Women's Death Battalion in the First World War. The history of the creation of the women's battalion

The women's death battalion in World War I (photo is available in the article), originated at the behest of the Provisional Government. One of the main initiators of its creation was M. Bochkareva. The female death battalion in World War I was created to raise the fighting spirit of male soldiers who refused to go to the front.

Maria Bochkareva

Since 1914, she was at the front in the rank of senior non-commissioned officer, having obtained the highest permission for this. Thanks to his heroism by 1917, Maria Bochkareva became quite famous. Rodzianko, who arrived in April on the Western Front, secured a personal meeting with her, and then took her with him to Petrograd for agitation for the struggle "to a victorious end" in the troops of the garrison and before the delegates of the Petrograd Soviet congress. In her speech, Bochkareva put forward a proposal to form a female death battalion. In the war, she said, this formation was extremely necessary. After that, she was invited to speak at a meeting of the Provisional Government.

Prerequisites for formation of the detachment

During the First World Woman of all ages - gymnasium students, students and representatives of other sections of society - went voluntarily to the front. In the "Herald of the Red Cross" in 1915 a story appeared about 12 girls who fought in the Carpathians. They were 14-16 years old. In the first battles, two gymnasts died, and four were wounded. The soldiers reacted in a fatherly way to the girls. They got them a uniform, taught shooting and then recorded them under the men's names as privates. What made the women who were good-looking, young, rich or noble, plunge into the military routine? Documents and memories point to many causes. The main of them, of course, was a patriotic impulse. He embraced the entire Russian society. It was the sense of patriotism and duty that forced many women to change their elegant outfits to the military uniform or clothing of the sisters of mercy. Of no small importance were family circumstances. Some women went to the front for their husbands, others, after learning of their deaths, joined the army in revenge. A special role belonged to the developing movement for equality of rights with men. Revolutionary 1917 gave women many opportunities. They received electoral and other rights. All this contributed to the emergence of soldiers' detachments, which consisted entirely of women. In the spring and summer of 1917, parts began to be formed throughout the country. Already from the very name it was clear what a female death battalion is. In the First World War, the girls were ready to give their lives for their country. At the appeal of Bochkareva responded about 2000 girls. However, only 300 of them were selected for the women's death battalion. In the First World War, "drummers" showed what Russian girls can do. With their heroism, they infested all the soldiers who participated in the battles.

Female Death Battalion: history of creation

Battalion was formed in a fairly short time. In 1917, on June 21, a solemn ceremony was held at the St. Isaac's Cathedral on the square. On it, a new military formation received a white banner. June 29 was approved by the Regulations. It established the procedure for the formation of military formations from women volunteers. Were recorded in the ranks of "percussionists" representatives of different strata of society. So, for example, the adjutant of Bochkareva was the 25-year-old general's daughter Maria Skrydlova. She had an excellent education and knew five languages.

The women's battalion of death in the First World War consisted of women serving in front-line units, and ordinary women. Among the latter were noblewomen, women workers, teachers, and students. Simple peasant women, servants, girls from famous noble families, soldiers, Cossacks - they and many others went to serve in the women's death battalion. The history of the creation of the part of Bochkareva began at a difficult time. However, this was the impetus for the unification of girls in other soldiers' detachments in other cities. In the main, Russian women joined in part. However, it was possible to meet representatives of other nationalities. So, according to documents, Estonian, Latvian, Jewish women also went to serve in the women's death battalion.

The history of the formation of detachments testifies to the high patriotism of representatives of the weaker sex. Parts of steel were formed in Kiev, Smolensk, Kharkov, Mariupol, Baku, Irkutsk, Odessa, Poltava, Vyatka and other cities. According to sources, a lot of girls immediately signed up for the first female death battalion. In the First World War, military formations had a population of 250 to 1500 people. As of October 1917, the Maritime Command, the Minsk Guards Detachment, the Cavalry Petrograd Regiment, as well as the First Petrogradsky, the Second Moscow, and the Third Kuban Women's Death Battalion were formed. In the First World War (history testifies to this) only the last three detachments participated. However, in connection with the growing processes of destruction of the Russian Empire, the formation of the parts was never completed.

Public attitude

The Russian historian Solntseva wrote that the Soviets and the soldier's mass were rather negatively perceived by the women's death battalion. In the World War, however, the detachment's role was quite significant. However, many front-line soldiers were very unflattering about the girls. In early July, the Petrograd Soviet demanded that all battalions be disbanded. It was said that these parts are "unfit for service." In addition, the Petrograd Soviet regarded the formation of these detachments as a "hidden bourgeois maneuver," as a desire to bring the struggle to victory.

Women's Death Battalion in World War I: photos, activities

On the 27th of June, 1917, a part of Bochkareva arrived in the army. The number of the detachment was 200 people. The female death battalion entered the rear of the First Siberian Corps of the 10th Army on the Western Front. On the 9th of July, an offensive was being prepared. On the 7th the infantry regiment, which included a female death battalion, received orders. He had to take a position at Krevo. On the right flank of the regiment there was a battalion of drummers. They were the first to engage in the battle, because the enemy, who knew about the plans of the Russian army, inflicting a preemptive strike, entered the location of our troops.

