During the Civil War, the Reds called the extrajudicial death pen alty in different ways, denoting execution. The official sentence to execution sounded like "Shoot!". But there were other tacitly accepted phrases like "Send to the forefathers." And in the fall of 1917, the phrase “Send to the headquarters of General Dukhonin” appeared. Let's find out who the same general was, to whose headquarters the Bolsheviks sent their victims.
Historical portrait
In the Russian unrest of the twentieth century, General Dukhonin played a very unusual role. In November 1917, Dukhonin was appointed Supreme Commander of the Russian Army. The interim government that put him in this post no longer existed at that time. The newly-minted Bolshevik government wanted to impose on the general the idea of concluding peace with Germany on completely unfavorable, shameful and capitulatory conditions for Russia. General Dukhonin, whose biography illustrates his fighting spirit, could not afford this.
Dukhonin's activities in the autumn of 1917 at the Mogilev Headquarters are recognized by historians as anti-people and counter-revolutionary. The general is blamed fordisobedience to the decisions of the Bolshevik government, to which the general, as well as the army, did not swear allegiance.
The fact that, having fulfilled these decisions, General Dukhonin could actually ruin the front, no one thought. The general found himself alone in front of the "army of political adventurers" who, taking advantage of the collapse of power, intended to destroy the forces of the army and plunge the country into the anarchy of Bolshevism. The general's capabilities were very meager, but he did everything he could, for which he was eventually killed. The brave deeds and desperate death of General Dukhonin give the right to call him a true patriot of Russia.
Childhood and education
Nikolai Nikolayevich Dukhonin was born in the Smolensk province on December 13 (December 1, old style), 1876, in a noble family. In 1894 he completed his studies at the Vladimir Cadet Corps in the city of Kyiv and went to Moscow to study at the 3rd Alexander School. After graduating from college in 1896, Dukhonin entered another military educational institution - the Academy of the General Staff. In 1902, he completed his studies at the academy, received the rank of staff captain of the guard and was immediately assigned to the General Staff.
Dukhonin's military career developed very rapidly. Having beaten off the qualifications of the company and battalion commander, in November 1904 he became the senior adjutant of the headquarters of the infantry division. In 1906, Nikolai Nikolaevich received the third degree of the orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anna, and was also appointed to the post of senior adjutant of the entire Kyiv military district. Upon arrival in Kyiv, Dukhonin married Natalya Werner, a beautiful and educated girl who wasdaughter of an honorary citizen of Kiev.
Career start
In the autumn of 1908, Nikolai Nikolaevich began to teach several sciences at the Kiev Military School. In 1911 he was advanced to the rank of colonel. And in the fall of 1912, Dukhonin returned to headquarters again, where he became a senior adjutant.
Nikolai Nikolayevich, ever since his training in military affairs, has developed a good relationship with General Alekseev, the chief of staff of the district. Collaboration and personal communication with Alekseev left an indelible mark on the memory of Nikolai Nikolaevich. Alekseev, speaking about Dukhonin, noted the high level of his professionalism and staff culture.
In the summer of 1913, Colonel Dukhonin was offered a business trip to the maneuvers of the Austro-Hungarian troops as an observer. At a time when Europe was intensively entering the First World War, and Austria-Hungary had the role of the main enemy of Russia, this trip was more than important. Having successfully completed his task, the colonel received the Order of St. Vladimir of the fourth degree, and then a promotion in the Kiev military circle - the position of head of the intelligence department.
World War I
When the First World War began, Dukhonin was appointed to the post of senior adjutant of the department of the quartermaster general of the headquarters of the third army of the Kyiv military district. The army, being part of the South-Eastern Front, took part in the Battle of Galicia, which took place from August 5 to September 8, 1914. Dukhonin's tasks included overseeing intelligence. assigned toColonel's obligations, he coped brilliantly. For reconnaissance in 1914 near the Przemysl fortress, the hero of our conversation received the Order of St. George of the fourth degree.
The young colonel could not sit at the headquarters, and in 1915 he insisted on being sent to the front line. So Dukhonin received the post of commander of the 165th Lutsk Infantry Regiment. Being under his command, the regiment covered the retreat of the 42nd Infantry Division in the battles near the village of Mokrey (Ukrainian name). For professional leadership and courage, Dukhonin was awarded the Order of St. George, now the third degree. This award was very honorable, because only four people received the order of the second degree during the entire period of the First World War.
In May 1916, Dukhonin became quartermaster general of the headquarters of the Southwestern Front and a close assistant to General Brusilov, commander-in-chief of the armies of the front.
February Revolution
Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin reacted calmly to the events of the February Revolution. He, being a reasonable person, understood that in the conditions of hostilities it was pointless and inexpedient to disobey the new government and organize revolts over red armbands. Without repeating the experience of other generals (Miller and Keller), Dukhonin agreed to cooperate with the Provisional Government, positioning himself as a defender of the country, and not a representative of anyone's interests. As A. Kerensky wrote, Dukhonin was a frank and honest person who was far from political machinations. He, according to Kerensky, was oneone of those young officers who adopted the art of victory from Suvorov and Peter the Great, which, among other things, meant a respectful attitude towards subordinates.
