces of Southern Russia, or the Southern Whites, were largely independent and uninvolved for the first part of the growing confusion in 1917, but through the efforts of both the military and provisional governments were eventually merged with the Don Armies in August in 1918. The AFSR had nominally recognized its political subordination to the short-lived Provisional Government and with the comprehensive merger gained the leadership of many of the most competent generals on the anti-Bolshevik side. Add in the fact that thirteen Allied foreign nations and the three Central Powers also intervened against the Red Army, and the White movement's future seemed bright. However, like most things appearances can be misleading, the White cause was doomed.
Sources:
   1. Fandom: Armed Forces of Southern Russia.
   2. Wikipedia: Russian Civil War.
Pete Loeser, 18 July 2023

The Use of the Russian Imperial Flag

The Russian Civil War was a life and death struggle between the White Russian forces (the supporters of the old Czarist regime) and the new Bolshevik Red regime. After the execution of the royal family by the Bolsheviks, the remaining military and provisional governments, desperately trying to stop the collapse of the monarchy, merged the anti-Bolshevik volunteer forces and Don Armies in August of 1918. It is therefore not surprising that they fought under the Imperial Flag. They were all that was left of the Imperial forces. (source)
Pete Loeser, 18 July 2023

Armed Forces of Southern Russia Flag
Unverified Variant

image located by Pete Loeser, 19 July 2023 (source)

I found this currently unverified variant of the Armed Forces of Southern Russia Flag on the Kaiserreich Fandom website.
Pete Loeser, 19 July 2023