The female death squad in World War I (photos are in the article) arose at the behest of the Provisional Government. One of the main initiators of its creation was M. Bochkareva. The female death squad in World War I was created to raise the morale of male soldiers who refused to go to the front.
Maria Bochkareva
Since 1914, she was at the front with the rank of senior non-commissioned officer, having received the highest permission for this. Thanks to her heroism, by 1917, Maria Bochkareva became quite famous. Rodzianko, who had arrived on the Western Front in April, had a personal meeting with her, and then took her with him to Petrograd to campaign for the struggle “to the end” in the garrison troops and in front of delegates to the Petrosoviet Congress. In her speech, Bochkareva put forward a proposal to form a women's death battalion. In the war, she said, such a formation was extremely necessary. After that, she was invited to speak out at a meeting of the Provisional Government.
Prerequisites for the formation of a detachment
During World War I, women of all ages — gymnasium students, female students, and representatives of other sectors of society — went voluntarily to the front. In the "Bulletin 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 very first battles, two gymnasium students were killed and 4 were injured. The soldiers paternally treated the girls. They took out their uniforms, trained in shooting, and then recorded them under male names as ordinary soldiers. What made women who were good-looking, young, wealthy, or noble to plunge into everyday life? Documents and memories point to many reasons. The main one, of course, was a patriotic impulse. He embraced all of Russian society. It was the feeling of patriotism and duty that made many women change their elegant outfits to military uniforms or clothes of sisters of mercy. Family circumstances were also of no small importance. Some women went to the front for their husbands, others, learning about their death, joined the army out of a sense of revenge.
A special role belonged to the developing movement for equality of rights with men. The revolutionary 1917 gave women many opportunities. They received voting and other rights. All this contributed to the emergence of soldiers' squads, which consisted entirely of women. In the spring and summer of 1917, units began to form throughout the country. Already from the name itself it was clear what a female death squad was. In the First World War, the girls were ready to give their lives for their homeland. About 2,000 girls responded to Bochkareva’s call. However, only 300 of them were selected for the women's death battalion. In the First World War, “drummers” showed what Russian girls are capable of. With their heroism, they infected all the soldiers who participated in the battles.
Female death squad: creation story
The battalion was formed in a fairly short time. In 1917, on June 21, a solemn ceremony was held at St. Isaac's Cathedral on the square. On it, a new military formation received a white banner. On June 29, the Regulations were approved. It established the procedure for the formation of military units from female volunteers. Representatives of different strata of society were enrolled in the ranks of "drummers". 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 female death squad in World War I consisted of women serving in front-line units and ordinary citizens. Among the latter were noble women, workers, teachers, and student students. Ordinary 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 Bochkareva part began in a difficult time. However, this was the impetus for the unification of girls in other cities in soldiers' units. Mostly Russian women entered the unit. However, it was possible to meet representatives of other nationalities. So, according to documents, Estonians, Latvians, and Jewish women also went to serve in the women's death battalion.
The history of the creation of detachments testifies to the high patriotism of the fairer sex. Parts began to form in Kiev, Smolensk, Kharkov, Mariupol, Baku, Irkutsk, Odessa, Poltava, Vyatka and other cities. According to sources, a lot of girls immediately enrolled in the first female death battalion. In World War I, military units ranged from 250 to 1,500 people. In October 1917, the following were formed: Naval Command, Minsk Guard Squad, Cavalry Petrograd Regiment, as well as the First Petrograd, Second Moscow, Third Kuban Women's Death Battalions. In the First World War (history testifies to this) only the last three detachments participated. However, due to the intensifying processes of the destruction of the Russian Empire, the formation of units was never completed.
Public attitude
The Russian historian Solntseva wrote that the Soviets and the mass of soldiers rather negatively perceived the female death squad. In the World War, however, the role of the detachment was quite substantial. However, many veterans very unflattering spoke about the girls. In early July, the Petrograd Soviet demanded that all battalions be disbanded. It was said that these units are "unsuitable for service." In addition, the Petrosoviet regarded the formation of these units as a "hidden bourgeois maneuver", as a desire to bring the struggle to victory.
Women's death squad in World War I: photos, activities
A part of Bochkareva arrived in the active army on June 27, 1917. The size of the detachment was 200 people. The female death battalion entered the rear units of the First Siberian Corps of the 10th Army on the Western Front. On July 9, an offensive was being prepared. On the 7th of the infantry regiment, which included a female death squad, received an order. He had to take a position with Krevo. On the right flank of the regiment was a battalion of drummers. They were the first to engage in battle, because the enemy, who knew about the plans of the Russian army, having delivered a preemptive strike, entered the location of our troops.