In May 1917, General Nikolai Dukhonin heads the headquarters of the Southwestern Front. In early August of the same year, he became a lieutenant general and chief of staff of the Western Front. On September 10, after General Alekseev resigned, Dukhonin headed the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Kerensky.
Here is what Lieutenant General Denikin wrote about Dukhonin: “Kerensky and the representatives of revolutionary democracy found the very ideal they had been waiting for so long. He was a brave soldier and a professional officer who renounced any political prejudice. General Nikolai Dukhonin agreed to his role, deliberately risking his own reputation, and later his life, in order to save his native country, Denikin notes.
October coup
In early October, General Dukhonin conscientiously played the role of "technical adviser" who took upon himself the obligation to protect the Provisional Government. By order of Kerensky, Nikolai Nikolaevich transferred several strong military units to places of greatest tension. Later, the Bolsheviks managed to agitate all these units.
When the October uprising began in Petrograd, General Nikolai Dukhonin created a special group in Mogilev to coordinate events on the internal fronts. But it was no longer possible to prevent the collapse of the army, which at that time had reached its apogee.
October 25, 1917 Dukhonin turned toarmy, trying to remind her that her duty to her homeland requires her to be in complete self-control and calmness, a strong position in positions and assistance to the government. He sent a telegram to Petrograd demanding that the Bolsheviks immediately stop their actions, abandon the armed seizure of power and submit to the Provisional Government. Otherwise, he said, the army will support this demand by force. In conditions when the army has completely collapsed, and the Germans in the West are taking advantage of this, all the general could do was send threatening telegrams.
On the night of November 26-27, having learned that a "strong infantry detachment" was sent to Kerensky's disposal, General Dukhonin offered to resist them with "two reliable armored cars." As a result, the Bolshevik detachments easily and simply conquered the Winter Palace. On the morning of the 27th, Nikolai Nikolayevich sent them a telegram asking them to stop their violent actions and submit to the Provisional Government. A few hours later, the Headquarters, together with the army committees, decided to take measures to help Moscow. Unable to reach an agreement with the army committees, on the morning of October 29, Dukhonin turned by telegraph to A. Kaledin and asked him about the possibility of sending a detachment of Don Cossacks to the capital to quell the uprising in Moscow and further march on Petrograd. General Dukhonin did not wait for an answer.
Position of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
When the campaign against Petrograd failed, on the night of November 1, Kerensky appointed Dukhonin Supreme Commander, for the reasondeparture for Petrograd. The general, informing the troops of his appointment, urged them to hold their positions. On November 1, Dukhonin received a letter from Kornilov, in which Lavr Georgievich reminded the general of the complexity of the task that fell on his shoulders and the need for decisive measures to organize the fight against the advancing anarchy.
General Nikolai Dukhonin understood that the main danger should be expected from the rear, and not from the front. He considered it his obligation to support the Provisional Government as the only legitimate authority. Fearing to earn a reputation as the main culprit of the Civil War, he was limited in his actions. The High Command illustrated its attitude towards the Civil War when it issued an order to stop the troops moving on Petrograd. Dukhonin opposed the Headquarters to the Bolshevik authorities, but in fact he was left alone.
On November 7, the general of the tsarist army, Dukhonin, received an order from the Council of People's Commissars, according to which he had to turn to the leaders of the enemy armies and invite them to stop hostilities and sit down at the negotiating table. At the same time, he had to transfer all the information from the negotiations to Smolny. When the Bolsheviks gave this order, they went against the general's opinion. Refusal to carry out the order would mean that they have reason to recognize Dukhonin as their enemy, and therefore an enemy of the people.
Realizing the complexity of the current situation, on November 8, the tsarist general Dukhonin thought about it all day. As a result, he decided to buy time, taking advantage of the fact that the radiogram fromThe order was not issued in accordance with the rules. Dukhonin telegraphed to the Minister of War that, in view of the special significance of the radiogram, he could not decide on its content, since it had no date and no number.
Fatal call
The Bolsheviks did not like the rebellion of General Dukhonin. On the night of November 8-9, the Council of People's Commissars, represented by Lenin, Stalin and Krylenko, called Dukhoninin with a request to clarify his position regarding the government order. The general began his response by asking the people's commissars whether the allies agreed to peace negotiations. He then expressed his suggestion that the Bolsheviks could not directly negotiate with the allies, and therefore they needed a representative of the central government. The people's commissars did not comment on the general's statements and simply asked him if he was ready to give an unambiguous answer to the order and comply with the order.
General Nikolai Dukhonin refused to follow the instructions of the Bolsheviks. As a result, he was fired. Since at first there was no one to replace the Commander-in-Chief, he remained in his position while the search for a suitable candidate was underway. Ensign Krylenko was supposed to arrive in his place soon.
After a late-night telephone conversation with Bolshevik leaders, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin concluded that the people's commissars, who are not particularly recognized, decided to try to negotiate through the commander-in-chief, endowed with legitimate military power.
