Among ordinary Cossacks, hatred of the elite and central government boiled, and by 1772 an open state of rebellion ensued for six months between the Iaik Cossacks and the central government. The Don Cossacks were at times unflinchingly democratic, with every member of the community having the right to speak at the Krug. The host of the Don Cossacks was governed by a popular council, the Rada, and by an elected chief, called ataman. Moreover, in a cruel irony, the ascendancy of the Cossacks in the previous centuries partially paved the way for their downfall. whips), thus alluding to their effective control over the relatively passive-natured and smaller steppe horses. Some of these, Circa mid 16th century AD, the region by the Don river was inhabited by a host (. ) Now as we mentioned earlier, most of these Cossacks were composed of the disfranchised Ukrainians and serfs, originally under Polish rule, who made their way to the southern parts of the Dnieper. This decision brought forth the birth of the Kuban Cossacks (in circa 1860 AD) –  ‘created’ by merging the remaining Zaporozhian Cossacks (by the Dnieper) and units from the Frontier Army (regiments formed of various Cossacks and non-Cossack elements). In the subsequent centuries, the territory of the Don Cossacks was known as the Voyska Donskogo (Don Voisko Lands), while in the year 1805, befitting their newly-gained renown, they transferred their capital to the larger ‘planned’ city of Novocherkassk (New Cherkassk). Pertaining to the former, in 1637 AD, the Don Cossacks, along with their Zaporozhian brethren (discussed later in the article) famously captured the mighty Ottoman fortress of Azov on the Don river that strategically guarded the passage to the Black Sea. The Cossacks provided their own uniforms, swords, and horses. The impact of these steppe horsemen was reflected by Napoleon’s own words – “Cossacks are the finest light troops among all that exists. It included three years of basic training in the stanitsi, four years of active service in the various regiments, four years in the reserve units with annual summer exercises, four years in secondary reserve units with one major exercise during that period, and five years in the general reserve corps, when the Cossacks could be mobilized in an emergency. Indeed, for a long time, Kudinov and Yermakov, who appear in the novel, were considered as fictional by the general public. But most of the time, they lived and fought as ‘separate’ people with autonomous status and bare-bones jurisdiction. The very term Zaporozhtsi is derived from Zaporozhia (or Zaporozyhe), meaning the ‘land beyond the rapids’. These incessant actions forced the ill-prepared Napoleonic forces to rely on their paltry and dangerously exposed supply lines. Photographs and documents concern the Don Cossacks. On March 24, 1920, Don Army units were transported from Novorossiysk to the Crimea. From the historical perspective, it was the ‘free’ Cossacks who went on to define the legacy of the romanticized Cossack people as we know them today. The first recorded use of ‘Cossacks’ was possibly made by the Italian trading colonies along the Black Sea in the 14th century for the bandits and freebooters who operated in the hinterland. Now as we mentioned earlier, most of these Cossacks were composed of the disfranchised Ukrainians and serfs, originally under Polish rule, who made their way to the southern parts of the Dnieper. We should also note how the majority of these autonomous Don Cossacks were adherents of the Christian Orthodox faith prescribed before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow (circa 1666 AD). As for the Cossack equipment, the early 16th century horsemen between the Dnieper and the Don was typically armed with the lance, saber, and sometimes bow. And while the ataman (or rather head ataman) held autocratic powers during times of war, thus fulfilling the role of the commander-in-chief of the Cossacks, he could as easily be deposed (and even punished) by the popular vote at the krug during times of peace. By the late 19th century, the colorful Tatar-inspired attire, comprising the sharovary silk pants, gave way to the more ‘ordinary’ all-weather breeches, accompanied by a tunic, standard Russian infantry greatcoat (often complemented by a fur coat), forage cap, and sturdy leather boots. 