Cossack army

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Russian Cossacks

The Cossack armies ( Russian казачье войско ) were between 1570 and 1918 in the Russian Empire (1571-1721), in the Russian Empire (1721-1917) and under the Provisional Government of Russia (1917) set up military units , which until their incorporation into the Imperial -Russian Army were considered " Irregular Troops ". They had been deployed on a north-south line from the Urals to the Sea of ​​Azov for border security and in their regions for internal security . The relatives were resident with their families in so-called stanizas or Cossack settlements, they were also composed of different Cossack ethnicities . After the October Revolution in 1917, some Cossack armies joined the Bolsheviks , others tried to join the White Army (1918–1922). In the years 1917/18 and until 1920, the vast majority of the Cossack armies were disbanded. During the Second World War , the German Wehrmacht had had the 1st Cossack Division since 1943 . Since 2005 there are registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation , who are again used for border security and for services for internal security.

Word origin

The term "Cossack Army" is not to be compared with the conventional term " Army ", rather it comes from the ancient Russian word "во́йско", which is translated as "Large Group" or "Horde" with "Army". The term "Cossack Army" is also used for the Cossack army.

Early history

After military rules and the traditional formations , the structure of the Cossack armies represented an unusual picture. Since the 18th century in European was armies the regulated formal and battle order, the continuous warfare in battles . But already at this time there were irregular troops who, on their own initiative and with the consent of the main armed forces, let themselves be used as scouts, scouts or raiding troops . The so-called border guards , Austrian snipers and fighters from Slovenia were known for this, and the Cossacks appeared as further groups.

During the 18th century, Cossacks were more than slight than ten thousand cavalry - regiments incorporated into the Russian army. In the middle of the 19th century their armament was reinforced by rifles , they were now used as cavalry and infantry and performed scouting tasks . The Cossack forces increased to an estimated 450,000 men, they had to procure all their equipment themselves, including weapons, horses, uniforms and other items. On the entire north-south line they raided supply convoys, villages and towns and during their forays there was rape , pillage and mistreatment. The Russian state and military order was consistently centralized and backed by state resources, which led to the fact that the regular Cossack armies were integrated into the army after the reformation of the military order of 1834. The regimental commanders had to take personal responsibility for the condition of their units, which was checked by an annual inspection . In 1845 the new army ordinances also came into force in the Cossack army.

The Cossack armies of the Imperial Russian Army

By the end of the 19th century, a total of eleven Cossack armies had been incorporated into the Imperial Russian Army. The relatives and the officers and men were now supported by the state, they received schooling and free health care and lived in stanizi and Cossack settlements. These Cossack armies were:

  1. Amur Cossack Army ( Russian Амурское казачье войско , 1655–1917)RU043-11.jpg
  2. Astrakhan Cossack Army ( Астраханские казачье войско , 1737–1918) Astrakhan Cossacks banner 1818.png
  3. Baikal Cossack Army ( Забайка́льское каза́чье во́йско , 1655–1920)Забайкальское казачье войско (шеврон) .png
  4. Don Cossack Army ( Донско́е каза́чье во́йско , 1570–1918)Cort of arms of Vsevelikoe Voisko Donskoe.png
  5. Kuban Cossack Army ( Куба́нское каза́чье во́йско , 1860–1920)Znamya Gvardii Kubanskogo kazach'yego getmana.png
  6. Orenburg Cossack Army ( Оренбургское казачье войско , 1755–1920)Герб ОВКО.jpg
  7. Semirechensk Cossack Army ( Семиреченское казачье войско , 1867–1920)Флаг Семиреченского казачьего войска.png
  8. Siberian Cossack Army ( Сиби́рское каза́чье во́йско , 1582–1918)Сибирское казачье войско (шеврон) .png
  9. Terek Cossack Army ( Терское казачье войско 1577-1918)Терское казачье войско (шеврон) .png
  10. Ural Cossack Army ( Ура́льское каза́чье во́йско , 1775–1917)Samokish Felten - Ural Cossaks.jpg
  11. Ussurian Cossack Army ( Уссурийское казачье войска , 1889–1922)Знамя Уссурийского казачьего войска 1906 года.gif

Cossack armies as irregular troops

In addition, there were other Cossack armies on the territory of the Russian Empire that were registered as irregular troops, but were not incorporated into the military order of the Imperial Russian Army. They were given no privileges and were autonomous armed Cossack forces. These included:

  • Azov Cossack Army ( Азовское казачье войско , 1696–1862)Ездец Мстислава Мстиславовича.jpg
  • Bashkir- Meshcheryak Cossack Army ( Башкиро-мещерякское войско , 1798–1865)Знамя 9-го кантона.jpg
  • Bug Cossack Army ( Бугское казачье войско , 1769-1817)Печатка Бузького козацького війська. 1807 р..jpg
  • Danube Cossack Army ( Дунайское казачье войско , 1828–1868)
  • Yenisei Cossack Army ( Енисейские казачье войско , 1626–1917)
  • Greben Cossack Army ( Гребенское казачье войско , 1711-1832 / 1870)
  • Caucasus Lines Cossack Army ( Кавказское линейное казачье войско , 1832-1860)
  • Zaporozhian Cossack Army ( Запоро́жские казаки́, запоро́жцы , 1649–1775)Zaporozhian Sich flag.svg
  • Black Sea Cossack Army ( Черноморское казачье войско , 1787–1864)Печатка Чорноморських Козаків з кінця XVIII ст..jpg
  • Volga Cossack Army ( Волгское казачье войско , 1734–1777)

