About the Donshchina and the North Caucasus

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About the Donshchina and the North Caucasus
(Facts and shenanigans)

A source: Stalin I.V. Works. - T. 4. - M.: OGIZ; State Publishing House of Political Literature, 1947, pp. 104–115.

Note 20: Ibid. S. 419.Ukrainian delegation in Kyiv at the first meeting of the peace conference20 stated that she had statements from the Don, North Caucasian and other "governments" that declared themselves to have seceded from Russia and established friendly relations with the Ukrainian-German government. “We are not against negotiations with representatives of the Soviet government,” said the chairman of the Ukrainian delegation, Mr. Shelukhin, “but we would like to know to what, in fact, areas the power of the Russian Federation extends, because I have statements from a number of governments (Don, North Caucasus etc.), who do not want to remain part of Russia.”

The Turks and Germans not only do not object to this speech of the Ukrainians, but on the contrary, in a number of official statements they confirm the claims of the mentioned semi-legal “governments”, clinging to them as a formal means for the purposes of “self-determination” (i.e. capture) of new territories ...

But what are these mysterious “governments”, where did they come from? [c.104]

First of all, it is strange that the patron of these “governments” and the official instigator of this entire campaign is the Ukrainian Hetman government, which just came into being yesterday by the grace of... at least not the people. By what right, in fact, does the Ukrainian delegation decide to speak like that with the Soviet government, freely elected by tens of millions of the population of the Russian Federation and rallied around itself, among other things, the broad regional Soviets of the Don, Kuban, Black Sea, Terek, elected by millions of the population of these regions? What weight can the current Ukrainian government have in view of all this, not only not elected by the people, but not even having behind it a rigged qualifying Sejm, like at least an apex Landtag? In addition, it can be considered proven that if the peace conference did not take place in Kyiv, and somewhere on neutral ground, the recently overthrown Ukrainian Rada would not fail to appear with a statement that an agreement with the Hetman's government cannot bind the Ukrainian people who do not recognize this government. At the same time, two questions would arise: 1) whose powers could be recognized as more valid in this case, the Hetman’s government or the Ukrainian Rada, 2) what could the current Ukrainian delegation, highly appreciating all sorts of “statements”, then declare in its defense...

Secondly, it is no less strange that Germany, which supports the statement of the Ukrainian delegation and intensively flirts with the adventurist “governments” of the Don and the North Caucasus in the interests of “self-determination,” does not stutter a single word [p.105] on the self-determination of Polish Poznan, Danish Schleswig-Holstein, French Alsace-Lorraine. Is it still necessary to prove that in comparison with the mass protests of the Danes, Poles and French of these regions, the adventurist statements of the hastily baked and unrecognized "governments" of southern Russia lose all weight, all value, all decency ...

But all this is “little things”. Let's move on to the main thing.

So, what is the origin of the mythical “governments” of southern Russia?

“October 21, 1917,” says the Don “government” in its “note”, “an agreement was signed in the city of Vladikavkaz on the formation of a new federal state, the southeastern union, which included the population of the territories of the Cossack troops of the Don, Kuban and Astrakhan, mountaineers of the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast and free peoples of the south-east of Russia”.

The telegram of the representatives of the North Caucasian "government" Chermoev and Bammatov, delivered to us on May 16, says almost the same thing:

“The peoples of the Caucasus naturally elected a national assembly, which, having met in May and September 1917, announced the formation of a union of the mountaineers of the Caucasus”, and “the union of the mountaineers of the Caucasus decides to secede from Russia and form an independent state, the territory of this state will have its borders in the north the same geographical borders that the regions and provinces of Dagestan, Terek, Stavropol and Kuban and the Black Sea had in the former Russian Empire, from the west - the Black Sea, from the east - the Caspian.