Over the course of three days, 14 attacks of the enemy were repulsed. Several times during this time the battalion acted with counterattacks. As a result, German soldiers were dislodged from the positions they occupied the day before. In his report, Colonel Zakrzhevsky wrote that the female death battalion in World War I behaved heroically, being constantly on the front line. The girls carried the service in the same way as the soldiers, on a par with them. When the Germans attacked, they all threw themselves into a counterattack, went to reconnaissance, brought cartridges. The female death battalion in World War I was an example of courage, calmness and courage. Each of these heroine girls is worthy of the highest rank of Soldier of the revolutionary army of Russia. As Bochkareva herself testified, out of 170 drummers who took part in the battles, 30 people were killed and about 70 wounded. She herself was wounded five times. A month and a half after Bochkarev's battle, she was in the hospital. For participation in the battles and demonstrated heroism, she was awarded the rank of lieutenant.

Consequences of losses

In connection with the large number of dead and wounded in the battles of girls, General Kornilov signed an order forbidding the formation of new death battalions to participate in battles. The existing detachments were assigned only an auxiliary function. In particular, they were ordered to provide protection, communication, act as sanitary groups. As a result, many volunteer girls who wished to fight for their country with weapons in their hands, applied with written statements, which contained a request to dismiss them from the death battalion.

Discipline

She was tough enough. The female death battalion in the First World War showed not only an example of courage and patriotism. As the basic principles were proclaimed:

• Good, freedom and honor of the Motherland.
• Resistance and firmness of faith and spirit.
• Fastness, perseverance, accuracy and accuracy in the execution of orders.
• Serious attitude towards work at the forefront and impeccable honesty.
• Cleanliness, kindness, affability, politeness, cheerfulness.
• Respect for someone else's opinion.
• Trust to each other.
• Nobility.

Personal dislike and quarrels were considered inadmissible.

Positive moments

The female death battalion in the First World War not only participated in the battles. "Udarnitsy" got the opportunity to master men's professions. For example, Princess Shakhovskaya is the first female pilot in the world. In Germany in 1912 she was given a pilot license. There, at the airdrome Johannistal, she worked for a while as an instructor. At the beginning of the war, Shakhovskaya filed an application to send her as a military pilot to the front. The emperor granted the request, and in November 1914 the princess was enlisted in the rank of ensign in the First Aviation detachment. Another vivid example is Elena Samsonova. She was the daughter of a military engineer, graduated with a gold medal from the gymnasium and courses in Peretburg. In the Warsaw hospital, Samsonova worked as a nurse of mercy. After that, she was enlisted as a driver in the 9th Army, which was on the South-Western Front. However, she served there for a short time - about four months, and then was sent to Moscow. Before the war, Samsonova received a diploma of a pilot. In 1917, she was sent to the 26th air detachment.

Protection of the Provisional Government

One of the "shock battalions" (First Petrogradsky, commanded by Captain Captain Loskov), along with the cadets and other units in October 1917, took part in securing the protection of the Winter Palace. On October 25, the detachment, which was quartered at the station of Levashovo, was to go to the Romanian front. But the day before, Loskov had received an order to send part of the "parade" to Petrograd. Actually, it was supposed that the Provisional Government would be protected .

Lokov learned about the actual task and did not want to involve his subordinates in political disagreements. He led the battalion back to Levashovo, except for two companies with a strength of 137 men. With the help of two shock platoons, the headquarters of the Petrogradsky District attempted to carry out the layout of Liteiny, Dvortsovy and Nikolayevsky bridges. But this task was thwarted by Sovietized sailors. The remaining company of drummers was located to the right of the main gate on the first floor of the palace. During the night assault, she surrendered, was disarmed. The girls were taken to the barracks first Pavlovsky, and then the Grenadier Regiment. According to some reports, a number of drummers were "mistreated." Subsequently, a special commission of the Petrograd Duma established that the four girls were raped (although, probably, few were generally ready to admit this), and one committed suicide. On October 26 the company was poisoned back to Levashovo.

Elimination of detachments

After the end of the October Revolution, the new Soviet government headed for peace and the withdrawal of the country from the war. In addition, part of the force was directed at the liquidation of the Imperial Army. As a result, all the "shock units" were dissolved. The battalions were disbanded on November 30, 1917, on the orders of the Military Council of the former Ministry. Although shortly before this event, it was ordered to produce all the volunteer units for military service to officers. Nevertheless, a large number of female drummers remained in locations until January 1918 and longer. Some women moved to the Don. There they took an active part in the struggle against the Bolsheviks in the ranks of the White Army. The last of the remaining units was the Third Kuban Death Battalion. He was quartered in Ekaterinodar. This shock unit was disbanded only by February 26, 1918. The reason was the refusal of the staff of the Caucasian district to ensure the further supply of the detachment.

Appearance and shape

The women who served in the battalion of Bochkareva were wearing the symbol of the "Adam's head" on the chevrons. They, like other soldiers, passed a medical examination. Like men, the girls were almost sheared. During the fighting, women's participation and asceticism acquired a mass character for the first time in history. In the Russian army at the front was more than 25,000 girls volunteers. The feeling of patriotism and duty to the Fatherland led many of them to the service. Staying in the ranks of the army changed their outlook.

Finally

It must be said that in the creation of the first female battalion, Kerensky played a special role. He was the first to support this idea. Kerensky received a large number of applications and telegrams from women who sought to join the ranks of the unit. He also received minutes of meetings and various notes. All these papers reflected the women's concern for the country's further destiny, as well as the desire to protect the Motherland, to preserve the people's freedom. They believed that remaining in inaction is tantamount to shame. Women aspired to the army, led exclusively by love for the Motherland, the desire to raise the morale of soldiers. The main department of the General Staff formed a special commission for labor service. At the same time, headquarters of the military districts began to work on attracting female volunteers to the army. However, the desire of women was so great that the wave of the creation of military organizations spontaneously passed through the country.