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And if we attach a romanticized account of these Russian Cossacks, the narrative mostly alludes how these ‘free’ horsemen, armed with their characteristic saber and lance, roamed the steppe to protect the emergent Russian realm from the incursions of the Tatars and their (Ottoman) Turkish overlords. Later, Kuban Cossacks were often posted in Warsaw and elsewhere in the empire to suppress revolts and serve as special guard units. From 1835, service was set at 35 years from the age of nineteen years. To that end, like the Don host, many of the poorer folks and serfs in Ukraine strove to escape from the clutches of the organized states. (assembly) and made all the executive decisions pertaining to the host. The entry in Britannica puts forth the origin of the word ‘Cossack’ as (being derived from) Turkic, , meaning ‘freeman’ or ‘adventurer’. The Bolshevik resistance, centered in the Kamenskaya stanitsa, was joined by an army sent by Moscow. Long after the uprising was suppressed, the Don Cossack Host was placed under the jurisdiction of the Military Collegium (1721). The first of these ‘real’ Cossacks, as we noted earlier, were expert horsemen, and this expertise was rather borne by necessity – to make fast raids and escape even faster from the garrison towns. Please let us know via the ‘Contact Us’ link, provided both above the top bar and at the bottom bar of the page. possibly numbering over 650,000 men. ), by late 15th century – early 16th century, the Cossacks could be broadly divided into the ‘town’ Cossacks and the ‘free’ Cossacks. Several stanitsas revolted and on April 3, 1918 formed a new Don Army, during the Steppe March. By 16th century, the small-time landowners and poor farmers who migrated from the western part of their country to the ‘wildlands’ between Dnieper and Don, sought to create a nationalistic identity of their own that was inherently Ukrainian (as opposed to the Don Cossacks who perceived themselves as a ‘separate’ people from the Muscovy Russians, in spite of speaking the same language). Simply put, it was their mobility that put them at an advantage in the ‘wildlands’ of the steppe. The entry in Britannica puts forth the origin of the word ‘Cossack’ as (being derived from) Turkic kazak, meaning ‘freeman’ or ‘adventurer’. Subsequently, the area was inhabited by the Khazars and the Polovtsians. He decided to end the civil war by capitulating to the Bolsheviks and met with the Red representative, Sablin. The Tsarist Government used Cossacks as border guards, garrison settlers, for field reconnaissance, etc. The financial records of the Don government in exile cover the years 1921-1926. [1] Their problems were further exacerbated by high taxations and strict socage services demanded by many a pan (Polish landowner). founded the virtually independent republic of the Don Cossacks on the fertile steppes along the lower course of the Don River. Consequently, under the ‘masked’ support of the Grand Principality of Moscow, these Cossacks organized themselves into capable military units that made regular forays into the Crimean Tatar lands, while also lending their detachments (to Moscow) to fight in distant lands like Livonia and Siberia. Unsurprisingly, their lifestyle was. Suffice it to say, the Don Cossacks gradually became Russianized, in part because of their language that was Russian by all accounts. The Cossacks provided their own uniforms, swords, and horses. Novocherkassk was their chief town. If I had them in my army, I would go through all the world with them.”, The story of the Ukrainian Cossacks almost mirrored the origins of their Russian counterparts. It was restored with traditional local Cossack self-government under the control of the German occupation administration. Unsurprisingly, their lifestyle was Spartan with makeshift quarters comprising hastily-built mud barracks. Suffice it to say, based on their insubstantial allegiances, some of these horsemen also took to banditry, thus (in few scenarios) facing off against their ‘town’ counterparts. From then onwards, the Zaporozhian Sich Cossacks went to create an autonomous polity of their own that was often viewed as a semi-independent state (by the proximate powers, including the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth) for almost two centuries, circa 16th – 18th century AD. The reasons for this delve into the realm of complexity, though one of the primary factors relates to how the Cossacks remained relatively anachronistic in their approach to warfare, and thus they were ‘overtaken’ by the better drilled and equipped German horseman of the same period. Interestingly enough, the regular Cossacks were also noted for not using spurs (relying on their nagaika whips), thus alluding to their effective control over the relatively passive-natured and smaller steppe horses. Government colonization, the prohibition against the Don Cossacks’ receiving fugitives, and the punitive actions of the tsar’s troops provoked the Bulavin Uprising of 