What role did the collection "Change of Milestones" play in the history of white emigration?

The role played by the collection "Change of Milestones", literary critics and historians are trying to find out so far. His publication was the occasion for a split in the environment of the Russian emigration of the first wave.

Edition of the collection

The famous collection was published in Prague in 1921. Its name is a reference to a similar publication "Milestones", where prominent figures of Russian emigration were published. These people, who fled from the Soviet power or thrown it out on the "philosophical steamer", were fierce opponents of the Bolsheviks. They tried to set up Europe's public opinion against the Communists.

However, at that time the Old World had just begun to depart from the aftermath of the First World War. Although emigrants were accepted with warmth in European capitals, they could not exert any special influence on local politics.

What role did the "Change of Milestones" collection play in connection with this bleak state of the white movement? Its authors went against the reigning anti-Soviet sentiment and in their philosophical and political articles were pro-Bolshevik. This step was a turning point in the history of Russian fugitives in the West.

Pro-Soviet publications

The role played by the collection "Change of Milestones" can easily be determined by the reaction of Moscow following it. They decided to take advantage of the opportunity to prove the incompetence of their opponents - monarchists, Republicans, etc. The collection was immediately published in the Soviet Union in thousands of copies. State newspapers emphasized the fact that even in the whiteest emigration they finally recognized not only their defeat, but also ideological wrong.

What role did the "Change of Milestones" collection play for the Russian inhabitants of Europe who took refuge in Paris, Prague, Berlin and the cities of the kingdom of the southern Slavs? The movement was split. Conservative monarchists, dissatisfied with the publication and the propaganda campaign that the Soviet government deployed, began to organize themselves.

Irreconcilability

Soon the idea of irreconcilability arose. This principle was opposed to the emergent smenvehovstvu and return. His supporters opposed any form of cooperation with the Soviet Union. He immediately gained popularity among monarchists, conservatives and other emigrants of extreme right-wing views. Among them was the entire surviving elite of the former tsarist era-ministers, officers, etc.

The main organizations that promoted the idea of irreconcilability were the Russian General Military Union and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad. The head of the ROVS was the famous general Peter Wrangel, who until the last fought with the Reds during the Civil War. It was he who kept the Crimea, while White was hastily evacuated from it.

The idea of a smenovehovstva

The idea of smenvehovstva mainly based on the principle of patriotism. Belonging to the historical homeland, according to the behests of the adherents of this principle, is an exceptional factor that should smooth out all the contradictions with the Soviet authorities. Many Russians really wanted to return home, and not live out their days in foreign Europe. Therefore, smenvehovstvo, as well as the opposite idea of irreconcilability, quickly gained a lot of supporters. This process accelerated when in 1920 the war broke out between Poland and the Soviet state (formally the Union was not yet formed).

Several prominent publicists joined forces to create "Change of milestones". The collection included materials written by Nikolai Ustryalov, Sergei Chakhotin, Yuri Klyuchnikov, etc. One of the prototypes of this publication was the book "In the Struggle for Russia", published in 1920. It became the fruit of the writings of Nikolai Ustryalov, who at that time lived in Harbin, the main city of Russian emigration in the Far East.

Example Brusilov

Appeared collection of journalistic articles "Change of landmarks" mainly appealed to the events in Poland. The war of this country with Russia led to an outbreak of patriotism of emigrants abroad. But at the same time in the Soviet Republic the conflict was positioned as the beginning of a worldwide socialist revolution aimed at overthrowing the bourgeoisie. Indeed, Lenin considered Russia only a springboard for the conquest of the whole world. He hoped for the support of the European proletariat and the communist parties spontaneously arising in the Old World.

Left ideas of the Soviets did not confuse the authors of the collection "Change of landmarks." What role did he play for patriotic emigrants? Many of them became supporters of the Soviet Union. The authors of the publications persuaded their readers to forget about the disagreements with the Bolsheviks at a time when the destiny of Russia itself was at stake.

The main example in this propaganda campaign was the famous General Alexei Brusilov. During the First World War, he commanded one of the western fronts. His famous tactical breakthrough in Galicia destroyed the Austrian army and actually made the Habsburg helpless appendage of Germany.

After two revolutions, Brusilov (unlike many other tsarist generals) remained at home. He even fought in the Soviet Army. This example did a lot to make the idea of smenvehovstva popular in Europe. The emergence of a pro-Soviet movement among emigres split it into two warring camps.