The Czechoslovak Review/Volume 2/The Capture of Samara

The Capture of Samara.

The following account is taken from a Moscow paper, The Zizn, of June 15th, 1918. It is from the Bolshevik point of view, but it gives a graphic picture of the way in which the Czechoslovaks occupied the city which has since been the main base of this army in their campaign in European Russia, and of the reconstruction measures undertaken by the liberated Russians.

 

The fighting around Samara between the soviet armies and the Czechoslovaks, who were proceeding east by way of Syzran, commenced on Sunday, June 2nd. Cannonading went on continuously from that day, until in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday it grew very loud and caused a panic among the people of Samara. A report that the Czechoslovaks had captured the station of Ivaščenko was very depressing to the party of workingmen (namely Bolsheviki) and caused indignation against the incapable element in the Red Army. At the same time the official announcement of the soviet stated that the voluntary mobilization was going on very successfully, although everyone realized that the volunteers, lacking discipline and training, were at a disadvantage in their fight with the Czechoslovaks.

News that the members of the executive committee of the soviet went down the River Volga called out angry expressions from among the workingmen, who looked upon their departure as flight.

On June 5th about four o’clock in the morning the prison was attacked by a considerable body of armed men, who bombarded the prison with machine guns; the guards surrendered, some of the bandits got into the prison and liberated more than 450 inmates. At the same time the office and guard rooms were destroyed, the vaults plundered, etc. Czechoslovak shells were bursting over the Grain Market and over the elevator of the Imperial Bank. One house caught fire from shelling. Bombardment was not stopped until darkness came.

The soviet official organ, “The Volga Truth”, spoke of coming re-inforcements and promises that the enemy would be smashed, but few people manifested confidence.

At three o’clock in the morning of June 8th, machine guns started to rattle. Bullets were flying over the Saratov and over the neighboring strets. Shortly afterwards heavy cannonading commenced. The Czechoslovaks employed trench mortars against the city artillery stationed near the elevator, and showered shrapnel over the trenches on the Ural street.

At four o’clock the noise of the guns ceased and Czechoslovak battalions started to march across the railroad bridge over the Samarka. The soviet detachments retreated at half past four in the morning. At five o’clock an armored locomotive appeared on the bridge and shortly after came a train with fifteen cars. The Czechoslovaks continued to throw shrapnel at the retreating Red Guards.

At nine o’clock Czechoslovak patrols appeared on the streets along the Samarka, asking everyone: Where are the Red Guards? Any Red Guard caught was shot on the spot. Among those who were shot was a woman Red Guard named Wagner, a Lett by race, because she resisted when ordered to surrender her arms.

The Bolshevik club was destroyed by artillery fire from the railroad embankment. The Bolsheviks who had their headquarters in the club surrendered, when Maslenikov came out with a white flag.

A commissioner for the requisition of grain and cattle from Ufa was killed at the depot because he would not allow himself to be disarmed.

Then the population started to execute summary judgments against the Bolsheviki. The following men were killed by the crowd: Vencek, chairman of the revolutionary tribunal; Styrkin, chairman of the committee on housing; Šulc, organizer of Red Guards; B. J. Šadrin, chairman, and Romanov, secretary of the requisition bureau. Several other representatives of the soviet government who offered resistance were also shot.

The Czechoslovaks were particularly merciless toward Germans and Magyars who were fighting in the ranks of the Red Army.

A number of fires broke out in the city. On the banks of the Samarka, flour mills and storehouses of oil were burned. The elevator sustained much damage from artillery fire. The Kazan church also suffered—one shot went through the cupola of the church and another hit the wall. The section beyond the Samarka River was not affected at all.

Order was promptly re-established in the city. The Czechoslovak military committee

General Janin, Commander of the Czechoslovak Army in France.

in its appeal to the Russian citizens declared that the Czechoslovaks did not want to fight workingmen and peasants, that they did not want to make war against the soviet government, that they were merly trying to get to Vladivostok to proceed to the French front where they intend to continue their struggle against the German imperialism and militarism.

The people manifested extreme sympathy toward the Czechoslovaks and showered upon them gifts and flowers.

On Saturday, June 8th, the city commandant posted an order which stated: “Upon instructions from the Czechoslovak commander I declare a state of siege in the city: I forbid all assemblies of citizens; all appearance on the streets after nine o’clock in the evening. I order the organization of city militia for the patrolling of the streets and the restoration of complete order and peace. Chairman of the ward committees and the former commander of the militia are instructed to report to me and to surrender within 24 hours all guns, machine guns, rifles, cartridges and hand grenades. I call upon the representative of the city food bureau to take charge of provisioning the city. Full freedom of press and speech is permitted. Whoever violates these orders will be brought before a military court which may inflict the punishment of death. Thieves and robbers will be shot on the spot.” On Sundey the papers appeared again.

Steamers lying in the port were allowed to proceed in any direction. The railroad station was placed in charge of a commander selected by the Czechoslovaks. The shops were closed on Saturday, but repair of railroad cars went on as usual. The track damaged by bombardment was rapidly reconstructed. There was very little rolling stock in the yards, most of the locomotives and cars having been evacuated.

In the meantime it became known late on Saturday that a committee of the members of the Constituent Assembly had been formed. Order No. 1 signed by members of the Constituent Assembly elected for the province of Samara declared: “In the name of the Constituent Assembly the Bolshevik rule in the city and province of Samara is declared to be overthrown. All commissioners are deprived of their offices and organs of local self-government dissolved by the Bolsheviki are reinstated in their functions: the city council and the provincial administration are called upon to take up their duties.

All civil and military power in the city and province, until there are competent officials appointed by the rightful All-Russian government, is taken over by the committee composed of members of the Constituent Assembly for the province of Samara and of the representatives of the local authorities. All persons and organizations must yield to them implicit obedience.

The formation of the army and military command for the safeguarding of order in the city and province is entrusted to the military staff composed of three members who are hereby given full powers.

All restrictions introduced by the Bolshevik forces are abrogated, and freedom of speech, press and assembly is restored. The office of the commissioner of press with all his staff is abolished. Commissioners and persons in charge of soviet offices are called upon to deliver within three days all property and papers in their possession to representatives of this committee. Whoever abandons his office without first surrendering the official property in his charge, will be severely punished.

The revolutionary tribunal, being an organ not compatible with truly democratic principles, is abolished and district courts are hereby restored.

All employees of office that are not here by abolished are called upon to continue their work.

We appeal to all citizens to gather around the All-Russian Constituent Assembly, in order that law, peace and order might be re-established in the land. United, independent, free Russia—all power to the Constituent Assembly—these are the aims of the new revolutionary Government.”

Next day was posted order No. 2 which declared: “The committee, having taken upon itself the protection of the suppressed rights of the citizens and of the Constituent Assembly, is fully conscious of its great responsibility to the people to protect and restore organs of the rightful government against the approaching Bolshevik and German bands. Therefore in the name of the Constituent Assembly we order the military staff to proceed most rapidly to the formation of a disciplined and strong army, to take formal steps for the protection of the city and call out all necessary labor to that end; and we order all official organizations to furnish to the military staff necessary help.”

In the third and fourth orders the Committee commands that all street executions must be stopped and the captured Bolsheviki surrendered to the constituted authority.