ABSTRACT
In a revolution the attitude of the old regime’s army is usually crucial. How the Russian officers lost control over their soldiers in 1917 and later how they came to lead the anti-Bolshevik struggle are among the most important questions concerning the greatest revolution of the twentieth century. Undoubtedly, the character and outcome of the Revolution were influenced by the peculiarities of the imperial officer corps.
It was remarkable and potentially had great significance that some White leaders, notably Alekseev, Kornilov, and Denikin, all ex-tsarist generals, came from poor families. They might have appealed to the Russian peasants by stressing their backgrounds. They might have succeeded in undercutting Bolshevik propaganda, which depicted them as representatives of the exploiting classes. Indeed, if it were possible to compare the social composition of Red and White leaderships, one would find little difference. The vulgar Marxist notion according to which social background determines the political views of the individual obviously cannot be seriously maintained. From the observation about the social background of the White leaders interesting questions arise concerning the imperial army: how frequently did peasants reach the rank of general? what kind of people became officers in tsarist Russia? how did the officers fit into the social structure of the country?
