Russian All-Military Union
Encyclopedia
The Russian All-Military Union (in Russian
Русский Обще-Воинский Союз, abbreviated РОВС, ROVS) was founded by White Army General Pyotr Wrangel in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on September 1, 1924. This organization united all veterans of the Russian White movement
, soldiers and officers alike, who were living abroad and desired to stay united for the purpose of purging Russia
from the Bolshevik
regime. The Union, known in Russian as the "ROVS", also tried to conduct operations within the USSR for the purpose of starting a national anti-communist uprising. The ROVS was formed outside of Soviet Russia.
Aside from anti-communism
, the ROVS did not have an official political orientation, somewhat adhering to the old Russian military dictum which said "The Army is outside of politics" (in Russian "Армия вне политики"), believing that the political orientation of Russia cannot be predetermined by émigrés living outside of its borders (the philosophy of "non-predetermination" or in Russian "непредрешенчество"). Many (but not all) of its members had monarchist
sympathies of varying flavors: constitutional vs. autocratic, Romanov vs. non-Romanov oriented.
The ROVS, along with other similar Russian émigré
organizations, became a prime target for the Soviet secret police, the OGPU. The OGPU set up a fake anti-communist monarchist organization, the Monarchist Union of Central Russia
, which was successfully used to confuse and later demoralize the ROVS. They also successfully instituted a secret provocational organization within the ROVS known as the "Inner Line
" (in Russian "Внутренная Линия"), controlled by the double-agent General Nikolai Skoblin
, which masqueraded as a patriotic Russian intelligence organization. By the time the "Inner Line" was exposed by the Russian émigré organization National Alliance of Russian Solidarists
(NTS), two of the ROVS's leaders, General Alexander Kutepov
and General Evgenii Miller
, were kidnapped and taken by force to the USSR to be murdered in 1930 and 1937 respectively. By the time World War II
started the ROVS lost most of its significance and influence. During the war the ROVS maintained a cautious position, not siding officially with Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, but waiting for the emergence of an independent Russian Liberation Army
.
According to a 1988 oral history
interview with Nikita Ivanovich Yovich,
The ROVS continued to be active into the 1990s, having evolved into an organization that was principally concerned with the historical preservation of the pre-communist and anti-communist Russian military tradition. In the ROVS's possession are a significant number of Russian imperial and White Army battle flags and standards, which are meant to be returned to Russia when "a national Russian army" is once again in existence.
Although its significance and influence in the Russian émigré community ceased several decades before, in 1992 ROVS became active in Russia itself. In the mid 1990's, however, considering that the communist regime has fallen and that the Soviet Union was no more, a split emerged within ROVS on whether to continue the organization's existence. In 2000, Vladimir Vishnevsky, a U.S. resident and the ROVS chairman at that time, requested a vote on this issue. The vast majority of members voted for the dissolution of ROVS. Vishnevsky died of cancer in that same year, but ROVS members, following the overwhelming poll results, dissolved the organization. Some, particularly in Russia, refused to accept this result and maintain that ROVS was never dissolved. According to them ROVS is now headquartered in Russia and its head is I.B. Ivanov.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
Русский Обще-Воинский Союз, abbreviated РОВС, ROVS) was founded by White Army General Pyotr Wrangel in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes on September 1, 1924. This organization united all veterans of the Russian White movement
White movement
The White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
, soldiers and officers alike, who were living abroad and desired to stay united for the purpose of purging Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
from the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
regime. The Union, known in Russian as the "ROVS", also tried to conduct operations within the USSR for the purpose of starting a national anti-communist uprising. The ROVS was formed outside of Soviet Russia.
Aside from anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, the ROVS did not have an official political orientation, somewhat adhering to the old Russian military dictum which said "The Army is outside of politics" (in Russian "Армия вне политики"), believing that the political orientation of Russia cannot be predetermined by émigrés living outside of its borders (the philosophy of "non-predetermination" or in Russian "непредрешенчество"). Many (but not all) of its members had monarchist
Monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government out of principle, independent from the person, the Monarch.In this system, the Monarch may be the...
sympathies of varying flavors: constitutional vs. autocratic, Romanov vs. non-Romanov oriented.
The ROVS, along with other similar Russian émigré
White Emigre
A white émigré was a Russian who emigrated from Russia in the wake of the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, and who was in opposition to the contemporary Russian political climate....
organizations, became a prime target for the Soviet secret police, the OGPU. The OGPU set up a fake anti-communist monarchist organization, the Monarchist Union of Central Russia
Trust Operation
Operation Trust was a counterintelligence operation of the State Political Directorate of the Soviet Union. The operation, which ran from 1921-1926, set up a fake anti-Bolshevik underground organization, "Monarchist Union of Central Russia", MUCR , in order to help the OGPU identify real...
, which was successfully used to confuse and later demoralize the ROVS. They also successfully instituted a secret provocational organization within the ROVS known as the "Inner Line
Inner Line
The Inner Line was a secret intelligence and counter-intelligence organization of the Russian All-Military Union , leading Russian White emigre organization....
" (in Russian "Внутренная Линия"), controlled by the double-agent General Nikolai Skoblin
Nikolai Skoblin
Nikolai Skoblin was a general in the counterrevolutionary White Russian army, a member of the expatriate Russian All-Military Union , a Soviet double agent, and husband to the gypsy folk-singer Nadezhda Plevitskaya ....
