During the Civil War, the Reds had a different name for the death penalty, which means execution. The official sentence of execution was “Shoot!” But there were other tacitly adopted phrases such as "Send to the forefathers." And in the autumn of 1917, the phrase "send General Dukhonin to the headquarters" appeared. Let's find out who the very general was to whose headquarters the Bolsheviks sent their victims.
Historical portrait
In the Russian unrest of the twentieth century, General Dukhonin played a very unusual role. In November 1917, Dukhonin was appointed Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. The interim government that placed him in that post was no longer there at that time. The newly-born Bolshevik authorities wanted to impose on the general idea of concluding peace with Germany on completely unfavorable, shameful and capitulary conditions for Russia. General Dukhonin, whose biography illustrates his fighting disposition, could not afford this.
The activities of Dukhonin in the autumn of 1917 at the Mogilev headquarters were recognized by historians as anti-people and counter-revolutionary. The general is blamed for disobeying the decisions of the Bolshevik government, which the general, as well as the army, did not swear.
The fact that, having fulfilled these decisions, General Dukhonin could actually destroy the front, no one thought. The general was alone in front of the “army of political adventurers,” who, using the collapse of power, intended to destroy the forces of the army and plunge the country into the anarchy of Bolshevism. The general’s capabilities were very scarce, but he did everything he could, for which he was eventually killed. The brave deeds and the desperate death of General Dukhonin give the right to call him a true patriot of Russia.
Childhood and education
Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin was born in Smolensk province, December 13 (December 1, old style), 1876, in a family of nobles. In 1894, he completed his studies at the Vladimir Cadet Corps in the city of Kiev and went to Moscow to study at the 3rd Alexander School. After graduating from college in 1896, Dukhonin entered another military educational institution - the Academy of the General Staff. In 1902, he completed his studies at the academy, received the rank of headquarters captain of the guard, and was immediately assigned to the General Staff.
The military career of Duhonin developed very rapidly. Having beaten off the qualification of the company commander and battalion, in November 1904 he became senior adjutant to the headquarters of the infantry division. In 1906, Nikolai Nikolayevich received the third degree of the orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anne, and was also appointed to the post of senior adjutant of the entire Kiev military district. Upon arrival in Kiev, Dukhonin married Natalya Werner, a beautiful and educated girl who was the daughter of an honorary Kiev citizen.
Carier start
In the fall of 1908, Nikolai Nikolaevich began to teach several sciences at the Kiev Military School. In 1911, he was awarded the rank of colonel ahead of schedule. And in the autumn of 1912, Dukhonin returned to headquarters, where he became a senior adjutant.
Nikolai Nikolaevich, since his training in military affairs, has developed good relations with General Alekseev, the chief of staff of the district. Cooperation and personal communication with Alekseev left an indelible mark in the memory of Nikolai Nikolaevich. Alekseev, speaking of Dukhonin, noted the high level of his professionalism and staff culture.
In the summer of 1913, Colonel Dukhonin was offered a business trip to maneuver the Austro-Hungarian troops as an observer. At a time when Europe intensively entered the First World War, and Austria-Hungary lost the role of the main enemy of Russia, this business trip was more than important. Having successfully completed his mission, the colonel received the Order of St. Vladimir of the fourth degree, and then the promotion in the Kiev military circle - the post of head of the intelligence department.
World War I
When the First World War began, Dukhonin was appointed to the post of senior adjutant of the Quartermaster General Staff of the Third Army of the Kiev Military District. The army, being part of the Southeast Front, took part in the Battle of Galicia, which took place from August 5 to September 8, 1914. The tasks of Duhonin included overseeing intelligence. He coped brilliantly with the obligations entrusted to the colonel. For the reconnaissance of 1914 at the Przemysl fortress, the hero of our conversation received the Order of St. George of the fourth degree.
The young colonel did not sit at headquarters, and in 1915 he insisted on sending him to the front line. So Dukhonin received the post of commander of the 165th Lutsk Infantry Regiment. Under his command, the regiment covered up the withdrawal of the 42nd Infantry Division in battles near the village of Mokreє (Ukrainian name). For professional leadership and courage shown Dukhonin was awarded the Order of St. George, now the third degree. This award was very honorable, because the order of the second degree for the entire time of the First World War received only four people.
In May 1916, Dukhonin became the quartermaster general of the headquarters of the Southwestern Front and a close assistant to General Brusilov, commander in chief of the front armies.
February revolution
Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin reacted calmly to the events of the February revolution . He, being a rational person, understood that in the conditions of hostilities it would be senseless and inexpedient to disobey the new government and to rebel against the red blindfolds. Without going to repeat the experience of other generals (Miller and Keller), Dukhonin agreed to cooperate with the Provisional Government, positioning himself as a defender of the country, and not a representative of anyone's interests. As A. Kerensky wrote, Dukhonin was a frank and honest man who was far from political fraud. According to Kerensky, he was one of those young officers who took over the art of victory from Suvorov and Peter the Great, which, among other things, meant a respectful attitude to subordinates.
