Search Results - Denikin, Anton Ivanovich, 1872-1947

Anton Denikin

Anton Ivanovich Denikin (; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as a lieutenant general in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and subsequently became a key leader of the anti-Bolshevik White movement during the Russian Civil War.

Born to a poor family, Denikin pursued a military career, distinguishing himself during World War I as commander of the famed "Iron Brigade". Following the February Revolution of 1917, he became a senior commander but was arrested for his support of the Kornilov affair. After escaping from prison, he joined the nascent Volunteer Army on the Don and, following the death of General Lavr Kornilov in April 1918, became its commander.

In 1919, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of South Russia, Denikin launched a major offensive against the Bolshevik government, which came to be known as the "Moscow Directive". His forces advanced to within 350 kilometres (220 miles) of the city before being driven back in a series of defeats. After a disastrous retreat to the Crimea, Denikin resigned his command in April 1920 and went into exile.

Denikin spent the rest of his life in exile, primarily in France. He dedicated his time to writing, producing a multi-volume history of the Russian Civil War, ''The Russian Turmoil''. He remained a staunch opponent of communism, but also took a patriotic anti-German stance during World War II, refusing to collaborate with the Nazis. After the war, he emigrated to the United States, where he died in 1947. Provided by Wikipedia