Loyalty to the Tsar

The Cossacks had been rooted in their families' military tradition for centuries . Their reputation as good riders, skillful and fearless warriors preceded them. They were loyal to the tsar and were rewarded by the tsar with exemption from all taxes and duties . Their privileges continued to include free education and health care . The hetman and ataman , depending on the Cossack tribe, held a prominent position, they were an important aid to the ruling house. During the First World War , more than 120,000 Cossacks were awarded the Order of St. George for their bravery .

After the fall of the empire

As a result of the abdication of Nicholas II , his murder and the October Revolution , the Cossack community split. Although they supported the end of the war declared by the Bolsheviks , the promise of the new rulers to distribute land to the Cossacks was only combined with the demand that they not rebel against Soviet power . This led to the split in the Cossacks. In 1918 the uprising of the Don Cossacks, the annulment of the Bolshevik decree and the proclamation of a separate state structure did not lead to success, and the Red Army fought back with full force. Between 25,000 and 40,000 Cossacks were shot and another 30,000 were exiled . In 1920 the Cossack uprising was suppressed and in 1922 the property of the Cossack armies became the property of the Soviet republics. Around 1937, when World War II was approaching the USSR , Cossacks were re- admitted to military service and the wearing of Cossack uniforms was permitted. They had inferior equipment and were distributed in cavalry units, some of these units were given the addition of "Cossacks".

Cossack renaissance in Russia

Generations after the abolition of the Cossack army, the Cossacks are remembering their roots and traditions again. Since the late 1980s, the Cossacks, such as the Enisey Cossacks and other Cossack associations, have experienced the renaissance of their culture and traditions. Today's Russian state uses the conservative-patriotic Cossacks for its own purposes. The state Cossack register has about one million members. To be entered in this register, the candidate must “be of legal age, share the ideas of the Cossacks and kiss a cross ”. At the same time, the Cossacks undertake to serve the state . The current " Russian Army already has its own Cossack associations". Since 2011, uniformed Cossacks have been patrolling Moscow train and metro stations and evicting illegal street vendors from their squares. President Putin has ordered a “strategy for dealing with the Cossacks by 2020” to be developed, which also includes the Cossacks guarding kindergartens, schools and barracks . This is where the circle comes full circle, even in the times of the Cossack armies, their tasks consisted of border security, guarding and performing security tasks.

"The North Caucasian Border Administration of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) and the reformed Terek Cossack Army have signed an agreement on joint activities and mutually beneficial cooperation in border security in the North Caucasian region," was the official statement. Both sides undertake to train and organize suitable Cossacks for border service in their own training centers in the Stavropol region , the Republic of North Ossetia , the Ingush Republic and the Kabardino-Balkar Republic . In addition, a plan for cooperation in the event of emergency situations is to be drawn up and coordinated.

According to their ataman, the Great Don Army consists of 156,000 registered Cossacks and is also entered in the special Russian register. “According to the Ataman, several countries are dissatisfied with the international activities of his army in Crimea , Abkhazia and Transnistria, ” declared Ataman Vodolatski, adding: “I was elected by the Cossacks two years ago and confirmed by the President by decree. The situation in the Cossack army is stable, ”said Wodolatski. In addition to the 37,000 police officers and soldiers and the 11,000 cameras, President Putin also deployed 410 Cossacks during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi - especially for identity checks. With their slogan "Faith, Tsar and Fatherland", Cossackism is back on the same line as the Kremlin.

See also

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ во́йско, vojsko = army; In: OpenRussian.org Russian dictionary de.openrussian.org , accessed on March 16, 2018
  2. ↑ a b The Last Battle of the Cossacks de.rbth.com , accessed March 20, 2018
  3. ↑ Enisey Cossacks. On: cossackweb.narod.ru , accessed March 20, 2018
  4. ^ A b Gesine Dornblüth , For the Tsar and for Putin - The Cossack Comeback, December 10, 2012, Deutschlandradio deutschlandradio.de , accessed March 20, 2018
  5. ↑ SPUTNIK, military from January 20, 2006 de.sputniknews.com , accessed on March 20, 2018
  6. ↑ Russian Cossack ataman denies reports of division in the Cossack army (08/2008, updated: October 5, 2015). In: Sputnik News de.sputniknews.com , accessed on March 20, 2018
  7. ↑ a b February 7, 2014, Sochi: The Cossacks as Putin's right arm info.arte.tv , accessed on March 22, 2018