Within three days, 14 enemy attacks were repelled. Several times during this time, the battalion launched counterattacks. As a result, the German soldiers were knocked out of the positions taken by them the day before. In his report, Colonel Zakrzhevsky wrote that the female death battalion in the First World War behaved heroically, being constantly at the forefront. The girls served in the same way as the soldiers, along with them. When the Germans attacked, they all rushed into a counterattack, went into reconnaissance, brought cartridges. The female death squad in World War I was an example of courage, calmness and courage. Each of these girls-heroines deserves the highest rank of a 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 injured five times. After the battle, Bochkareva was in the hospital for a month and a half. For participation in the battles and heroism she was awarded the rank of second lieutenant.
Consequences of losses
Due to the large number of girls killed and wounded in the battles, General Kornilov signed an order prohibiting the formation of new death battalions to participate in battles. Existing units were assigned only an auxiliary function. In particular, they were ordered to provide security, communications, and act as sanitary groups. As a result, many volunteer girls who wanted to fight for their homeland with guns in their hands sent written statements containing a request to dismiss them from the death battalion.
Discipline
She was tough enough. The female death squad in World War I was not only an example of courage and patriotism. The following principles were proclaimed:
- The blessing, freedom and honor of the motherland.
- Firmness and firmness of faith and spirit.
- Speed, persistence, accuracy and accuracy in the execution of orders.
- Serious attitude to work at the forefront and impeccable honesty.
- Cleanliness, kindness, friendliness, politeness, cheerfulness.
- Respect for the opinions of others.
- Trust in each other.
- Nobility.
Personal hostility and quarrels were considered unacceptable.
Positive points
The female death squad in World War I not only participated in battles. "Drummers" got the opportunity to master men's professions. For example, Princess Shakhovskaya is the first woman pilot in the world. In Germany in 1912 she was granted a pilot license. There, at the Johannisthal airfield, she worked for some time as an instructor. At the beginning of the war, Shakhovskaya petitioned 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 Unit.
Another striking example is Elena Samsonova. She was the daughter of a military engineer, with a gold medal she graduated from high school and courses in Peretburg. At the Warsaw hospital, Samsonova worked as a sister of mercy. After that, she was enlisted as a driver in the 9th Army, located on the Southwestern Front. However, she did not serve there for long - about four months, and then was sent to Moscow. Before the war, Samsonova received a pilot’s diploma. In 1917, she was sent to the 26th aviation detachment.
Protection of the Provisional Government
One of the “strike battalions” (First Petrograd, commanded by the staff captain Loskov), together with the cadets and other units, took part in October 1917 in protecting the Winter Palace. On October 25, the detachment, which was stationed at the Levashovo station, was supposed to head to the Romanian front. But the day before, Loskov received an order to send part of the "parade" in Petrograd. In fact, it was supposed to provide protection for the Provisional Government.
Loskov found out about the real task and did not want to drag his subordinates into political disagreements. He led the battalion back to Levashovo, except for 2 companies of 137 people. With the help of two shock platoons, the headquarters of the Petrograd district tried to carry out the layout of the Liteiny, Palace and Nikolaev bridges. But this task was thwarted by the Sovietized sailors. The remaining company of drummers is 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 found that four girls were raped (although, probably, few were even ready to admit it), and one committed suicide. On October 26, a company was poisoned back to Levashovo.
Liquidation of units
After the end of the October Revolution, the new Soviet government headed for peace, as well as the country's withdrawal from the war. In addition, part of the forces was aimed at the liquidation of the Imperial Army. As a result, all the "shock parts" were disbanded. The battalions were disbanded on November 30, 1917 by order of the Military Council of the former Ministry. Although, shortly before this event, it was ordered to make all the participants of the volunteer units for military services to officers. Nevertheless, a large number of female drummers remained in positions 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. It was housed in Yekaterinodar. This shock unit was disbanded only by February 26, 1918. The reason was the refusal of the headquarters of the Caucasus District to provide further supplies to the detachment.
Appearance and shape
Women serving in the Bochkareva battalion wore the “Adam's Head” symbol on their chevrons. They, like other soldiers, passed a medical examination. Like men, girls got their hair cut almost completely. During the fighting, women's participation and asceticism became massive for the first time in history. In the Russian army at the front there were more than 25 thousand female volunteers. A sense of patriotism and duty to the Fatherland led many of them to service. Staying in the ranks of the army changed their worldview.
Finally
It must be said that when creating the first women's battalion, Kerensky played a special role. He was the first to support this idea. Kerensky received a huge number of requests and telegrams from women who sought to join the ranks of the unit. He also received meeting minutes and various notes. All these papers reflected the concern of women about the fate of the country, as well as the desire to protect their homeland and preserve the freedom of the people. They believed that to remain inactive is tantamount to shame. Women sought the army, guided exclusively by love for the motherland, the desire to raise the morale of the soldiers. The Main Directorate of the General Staff established a special commission on labor service. At the same time, the headquarters of the military districts began to work to attract female volunteers to the army. However, the desire of women was so great that a wave of creation of military organizations spontaneously passed through the country.