Armed Forces of South Russia


The Armed Forces of South Russia were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920.
The Armed Forces of South Russia were formed on 8 January 1919, incorporating the Volunteer Army.
In addition, the AFSR included the Don Army, the Crimean-Azov Army, the Forces of Northern Caucasus and the Turkestan Army.
In January 1919, it numbered 51,000 Infantry, 34,000 Cavalry, 204 Field guns, 682 machine guns and 6 armoured trains. By July 1919 it had grown to 104,000 Infantry, 56,000 Cavalry, 600 Field guns, 1,500 machine guns, 19 aircraft, 34 armoured trains, 1 Cruiser, 5 Destroyers, 4 Submarines and 20 Gunboats.
By October, after heavy losses and the transfer of units to other armies, the armies' strength fell drastically.
On 22 May 1919, the Caucasian Volunteer Army was split into two formations: the Caucasus Army, and the Volunteer Army. The Caucasus Army disbanded on January 29, 1920 and was replaced by the short-lived Kuban Army. Troops of the Kuban Army ended up surrendering by April 18–20, 1920 to the Red Army. The Volunteer Army continued to exist from May 22, 1919 until March 26/27, 1920, when the remaining troops were evacuated from Novorossiysk to Crimea. Most then merged there with Wrangel's forces.
In early April 1920, Anton Denikin, commander-in-chief of the AFSR, delegated all authority to Pyotr Wrangel, who took command of the so-called "Russian Army", which included all units remaining from the AFSR after its defeat in the Northern Caucasus.

Order of Battle of the AFSR, early 1919

Volunteer Army
Commanders: Gen. Anton Denikin
Caucasus Army
Commanders: Lt. Gen. Pyotr Wrangel, Lt. Gen. Viktor Pokrovsky
Don Army
Commanders: Gen. Vladimir Sidorin
Turkestan Army
Commanders: Ippolit Savitsky, Aleksander Borovsky, Boris Kazanovich.