1707-09. Consequently, under the ‘masked’ support of the Grand Principality of Moscow, these Cossacks organized themselves into capable military units that made regular forays into the Crimean Tatar lands, while also lending their detachments (to Moscow) to fight in distant lands like Livonia and Siberia. After Kaledin and his counterrevolutionary government were crushed, the "Don Soviet Republic" was promulgated in March 1918. Essentially, they were staunch Old Believers who were wary of the ‘metropolitan’ nature of the New Believers based in Moscow. The Don Cossacks, the earliest known in Russia, appeared in the fifteenth century and the host was established during the early sixteenth century. To that end, the Cossacks are one of the rare ‘polities’ in Slavic (and Russian) history who formed their ranks based on societal connections rather than ethnicities and origins – borne by the pretenseless mutual appreciation of protecting each other. Pertaining to the last statement, many contemporary kingdoms, including the Russian Tsardom and the Crimean Khanate, made aggressive overtures against the Cossacks, who by the 1630s, had ballooned into a supranational entity of sorts (though, in a more localized scope), commanding hosts of horsemen and freebooters. Essentially, much like the late Roman urban militia, these men performed their roles as farmer-soldiers for their frontier commanders while living with their own respective families. In a broader scope, they were excellent raiders (who made successful forays against their southern Tatar neighbors) and expert fishermen (who also dabbled in piracy in and around the Turkish settlements of the Black Sea) – recognized by their clean-shaven heads with the exception of topknots, elegant mustaches, vibrant Tatar attire, and boisterous attitude to go along. To that end, like the Don host, many of the poorer folks and serfs in Ukraine strove to escape from the clutches of the organized states. These events form an important part of Mikhail Sholokhov's epic, And Quiet Flows the Don. in swampland around an already existing fort on one of the river islands, thus establishing their first stronghold. The recruits would come from both the White Russian émigré community where both General Krasnov and Shkuro had deep ties and from amongst captured Soviet Cossacks POWs. For example, the Terek Cossacks were known for flaunting the art of dzhigitovka (pictured above) – basically, daredevilry and showmanship on horses possibly learned from their Circassian enemies. Military training for the Cossacks was very demanding. The former, by this time, had accumulated their fair share of wealth, often complemented by large farmsteads and herds of cattle, while the latter still remained relatively disfranchised and poor. Essentially, the Ukrainian Cossack host that roamed and inhabited the region below the Dnieper rapids were called the Zaporozhian Cossacks. They include several signed letters and memos by General Denikin dated 1920. The son of a Don Cossack officer, Kaledin became a professional soldier and served in World War I as commander of a cavalry division operating in Galicia, then as commander of the 8th Army, which waged an offensive at Lutsk (in Ukraine) in 1916. This decision brought forth the birth of the Kuban Cossacks (in circa 1860 AD) –  ‘created’ by merging the remaining Zaporozhian Cossacks (by the Dnieper) and units from the Frontier Army (regiments formed of various Cossacks and non-Cossack elements). In 1860 it mustered 22 cavalry regiments, 3 cavalry squadrons, 13 scout (, ) battalions, and 5 artillery batteries. Consequently, the Russian government sought to make the transition from treating Cossacks as an autonomous polity to making them a frontier military entity governed by the state. The Don Army (Russian: Донская армия, Donskaya Armiya) was the military of the short lived Don Republic and a part of the White movement in the Russian Civil War. By the 16th century, the Cossacks had arranged themselves into two major groups. After the October Revolution in 1917, a conflict in the Don broke out between the "Red" Bolsheviks and "White" Don Cossacks. A loose confederation of a… But over time, the Don Cossacks did take part in maintaining salt pans (to salt-preserve their fish) and farms. Suffice it to say, in spite of their primarily Ukrainian origins, the Kuban Cossacks was thoroughly Russianized in their institutions – so much so that the Russian court even employed an acting. Consequently, the Russian Cossacks participated in far-flung military campaigns, ranging from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea. During this time, the (local) Russian and Ukrainian Cossacks gradually began to outnumber