And so, on the eve of the victory of the October Revolution, which overthrew the government of Kerensky, the government a handful of adventurers gathered, it turns out, in Vladikavkaz, declared themselves "plenipotentiary" governments, and the south of Russia - separated from the latter, and they did not even bother to ask the consent of the population. Of course, in a free country like Russia, no one is forbidden to indulge in separatist dreams, and it is easy to understand that the adventurist statements of dreamers with whom the peoples of southern Russia are not in the least connected, the Soviet government could not and should not have pursued. We have no doubt that if Germany granted its citizens the same freedom as is now enjoyed in Russia, then Posen, Alsace-Lorraine, Poland, Courland, Estonia, etc., would be covered with a network of national governments, which have much more reason to be called governments,

Such is the picture of the rise of mythical “governments” in southern Russia.

The "note" of the Don "government" and Chermoev's radiotelegram speak of the past, of September and October 1917, and of Vladikavkaz as a refuge for retired generals. But about a year has passed since then. During this time, the Don, Kuban-Black Sea and Terek Regional People's Councils were formed, uniting around themselves millions of the population, Cossacks and non-residents, Abkhazians and Russians, Chechens and Ingush, Ossetians and Kabardians, Georgians and Armenians. The population of these regions has long recognized Soviet power, making extensive use of the right granted to them [c.107] self-determination. And Vladikavkaz, the former residence of the Karaulovs and Bogaevskys, Chermoevs and Bammatovs, has long declared itself the seat of the Terek People's Council. The question is, what significance can the fossil generals and their adventurous statements in the summer of 1917 have in the face of these well-known facts? In September and October, the Kerensky government still existed in Russia, which then threw thunder and lightning at the Bolshevik party, driven underground and now in power. If the September and October months of 1917 are of such sacramental significance for the Ukrainian delegation and the German government, why don’t they invite the remnants of the Kerensky government, then still in health, to the peace conference, just as they do it in relation to the remnants of the Chermoev “government” and Karaulovs,

Or another thing: why is September 1917 more preferable than April 1918, when the Ukrainian Rada, which had equipped a delegation for negotiations with the Soviet government, was suddenly thrown into political oblivion “on the basis” of the German “interpretation” of the principle of self-determination of peoples? .

Or, finally: why the statement of the Cossack general Krasnov, expelled by the Cossacks, who was captured by the Soviet troops near Gatchina at the end of 1917 and then released by the Soviet government on parole - why is his statement considered a “political act of great importance”, and the statement, for example, Crimean Council of People's Commissars, which rallied around itself hundreds of thousands of Russian and Tatar populations and three times [p.108] on the radio announcing the inseparable connection of Crimea with the Russian Federation, is it considered to be of no political significance?

Why did General Krasnov, expelled by the Cossacks, enjoy the special patronage of the Ukrainian-German rulers, while the Crimean Council of People's Commissars, freely elected by the population, was shot by robbers? ..

Obviously, the point here is not the authenticity of the "statements" and not the masses who support these "statements". All the more, it is not a matter of the concept of “self-determination”, barbarously worn out and distorted by official robbers. The point is simply that the “statements” are very beneficial for the Ukrainian-German lovers of imperialist machinations, because they conveniently cover up their desire to seize and enslave new territories.

It is characteristic that from a number of delegations of the so-called Don government, just as "legitimate" as the delegation of Gen. Krasnov, the Ukrainian-Germans settled on the last delegation, since all the other delegations adhered to a non-German “orientation”. Moreover, the far-fetchedness and artificiality of the “government” of Krasnov-Bogaevsky is so obvious that a number of ministers appointed by Krasnov (Paramonov, Minister of Public Education, and Semenov, Minister of Agriculture) officially refused appointments, motivating their refusal by the fact that “their appointment as ministers made by gen. Krasnov in their absence”. But this, obviously, does not bother the Ukrainian-German self-determinants in the least, because Krasnov is convenient for them, like a screen.

It is no less characteristic that the so-called southeastern union, which had died in the Bose back in January, [p.109] in May he suddenly resurrected somewhere in Ukraine or even in Constantinople, and not all the peoples of the North Caucasus yet know that the “governments” long buried by them continue to illegally “exist” either in Constantinople or in Kyiv, from where they are going to write for them laws. The Ukrainian-German self-determinants are not embarrassed, obviously, by this simple machination, because it makes it possible to profit.