In May 1917, General Nikolai Dukhonin headed the headquarters of the Southwestern Front. In early August of the same year, he became lieutenant general and chief of staff of the Western Front. September 10, after General Alekseev resigned, Dukhonin headed the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Kerensky.
Here is what Lieutenant General Denikin wrote about Dukhonin: “Kerensky and the representatives of revolutionary democracy found the very ideal that they had been waiting for so long. He was a brave soldier and professional officer who refused any political prejudice. ” General Nikolai Dukhonin agreed to his role, knowingly risking his own reputation, and later on his life, in order to save his native country, Denikin notes.
October Revolution
In early October, General Dukhonin faithfully played the role of a “technical adviser”, who took on the responsibility of protecting the Provisional Government. By order of Kerensky, Nikolai Nikolayevich transferred several strong military units to places of greatest tension. Later, the Bolsheviks managed to unravel all these parts.
When the October uprising began in Petrograd, General Nikolai Dukhonin created a special group in Mogilev to coordinate events on internal fronts. But to prevent the collapse of the army, which at that time reached its climax, was already impossible.
On October 25, 1917, Dukhonin turned to the army, trying to remind her that a duty to her homeland required her to be completely self-controlled and calm, to have a strong position in positions and to assist the government. He sent a telegram to Petrograd demanding the Bolsheviks immediately cease their actions, abandon the armed seizure of power and submit to the Provisional Government. Otherwise, according to him, the army will support this demand by force. In conditions when the army completely collapsed, and the Germans in the West took advantage of this, all the general could do was send threatening telegrams.
On the night of November 26-27, having learned that “a strong infantry detachment” was being sent to Kerensky, General Dukhonin proposed that they be confronted by “two reliable armored cars”. As a result, the Bolshevik detachments easily and simply conquered the Winter Palace. On the morning of the 27th, Nikolai Nikolayevich sent them a telegram asking them to stop their violent actions and submit to the Provisional Government. A few hours later, the Headquarters, together with the army committees, decided to take measures to help Moscow. Unable to agree with the army committees, on the morning of October 29, Dukhonin telegraphed to A. Kaledin and asked him about the possibility of sending a detachment of Don Cossacks to the capital to pacify the uprising in Moscow and further march on Petrograd. General Duhonin did not wait for an answer.
The post of Supreme Commander
When the campaign against Petrograd failed, on the night of November 1, Kerensky appointed Dukhonin as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, due to his departure to Petrograd. The general, informing the troops of his appointment, urged them to keep their positions. On November 1, Dukhonin received a letter from Kornilov in which Lavr Georgievich reminded the general of the complexity of the task that had fallen on his shoulders and the need for decisive measures to organize the fight against advancing anarchy.
General Nikolai Dukhonin understood that the main danger should be expected from the rear, and not from the front. He considered his commitment to support the Provisional Government as the sole legitimate authority. Afraid of gaining a reputation as the main culprit of the Civil War, he was limited in his actions. The High Command illustrated its attitude towards the Civil War when it issued an order to stop the troops moving to Petrograd. Dukhonin opposed the Headquarters of the Bolshevik government, but in fact he was left alone.
On November 7, the tsar’s army general Dukhonin received an order from the Council of People’s Commissars, according to which he had to appeal to the leaders of the enemy armies and offer them to stop military operations and sit at the negotiating table. Moreover, he had to transfer all the information from the negotiations to Smolny. When the Bolsheviks gave this order, they went against the opinion of the general. Refusal to fulfill the order would mean that they have reason to recognize Dukhonin as their enemy, and, therefore, the enemy of the people.
Realizing the complexity of the situation, on November 8, Tsarist General Dukhonin thought about this all day. As a result, he decided to buy time, taking advantage of the fact that the radiogram with the order was drawn up not according to the rules. Dukhonin telegraphed to the Minister of War that, due to the special significance of the radiogram, he cannot decide on its contents, since there is no date and number on it.
Fatal call
The rebellion of General Dukhonin did not appeal to the Bolsheviks. On the night of November 8–9, the Council of People’s Commissars in the person of Lenin, Stalin, and Krylenko phoned Dukhoninin to clarify his position on government orders. The general began his answer by asking the People's Commissars whether the Allies agreed to peace talks. He then suggested that the Bolsheviks themselves could not negotiate with the Allies, and therefore they needed a representative of the central government. The people's commissars did not comment on the general’s statements and simply asked him if he was ready to give a definite answer to the order and fulfill the order.
General Nikolai Dukhonin refused to comply with the instructions of the Bolsheviks. As a result, he was fired. Since the first time there was no one to replace the Commander-in-Chief, he remained in his post while he was searching for a suitable candidate. Soon, ensign Krylenko was to arrive in his place.
After a nightly telephone conversation with the Bolshevik leaders, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin concluded that the people's commissars, who were not particularly recognized, decided to try to negotiate through the commander in chief, vested with legitimate military authority.
