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«Волочаевки могло и не быть»: штрихи к истории несостоявшейся Гродековской наступательной операции вооруженных сил ДВР (1921 г.)
The article is concerned with the study in one relatively unknown chapter of history of the Civil war in the Russian Far East — the unrealized, left in the field of military plans and intentions, Grodekovo offensive operation of the armed forces of Far Eastern Republic (FER). Heinrich Khristoforovich Eiche, the author of the operation concept, and the FER hight military kommander, viewed it as a final step on the road of complete elimination of the White forces within the territory of the Russian East. This assessment was quite validated. The military commitment under consideration, if successful, should have resulted in the final crushing defeat by the FER regime of the last major packet of anti-Bolshevist resistance as at the beginning of 1921 — a socalled “Grodekovo plug” formed in Primorye (the region of the railroad station Grodekovo, village Razdolnoye, city Nikolsk-Ussuriyskiy) by the evacuated from Transbaikal in November— December 1920 remnants of the army of the warlord G.M. Semenov. Notwith‑ standing the significant level of headwork carried out by Eiche and other FER military leaders, the Grodekovo operation for a variety of political, cadre and other reasons was never put into action. The renunciation of the republican commanding elite of executing the operation stated in February—April 1921 turned into exceptionally negative consequences for the future of FER. Already in May, the White Guard forces concentrated in the “Grodekovo plug” went forth as a key pillar of support of the anti-Bolshevist military takeover in Primorye. As a result of the turnover, the Primorsky territory would be detached from the republic and used as a military foothold for the further aggression of the White Movement in 1921—1922, and afterwards triggered the strategic issue of Volochayevka and Spassk. The FER regime could have avoided such bad ending only by timely putting the plan of the Grodekovo offensive operation into effect in 1921. Therein lies a painfully learnt lesson.