Such are the “deeds” of the power-hungry adventurers of southern Russia, on the one hand, and the creators of political machinations, on the other.

What is the attitude of the peoples of southern Russia themselves towards the question of independence, whose name (of the peoples) is used as a cover by the self-determinants?

Let's start with Don . Since February, there has been an autonomous Don Soviet Republic, uniting around itself the vast majority of the population of the region. It's no secret that at the regional congress in April, which brought together more than 700 delegates, the inextricable connection with Russia, an autonomous part of which is the Don Republic, was loudly confirmed.

Here is what the Central Executive Committee of the Don Republic says about the claims of the newly-created “government” of Krasnov-Bogaevsky in its resolution of May 28:


“The Central Executive Committee of the Don Soviet Republic informs the Council of People's Commissars and the peace conference in Kyiv that there is no power on the Don, except for the Central Executive Committee and its Presidium. Any other government that has declared itself or will declare itself, there are state criminals who will be betrayed [c.110] People's Court for high treason. At this time, we have been informed that a delegation from the Don government is speaking at the peace conference. We, as a state authority, declare to the Council of People's Commissars and the peace conference in Kyiv that without the documents of the Soviet government of the Don Republic, no delegates should be allowed to conduct peace negotiations and, if any, we declare them illegal and self-proclaimed, who, as state criminals will be brought to justice. The Central Executive Committee demands from the peace conference to remove the self-proclaimed delegation of the "Don government", because it is illegal and cannot be allowed to conduct peace negotiations.


Chairman of the Central Executive Committee V. Kovalev .

Secretary V. Puzhilev .

(Adopted May 28) Tsaritsyn.

Let's move on to the Kuban . Everyone knows the Kuban-Black Sea Autonomous Soviet Republic, which rallies around itself 90% of the population of all departments and districts of the region without exception.

Everyone knows the numerous congress of the Kuban-Black Sea region with the participation of Chechens, Ingush in April of this year, chaired by the Cossack Y. Poluyan, solemnly confirming the inseparable connection of the region with Russia and just as solemnly outlawing adventurers, all kinds of Filimonovs and Krasnovs. However, tens of thousands of Kubans standing under arms, defending Soviet Russia with their breasts from Sukhum to Bataysk, speak eloquently enough about the feelings and sympathies of the Kuban and the Black Sea region. We are not talking about the fleet, whose death is awaited by the benefactors of the Krasnovs - the Filimonovs... [c.111]

Finally, the Terek region. It is no secret to anyone that there is a Terek Regional People's Council on the Terek, uniting around itself everything, or almost everything (95%), auls and villages, villages, towns, not to mention cities. Already at the first regional congress in January of this year, all the delegates, without exception, spoke in favor of Soviet power and inseparable ties with Russia. The second congress, in April, wider and more crowded than the first, solemnly reaffirmed the connection with Russia, declaring the region an autonomous Soviet republic of the Russian Federation. The third regional congress now underway takes a step forward, moving from words to deeds, and calls on citizens to arms to protect the Terek, and not only the Terek, from attacks by uninvited guests. The so-called note of the so-called Don government says a lot about the “free peoples of the southeast”, allegedly striving for secession from Russia. Believing that the facts are the best refutation of the "claims", we leave the floor to the facts.

First of all, let us hear the resolution of the Terek People's Council.

“The Terek People's Council learned from telegrams that the delegates of the North Caucasus, who are in Constantinople, declared the independence of the North Caucasus and notified it to the imperial Turkish government and other powers.

The Terek People's Council, consisting of factions: Chechen, Kabardian, Ossetian, Ingush, Cossack and nonresident, certifies that the peoples of the Terek Territory have never delegated anyone and anywhere for the above purpose, that if individuals who are now in Constantinople pretend to be delegates peoples of the Terek Territory and act on behalf of [c.112] these peoples, then this is nothing more than imposture and adventure on their part.

The Terek People's Council expresses its surprise at the political myopia and naivety of the Turkish government, which could be misled by crooks.

The Terek People's Council, as part of the listed factions, declares that the peoples of the Terek Territory constitute an integral part of the Russian Federative Republic.