Armistice Ordinance
On November 10, information appeared that in Mogilev the Bolsheviks allowed the troops to independently enter into a truce with the enemy, without having secured the approval of the Headquarters. Elective bodies were allowed to enter into negotiations, starting with regimental committees. And only in signing the armistice agreement was the government obliged to take part. This was the first time in world history when a similar practice of concluding a truce was used. Upon learning of this, Dukhonin was very surprised. He saw in such a policy the triumph of anarchy and the complete collapse of statehood. The general did not obey the order of the SNK, despite the fact that they were recognized by one army after another.
On November 13, the new Commander-in-Chief Krylenko arrived in Dvinsk, where the fifth army of the Northern Front was stationed. The next day, his representatives entered into negotiations with the German command, violating Russia's allied obligations. On November 15, Dukhonin unequivocally declared that before the final victory over the German bloc, he would do everything for Russia to fulfill its duty to the allies.
Nevertheless, General Nikolai Nikolayevich Dukhonin understood that the days of the Bet were numbered. In a conversation with General Shcherbachev, he asked the latter to assume the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief, in case something happened to him. In response, Shcherbachev recommended that Duhonin move the Headquarters to Kiev. At that time there was in power the Central Council, which did not recognize the Soviet government. The same was advised to Nikolai Nikolayevich by Lieutenant General Lukomsky.
Eventually, on November 18, Headquarters employees began to leave her, but the general himself remained. Having learned that an armored train with revolutionaries was following in Mogilev, he realized that the fate of the Headquarters was already predetermined. The next day, when the commanders of the advanced battalions gathered to stand for the Headquarters, Dukhonin ordered them to leave the city. He did not want a fratricidal war. On the night of November 20, the general sent his representatives to Bykhov with the goal of freeing General Kornilov and his associates. Everything went well, and that night they left the city. General Nikolai Dukhonin himself did not intend to run away. He admitted that he would be arrested or even shot, but what happened next exceeded even the most terrible forecasts.
The death of General Duhonin
On November 20, General Krylenko arrived in Mogilev to accept the post of the Commander-in-Chief from Dukhonin. Nikolai Nikolaevich decided not to wait for Krylenko in the empty Headquarters building, where at any moment he could become a victim of soldier's mob. Dressing in civilian clothes, he headed to the station to hand over things to his “successor,” but the latter left for the city. Then Nikolai Nikolaevich went to the commandant of the train to wait for Krylenko from him. After half an hour, the news that Dukhonin was sitting in a train car quickly dispersed throughout the station. Soon, a crowd of armed people gathered around the car, the ardor of which could only be cooled by the appearance of Krylenko. However, not for long.
General Dukhonin, whose photos are not of good quality, introduced himself and tried to speak with his successor, but he did not listen to him. Krylenko's full attention was focused on the unbridled crowd who wanted to take revenge on Dukhonin. Some sailors even got into the carriage and unceremoniously pushed Krylenko, who was trying to curb them, to the side. When the situation got completely out of control, Dukhonin went out to the crowd with the words: “Did you want to see General Dukhonin? I am in front of you. I went out to ... ". The general was not allowed to complete the speech. He was hit with a bayonet in the back and thrown off the car. Cruelly tearing the body of the general, the sailors went to the city to kill his wife. When the crowd broke into the general’s apartment, his wife was not at home. Natalya Vladimirovna was in the church where her friend found her. Talking about how General Dukhonin died, a friend hid Natalia in her home.
Later, A.I. Denikin, who was not a fan of Dukhonin's revolutionary addictions, but owed his life to him, said that Nikolai Nikolaevich was an honest man who was aware of the essence of the warrior's duty to the enemy. “But among all these revolutionary contradictions, Nikolai is hopelessly confused,” summed up Denikin.
By November 21, the situation in Mogilev returned to normal. Krylenko was able to stop lynching and establish protection for the most important objects. On his orders, the corpse of Dukhonin was laid in a coffin and transferred to the station building. In the morning, Natalya Vladimirovna went there under guard. A representative of the new Glavkoverkh led her to the tomb and brought condolences on behalf of Krylenko. The general himself never showed himself to the widow. There is another version according to which the body of Dukhonin was bought by his wife from the unbelted sailors, delivered to Kiev and buried in one and local cemeteries. This is how General Dukhonin concluded his story. The grave of Nikolai Nikolaevich since 1934 is located at the Lukyanovsky cemetery in the city of Kiev.
It only remains to add that on November 21 in the city of Brest-Litovsk negotiations of the Bolsheviks began on the conclusion of the Brest Peace, which could not be called otherwise shameful. The last nominal but completely uncomfortable obstacle in the person of General Dukhonin was physically removed.
Conclusion
General Dukhonin, whose biography became the subject of our conversation, is one of the most tragic figures of Russian unrest in the twentieth century. It shows how difficult it is to be a true defender of the homeland - honest and unshakable. The phrase "Sending to the headquarters of General Dukhonin" was associated with a shameful death at the hands of a raging crowd of convinced avengers. But did Dukhonin himself feel disgraced when he set off on his last journey?