Initially, Ivan Sorokin was a military medical assistant, but over time he became the commander in chief of the red units in the North Caucasus. When he died, his adversary Anton Denikin admitted that Soviet Russia, in the person of this nurse paramedic, had lost a major real military leader ...
Military paramedic
I.L. Sorokin was born in December 1884 in the Kuban region in a Cossack family of middle income. Young Ivan had a very decisive character. Fortunately, such a severe temper did not prevent the future commander from starting to study at the military paramedic school in Yekaterinodar. This institution trained regimental medical workers for the Terek and Kuban Cossack troops.
After graduating, Ivan Sorokin worked in his specialty. He was a participant in the Russian-Japanese war, and after ten years he continued his service on the fronts of the First World War.
More than once, the military paramedic had to replace the shooters and junior commanders on the battlefield. The command repeatedly noted his merits. In 1915, Sorokin was sent to the ensign school in Tiflis. After graduation, he became a Cossack cornet and again went to the front of the First World War.
By 1917, the future commander rose to the rank of subheading. Note that during the battles Sorokin became the full St. George Knight.
First squad
When the October events of 1917 began, Sorokin took over Soviet power. Front-line Cossacks arrived at their homeland, in their farms and villages. The former officer also returned to the Kuban region. In early 1918, he was the first in this territory to form a revolutionary detachment with a force of only 150 drafts.
His unit went to the village of Tikhoretskaya, where at that time the Southeast Revolutionary Army was based. It was commanded by A. Avtonomov.
On the way, Ivan Lukich Sorokin stopped literally in every village. He urged the Cossacks to go with him. As a result, there were already four thousand people in his squad.
With such a unit, Sorokin arrived at the army headquarters and became an assistant commander.
The capture of Yekaterinodar
The commander of the revolutionary Cossack detachment Sorokin became one of the main figures of the red movement in the south. To guide the white army, he turned into a serious and dangerous opponent. It was he who in March and April 1918, that is, during the first Kuban “ice” campaign of the Volunteer Army, led all combat units in this territory.
On the first day of spring of that year, Sorokin’s army occupied the capital of the Kuban - Yekaterinodar. And without a fight. For the Volunteer Army, taking the city was more than an unpleasant surprise. The fact is that the white troops during their "ice campaign" moved there in order to take the base for subsequent actions.
Many, including Denikin, believed that the most reasonable step in this situation was to turn back. However, the commander-in-chief Kornilov was planning to take the Kuban capital.
At the end of March 1918, the assault began.
Defense of the Kuban capital
The assault lasted almost five days. Ivan Sorokin led the defense of the city, and Avtonomov led the units that were supposed to cover whites from the south.
An attempt to storm the Volunteer Army was repelled. White began a retreat.
By the way, after the assault Sorokin ordered to dig out the body of Kornilov and ordered that photographs of the corpse be taken. After mockery and abuse, the corpse was burned.
First conflict
The success of the events in Ekaterinodar was noticed by the leadership of the Red Army. As a result, Sorokin became the second man after the commander in chief of the army of the Kuban-Black Sea Republic. Note that in those days there were a lot of such independent state entities. In fact, their leadership was subordinate to the center, but in fact the heads of the republics often conducted exclusively their policies. At the same time, there was a struggle for power within the leadership. Of course, this inevitably weakened the position of the Bolsheviks. Moreover, Denikin was preparing for a new offensive, which was supposed to begin in the summer of 1918.
The Commander-in-Chief Avtonomov began to conflict with members of the CEC of the republic. Sorokin supported his colleague. In this peculiar polemic, which included relevant appeals and orders, the CEC leaders were called provocateurs and spies of Germany. Sorokin and Avtonomov were called nothing more than enemies of the people and bandits.
In the end, the commander-in-chief was recalled to the capital of the Soviet state, but Ivan Sorokin began to command the entire army. The conflict subsided, but did not end.
By this time, Sorokin's army was 30-40 thousand soldiers, almost 100 guns and two armored trains. In addition, the army now had two fronts - against the Germans and against Denikin.
White's failure
As mentioned above, units of Denikin went on the offensive in the summer. In history, it is called the Second Kuban campaign. The whites intended to clear the territory of the North Caucasus from the Bolsheviks.
After the first serious battle, Sorokin and the army had to retreat to Stavropol, leaving guns and headquarters documentation. A little later Denikin launched another offensive against this group. At first, the Reds retreated to the west, but then they themselves went over to the counteroffensive. The commander of the Volunteer Army had to throw his main forces against them. The Sorokins were forced to retreat again. But then Denikin’s army was distracted by another opponent ... This is the so-called Taman army. It was these parts that were directed towards White.
After some time, the Tamanians and Sorokins united, and Denikin's army was defeated.
In early August, Sorokin led all the troops of the North Caucasus. The position of the Reds straightened, it would be worthwhile to think about a general offensive, but the internal dismantling failed the Red Army ...
"Sorokinsky conflict"
Researchers believe that the commander of the Red Army of the North Caucasus, Sorokin, was an excellent organizer and speaker. He even advocated that the tsarist military experts serve in the Red Army. Sorokin really had tremendous popularity.
But in the middle of the autumn of 1918, once again, a conflict began between the North Caucasian PBC and the commander in chief. Then the Red Army reorganized, revolutionary discipline strengthened. And Sorokin publicly criticized the local and Soviet authorities. He was unhappy that they pursue a hostile policy related to their attitude towards the Cossacks. In a word, once loyal to Soviet power, Sorokin openly began to oppose the leadership of the Kuban-Black Sea Republic. He began to produce not only illegal requisition, but also executions.
So, he executed the commander of the Taman army I. Matveev, who refused to obey him. Incidentally, one of the Armavir streets was later named after the executed. And at the end of October, the leaders of the North Caucasian Soviet Republic were also destroyed.
The final
Subsequent events developed rapidly. The leadership of the republic convened an Extraordinary Congress. The authorities outlawed Sorokin. He tried to find support from the army and arrived in Stavropol, where there were fierce battles.
A few days later, his headquarters, including Sorokin, was arrested. The commander was sent to prison. At the same time, he was reliably guarded, as they seriously feared that he would be released.
The rebel commander was shot dead in the prison yard. His killer was I. Vyslenko, one of the commanders of the Taman army Matveev. It is believed that he avenged the execution of his commander ...