Decree on the entry into a truce
November 10 appearedinformation that in Mogilev the Bolsheviks allowed the troops to independently enter into a truce with the enemy, without securing the approval of the Headquarters. Elected bodies were allowed to enter into negotiations, beginning with the regimental committees. And only in the signing of the armistice agreement the government had to take part without fail. This was the first time in world history that such a practice of concluding a truce was used. Upon learning of this, Dukhonin was greatly surprised. He saw in such a policy the triumph of anarchy and the complete collapse of statehood. The general did not obey the decision of the Council of People's Commissars, despite the fact that they were recognized by one army after another.
On November 13, the new Commander-in-Chief Krylenko arrived in Dvinsk, where the Fifth Army of the Northern Front was stationed. The next day, its representatives entered into negotiations with the German command, violating Russia's allied obligations. On November 15, Dukhonin unequivocally stated that before the final victory over the German bloc, he would do everything for Russia to fulfill its duty to the allies.
Nevertheless, General Nikolai Nikolaevich Dukhonin understood that the days of the Headquarters were numbered. In a conversation with General Shcherbachev, he asked the latter to assume the obligations of the Commander-in-Chief if something happened to him. In response, Shcherbachev recommended Dukhonin to move the Stavka to Kyiv. There, at that time, the Central Rada was in power, which did not recognize the Soviet government. Lieutenant General Lukomsky advised Nikolai Nikolaevich the same.
BUltimately, on November 18, the staff of the Stavka began to leave it, but the general himself remained. Having learned that an armored train with revolutionaries was going to Mogilev, he realized that the fate of the Stavka was already predetermined. The next day, when the commanders of the advanced battalions gathered to stand up for Headquarters, Dukhonin ordered them to leave the city. He did not want a fratricidal war. On the night of November 20, the general sent his representatives to Bykhov with the aim of releasing General Kornilov and his associates. Everything went well, and that night they left the city. General Nikolai Dukhonin himself did not intend to run away. He assumed that he would be arrested or even shot, but what happened next exceeded even the worst predictions.
Death of General Dukhonin
On November 20, General Krylenko arrived in Mogilev to accept the post of Commander-in-Chief from Dukhonin. Nikolai Nikolaevich decided not to wait for Krylenko in the empty building of the Headquarters, where at any moment he could become a victim of soldier's lynching. Having changed into civilian clothes, he went to the station to hand over the affairs to his "successor" from hand to hand, but the latter left for the city. Then Nikolai Nikolayevich went to the train commandant to wait for Krylenko. Half an hour later, the news that Dukhonin was sitting in the train car quickly spread throughout the station. Soon a crowd of armed men gathered near the carriage, whose ardor could only be cooled by the appearance of Krylenko himself. However, not for long.
General Dukhonin, whose photos are not of good quality, introduced himself and tried to talk to his successor, but he did not listen to him. AllKrylenko's attention was focused on the unbridled crowd, which wanted to take revenge on Dukhonin. Some sailors even got into the car and unceremoniously pushed Krylenko, who was trying to curb them, aside. When the situation got completely out of control, Dukhonin went out to the crowd with the words: “Did you want to see General Dukhonin? I am in front of you. I went out to…” The general was not allowed to finish his speech. He was stabbed in the back with a bayonet and thrown off the wagon. Having brutally tore the body of the general, the sailors went to the city to kill his wife. When the crowd broke into the general's apartment, his wife was not at home. Natalya Vladimirovna was in the church, where her friend found her. After telling about how General Dukhonin died, a friend hid Natalya at home.
Later, A. I. Denikin, who was not a fan of Dukhonin's revolutionary passions, but owed his life to him, said that Nikolai Nikolayevich was an honest man who was aware of the essence of a warrior's duty in the face of the enemy. “But among all these revolutionary contradictions, Nikolai was hopelessly confused,” summed up Denikin.
By November 21, the situation in Mogilev returned to normal. Krylenko was able to stop lynching and establish protection of the most important objects. On his orders, the corpse of Dukhonin was placed in a coffin and transferred to the station building. In the morning, Natalya Vladimirovna went there under guard. The representative of the new Commander-in-Chief escorted her to the coffin and brought condolences on behalf of Krylenko. The general himself never appeared before the eyes of the widow. There is another version, according to which Dukhonin's body was bought by his wife from unbridled sailors, delivered toKyiv and buried in the same and local cemeteries. This is how General Dukhonin ended his story. The grave of Nikolai Nikolaevich since 1934 has been located at the Lukyanovsky cemetery in the city of Kyiv.
It only remains to add that on November 21, in the city of Brest-Litovsk, Bolshevik negotiations began on the conclusion of the Brest peace, which could only be called shameful. The last nominal, but quite inconvenient obstacle in the face of General Dukhonin was physically removed.
Conclusion
General Dukhonin, whose biography has become the subject of our conversation, is one of the most tragic figures of the Russian unrest of the twentieth century. It shows how difficult it is to be a real defender of the motherland - honest and unshakable. The phrase "Sending to the headquarters of General Dukhonin" was associated with a shameful death at the hands of a raging crowd of convinced avengers. But did Dukhonin himself feel disgraced when he set out on his last journey?