their southern Tatar counterparts – and as such, these varied groups, though broadly categorized under a singular name (Cossacks), were hired as guides, mercenaries, border patrols, and guardsmen for the rich folks and caravans that crossed the Wild Fields (or wild plains – dikoe pole) from the Pontic steppe towards the Don and Volga rivers. Upon the vote, Kaledin resigned his position, walked into the next room, and ended his life with a … More than two thousand years ago the Scythians lived on the banks of the river Don. Several Cossack atamans vye for power among the Don Host, and the Ural Cossacks issue the government an ultimatum along with several other hosts. In the Summer and Fall of 1918, the White Don Army controlled the Don territory, severed Red Army communications between Moscow and the Caucasus (allowing the White Volunteer Army to defeat the Red Army of the Northern Caucasus) and threatened Red Army positions at Tsaritsyn and Voronezh, as well as Rostov-na-Don. Nevertheless, every Kuban Cossack male over 16 years of age was guaranteed his own plot of land (in accordance with the traditions of the Zaporozhian Cossacks). Essentially, much like the late Roman urban militia, these men performed their roles as farmer-soldiers for their frontier commanders while living with their own respective families. Posted By: Dattatreya Mandal However, in their case, the predicament arguably had a greater magnitude since most of Ukraine was ruled by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, thus entailing an aristocracy that not only spoke a different language but also professed a different branch of Christianity (the Poles preferred Roman Catholicism while most of the poorer sections of Ukraine were Eastern Orthodox). In the beginning of 1917, the Grand troubles in the Russian Empire lead to grief filled moments in world history. Now of course like many societies in history, the equitable nature of the Don Cossack laws, including collective ownership, was probably relegated in favor of a hierarchical system by the end of the 17th century – early 18th century. Simply put, they perceived themselves as a military brotherhood of sorts (that excluded women) –  who could conduct lightning forays and plundering expeditions and then escape back to their riverside sich strongholds. It included three years of basic training in the, , four years of active service in the various regiments, four years in the reserve units with annual summer exercises, four years in secondary reserve units with one major exercise during that period, and five years in the general reserve corps, when the Cossacks could be mobilized in an emergency. Much of the Upper Don region, in 1918, had defected to the Bolsheviks, but as a result of the Red Terror, in 1919, rose up in arms against them, in what was known as the Veshenskaya Uprising. They eventually became a part of the Russian irregular military with the main objective of defending Russia's borderlands. *Note – In this article, we have focused on the major Cossack groups (as opposed to the numerous later branches and variations of these communities). (pictured above) – basically, daredevilry and showmanship on horses possibly learned from their Circassian enemies. The area was under the general control of the Golden Horde, and numerous Tatar armed groups roamed there, attacking Russian and foreign merchants. This unit was formed in 1943 from prisoners of war and the various ad hoc formations of Cossack deserters that had been gathered by Wehrmacht field commanders. The Don Cossacks were the most significant of the Cossack hosts from the time of the Napoleonic wars. And while the main Russian army promptly retreated in the face of such a massive invasion force, it was the Don Cossacks who arguably played a pivotal role in not only harassing the French army but also applying the scorched-earth policy. This page was last edited on 6 December 2020, at 01:58. Widely held elections of district and stanitsa atamans. Mikhail Aleksandrovich Sholokhov (Russian: Михаил Александрович Шолохов, IPA: [ˈʂoləxəf]; 24 May [O.S. After two months, the war of attrition finally took its toll on the Grande Armée, with Napoleon losing over 300,000 of his men, resulting in an unexpected Russian victory. However, in the initial years, farming was remarkably forbidden under law, with most of the subsidized grain being supplied from Tsar’s lands. The Central Powers were defeated, though the Russian Empire was in no good state as well. The Soviet government abolished Don autonomy, stripped many Cossacks of their civil rights, and restricted their numbers in the military (until 1937).
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