ABSTRACT
Rostóv was occupied by our Red Cavalry on 8 January 1920. It was a cold winter and a difficult campaign, since temperatures went down to-16 Celsius and the country was covered in snow, in places more than 2 feet deep. The First Cavalry Corps, commanded by S.M.Budyónny, had smashed eleven regiments of White cavalry near Vorónezh and was reformed as the 1 st Cavalry Army by Kastornóye station. When it made its famous breakthrough it went on to operate far behind the enemy’s lines, capturing headquarters and bodies of troops, and taking many trophies. It has to be said that we did not encounter much resistance from the White Guards until we came to the important bridge at Rodiónov, forty-five versts from Rostóv. The 9th Army’s infantry moved up behind our cavalry.