, which masqueraded as a patriotic Russian intelligence organization. By the time the "Inner Line" was exposed by the Russian émigré organization National Alliance of Russian Solidarists
National Alliance of Russian Solidarists
The National Alliance of Russian Solidarists ), known by its Russian abbreviation "NTS" is a Russian far-right anticommunist organization founded in 1930 by a group of young Russian anticommunist White emigres in Belgrade, Serbia .The organization was formed in response to the older generation of...
(NTS), two of the ROVS's leaders, General Alexander Kutepov
Alexander Kutepov
Alexander Pavlovich Kutepov was a leader of the anti-communist Volunteer Army during the Russian Civil War....
and General Evgenii Miller
Evgenii Miller
Evgeny Karlovich Miller was a Russian general and one of the leaders of the anti-communist White Army during and after Russian Civil War.-Biography:...
, were kidnapped and taken by force to the USSR to be murdered in 1930 and 1937 respectively. By the time World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started the ROVS lost most of its significance and influence. During the war the ROVS maintained a cautious position, not siding officially with Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union, but waiting for the emergence of an independent Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
.
According to a 1988 oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
interview with Nikita Ivanovich Yovich,
"Years passed, gradually people began dying off. In 1986, the most senior man still alive turned out to be Captain Ivanov who lived in Detroit. Captain Ivanov received a communication from ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
saying that as the most senior man he was now obliged to assume the presidency of the R.A.S.U. He was ninety-one. He needed a deputy and I was recommended to him. I received a letter from this Captain Ivanov whom I had never met, an official letter -- 'Dear Nikita Ivanovich, As of such and such a date, I have become the President of the Russian Armed Services Union. I am alone and am requesting your help.' And so I answered the letter, -- 'Dear Captain Ivanov: I was brought up to be a soldier -- that means, never volunteer for duty, but never shirk it.' A week later, I received orders from him, stating that as of such and such a date Lieutenant Nikita Ivanovich Yovich would be serving as his deputy. He gave me various orders, xeroxing lists and so forth, which I carried out. After a few years I began having problems with my health and I wrote to Captain Ivanov requesting to be relieved of my duties. I received no reply. I wrote again. All of a sudden I receive a letter saying that Captain Ivanov has had a stroke and is paralyzed. I phoned him, but there was no answer. And then I received orders from him, which he had somehow been able to sign -- I had been appointed president of the Russian Armed Services Union."
The ROVS continued to be active into the 1990s, having evolved into an organization that was principally concerned with the historical preservation of the pre-communist and anti-communist Russian military tradition. In the ROVS's possession are a significant number of Russian imperial and White Army battle flags and standards, which are meant to be returned to Russia when "a national Russian army" is once again in existence.
Although its significance and influence in the Russian émigré community ceased several decades before, in 1992 ROVS became active in Russia itself. In the mid 1990's, however, considering that the communist regime has fallen and that the Soviet Union was no more, a split emerged within ROVS on whether to continue the organization's existence. In 2000, Vladimir Vishnevsky, a U.S. resident and the ROVS chairman at that time, requested a vote on this issue. The vast majority of members voted for the dissolution of ROVS. Vishnevsky died of cancer in that same year, but ROVS members, following the overwhelming poll results, dissolved the organization. Some, particularly in Russia, refused to accept this result and maintain that ROVS was never dissolved. According to them ROVS is now headquartered in Russia and its head is I.B. Ivanov.
List of ROVS Chairmen/Commanders
- General Pyotr Wrangel (1924–1928) (as the commander of the Russian ArmyWhite movementThe White movement and its military arm the White Army - known as the White Guard or the Whites - was a loose confederation of Anti-Communist forces.The movement comprised one of the politico-military Russian forces who fought...
) - Grand Duke General Nikolai Nikolaevich Romanov (1924–1929) (as the supreme commander of all Russian forces, in concurrence with General Wrangel)
- General Alexander Pavlovich KutepovAlexander KutepovAlexander Pavlovich Kutepov was a leader of the anti-communist Volunteer Army during the Russian Civil War....
(1929–1930) - General Evgenii Karlovich MillerEvgenii MillerEvgeny Karlovich Miller was a Russian general and one of the leaders of the anti-communist White Army during and after Russian Civil War.-Biography:...
(1930–1937) - General Feodor Feodorovich Abramov (1937–1938)
- General Alexei Petrovich Arkhangelsky (1938–1957)
- General Alexei Alexandrovich Von Lampe (1957–1967)
- General Vladimir Grigorievich Zharzhevsky (1967–1979)
- Captain Vladimir Petrovich Osipov (1979–1983)
- Starshina Vladimir Ivanovich Diakov (1983–1984)
- Lieutenant Peter Alekseevich Kalenichenko (1984–1986)
- Captain Boris Mihailovich Ivanov (1986–1988)
- Sotnik Nikita Ivanovich Yovich (1988–1988)
- Lieutenant Vladimir Vladimirovich Granitov (1988–1989)
- Captain Vladimir Nikolaevich Butkov (1989–2000)
- Lieutenant Vladimir Aleksandrovich Vishnevsky (2000–2000)
- Igor Borisovich Ivanov (2000–)