The Terek People's Council protests against the involvement of the North Caucasus by the Transcaucasian government in the act of declaring the independence of Transcaucasia” (see “People's Power”, an organ of the Terek People's Council).

(Resolution adopted unanimously, May 9.)

Let the Chechens and Ingush , slandered by the usurpers and their patrons, speak now . Here is the resolution of their faction, uniting all or almost all Ingush and Chechens.

“An emergency meeting of the Chechen-Ingush faction of the Terek People’s Council, having discussed the announcement of the declaration of the North Caucasus as independent, unanimously adopted the following resolution: the declaration of the independence of the North Caucasus is an extremely important act that should take place with the knowledge and consent of all interested population.

The Chechen-Ingush faction states that the Chechen-Ingush people did not send any delegates for any negotiations with the Ottoman delegation in Trebizond or with the Ottoman government in Constantinople, that the question of independence in any bodies and assemblies expressing the will of the Chechen-Ingush people, never discussed.

Therefore, the Chechen-Ingush faction considers those who dare to speak on behalf of the people who did not elect them to be impostors and enemies of the people.

The Chechen-Ingush faction declares that the only salvation of all the highlanders of the North Caucasus and the freedoms won by the revolution lies in close unity with the Russian revolutionary democracy. [c.113]

This is dictated by them not only by their innate love for freedom, but also by those economic relations that in recent decades have closely welded the North Caucasus and central Russia into one inseparable whole.

(Adopted on May 9. See “People's Power”, an organ of the Terek People's Council.)

And here is an excerpt from the fiery speech of the speaker of the Ingush and Chechens at a meeting of the Terek People's Council, comrade Sheripov, definite enough to stop any complaints about the Dagestanis:

“Thanks to the great Russian revolution, we received that wonderful freedom for which our ancestors fought for centuries and rushed to the bayonets of the defeated. Now that we have received a guarantee of the right to self-determination, the people will never give this right to anyone. Now landowners, princes, provocateurs and spies and all those with whom Shamil waged a mortal struggle for 50 years are talking about the independence of the North Caucasus. There are separate attempts on the part of these enemies of the people to proclaim the independence of the Caucasus and declare imamism. But I affirm that Shamil chopped off the heads of the ancestors of these princes, and so he would have done now. Our faction, representing the Ingush and Chechen people, expressed its views on the issue of declaring the independence of the North Caucasus in a well-known resolution at an emergency meeting. (See above. Taken from People's Power.)

These are the facts.

Is all this known to the German-Ukrainian-Turkish self-determinants? Of course yes! For the regional Soviets of southern Russia act quite openly, in front of everyone, and the agents of these gentlemen read our newspapers carefully enough not to lose sight of the facts known to everyone.

What does the above-mentioned statement of the Ukrainian delegation about the mythical [c.114] "governments" supported by word and deed by the Germans and Turks?

Only one thing: to use tinsel "governments" as a screen to seize and enslave new lands. Hiding behind the Ukrainian Rada, the Germans moved forward “on the basis of the Brest Treaty” (oh, of course!) and occupied Ukraine. But now Ukraine as a screen, as a cover, has apparently exhausted itself, while the Germans need a new advance. Hence the demand for a new cover, a new screen. And since demand creates supply, the Krasnovs and Bogaevskys, Chermoevs and Bammatovs were not slow to appear, offering their services. And there is nothing incredible in the fact that in the near future the Krasnovs and Bogaevskys, led and supplied by the Germans, will move on Russia, to “liberate” the Don, and the Germans will try once again to swear allegiance to the Brest Treaty. The same must be said about the Kuban, the Terek, and so on.

This is the whole point!

The Soviet government would have buried itself alive if it had not mobilized all forces without exception to repulse the invaders and enslavers.

And she will do it.

People's Commissar I. Stalin


"Pravda" No. 108,

June 1, 1918


NOTE

20 We are talking about a peace conference of representatives of the RSFSR and the Ukrainian Hetman's government, which began its work on May 23, 1918 in Kiev. – 104. [c.419]