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Birthday anniversary of Anton I. Denikin, Russian General
4 (16) December, 1872, in the village of Shpetal Dolny, the Varshava Province, into the family of a retired major was born Anton I. Denikin, Lieutenant General (1916), hero of the Russian-Japanese war and the First World War; commander in chief of the Voluntary Army (1918), of “The Armed Forces of the South of Russia” (1919) and “Supreme Ruler” of Russia (1920).
In 1890 Denikin graduated from the non-classical secondary school of Lovich, and two years later finished the military course of the Kiev Infantry Cadet School; after that – the Imperial Nicholas Academy of the General Staff. While studying, he was serving in the 2nd field artillery brigade, then – in the 2nd infantry division and the 2nd cavalry corps. During the Russian-Japanese war (1904-1905) Denikin was promoted to the Head of Staff of the Composite Cavalry Corps, was granted the rank of the colonel and awarded with the Orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anna.
In the end of 1890-s Denikin started to publish in the military press under the pen name Ivan Nochin, generally in the popular magazine of the time called “Razvedchik” (“scout”): he was for the improvement of the system of selection and training of the officers, against bureaucracy, suppression of the initiatives, rudeness and arbitrary rule against soldiers; he devoted a number of articles to the analysis of battles of the Russian-Japanese war. He indicated the German and Austrian threat, in the light of which he considered it necessary to conduct the reforms in the Russian Army; he also wrote about the need to develop the motor transport and the airforce.
In 1906-1910 Denikin occupied different post in the General Staff; in the pre-war years he commanded the 17th Infantry Archangelsk regiment. In March of 1914 he was appointed acting general to carry out the assignments of the Staff of the Kiev Military District, and in June he was promoted to Major General. At the beginning of the World War I the general submitted a report asking to send him to the front and in September 1914 he was appointed the commander of the 4th (“Steel”) infantry brigade. For his distinguished services in the Carpathians battle, the Lvov and Lutsk operations, Denikin was awarded with St. George armament, the Order of St. George, 4th and 3rd class. For the breakthrough of the enemy’s positions during the offensive at the South-Western front in the summer of 1916 and for capture of Lutsk, he was again awarded with St. George armament decorated with diamonds, and promoted to Lieutenant General.
After the February Revolution, Denikin was appointed the assistant of the chief of the General Staff. From April to May he occupied the post of the Head of Staff of the Commander in Chief, after that – the post of the Commander in Chief of the Western Front armies; and from the August – the Commander in Chief of the South-Western front. At the officers’ meeting in May of 1917 the general criticized the war policy of the Provisional Government. In the end of August, having being informed about General L. G. Kornilov taking the field, he sent a telegram to the government supporting the demands of the mutinous general: carry the war to the victory and convocation of the Constituent Assembly. As a result, Denikin was arrested and spent about three months in prison.
In November 1917, on the order of the Supreme Commander in Chief, General N. N. Dukhonin, Denikin was released and managed to reach the Don River. Having arrived to Novocherkassk, together with generals M. V. Alexeev and L. G. Kornilov, he organized and formed the Voluntary Army.
In summer and autumn of 1918 the Voluntary Army occupied Kuban and advanced to the North Caucasus. In December 1918 Denikin took personal commandment of “all land and sea forces acting in the south of Russia”. By the summer of 1919 Denikin’s forces occupied the largest part of the Ukraine and began their offensive against the central regions of the country. In the territories under his control was established the regime of war dictatorship with the executive and legislative body called the Special Meeting. Some general governors were appointed to govern certain regions.
Not wishing to split the anti-Bolsheviks movement, in May 1919 Denikin recognized Admiral A. V. Kolchak as the “Supreme Ruler” of Russia. Six months later, in January 1920, admiral handed his powers of the “Supreme Ruler” over to Denikin.
In the situation of the Civil War Denikin considered it ill-timed to rise the question on the monarchy restoration. The core issue for him was the issue on maintenance of Russia as a single whole. He refused to recognize the independence of states which had formed in the territory of Russia undermining the possibility to create a broad anti-Bolsheviks front. Successful counter attack of the Red Army in October 1919 – March 1920 resulted into the loss of control of the “Supreme Ruler” over the majority of the southern territories of Russia and political crisis in the White movement. General was obliged to evacuate the remains of his armies from Novorossiysk to Crimea. April 4, 1920 he handed his powers over to General P. N. Wrangel and emigrated.
Via Constantinople and London Denikin reached Belgium and from there went to Hungary. In 1921-1926 he wrote the fundamental historical & biographical work “Essays of the Russian revolt”, a documentary research on revolutionary events which caused the downfall of the Russian Empire, on the events of the Civil War in Russia covering the period from February 1917 to April 1920.
In 1926 Denikin moved to Paris. There he was engaged in literature and social activities. In 1930-s, in the situation of increase of war threat, the general lectured on the problems of international relations, published his works in the “Dobrovolets” (“Volunteer”) paper and some other Russian-language editions. In the end of 1945, fearing the forcible deportation to the USSR, Denikin went to the USA where he continued working on his memoirs started back in France.
Anton I. Denikin died of the heart attack August 8, 1947 and was buried with military honors at the Evergreen cemetery, Detroit. December 15, 1952 upon the decision of the US White Cossack community the general’s remains were transferred to the Russian cemetery of St. Vladimir in Jackson, New Jersey.
In October 2005, by consent of his daughter M. A. Denikina-Gray, the remains of Denikin were reburied in the necropolis of the Don Monastery, Moscow.
Lit.: Василевский И. М. Генерал Деникин и его мемуары. Берлин, 1924; Гордеев Ю. Н. Генерал Деникин: Военно-исторический очерк. М., 1993; Ипполитов Г. М. Деникин. М., 2006; Лехович Д. В. Деникин: Жизнь русского офицера. М., 2004; Махров П. С. В Белой армии генерала Деникина: Записки начальника штаба главнокомандующего вооружёнными силами Юга России. СПб., 1994; Соколов К. Н. Правление генерала Деникина. София. 1921; Трамбицкий Ю. А. Генерал-лейтенант А. И. Деникин //Исторические портреты. 2003; Черкасов-Георгиевский В. Генерал Деникин. Смоленск, 1999.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 1. Вып. 1. Париж, 1921;
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 1. Вып. 2. Париж, 1921;
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 2. Париж, 1921;
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 3. Берлин, 1924;
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 4. Берлин, 1924;
Деникин А. И. Очерки русской смуты. Т. 5. Берлин, 1926;
Деникин А. И. Французы в Одессе // Французы в Одессе: Из белых мемуаров. Л., 1928. С. 3—97;