"We are now alone in the struggle which will decide the fate not only of our country but of the whole of humanity. Let us strive to free our native land from the yoke of these Red scum who recognize neither God nor country, who bring confusion and shame in their wake."
—General Pyotr Wrangel
The way I found to better undestand the Russian Civil War, was to read a nonfiction overview from the very top of its military leadership along with Bulgakov's fictitious account of one family's experience of the war along with it. I will review the nonfiction book first, the memoirs of General Pyotr Wrangel, or as he was refered to by his foul enemies: "the Black Baron."
Always with Honor is a play-by-play of the Russian Civil War from the perspectives of the Whites featuring not only an account of the battles and skirmishes of the Russian Civil War but also a review of the political intrigue occurring behind the scenes. Books are a gateway to the past, present, and the future: it is impossible to read this book without thinking about geopolitical events today not only in Russia and Ukraine but across the world. Wrangel’s narrative is a valuable insight into the White resistance against the Red scourge. Wrangel leads his platoon of Cossacks again and again into battle for the very soul of Russia, and does his best to protect and later evacuate the civilian population of Crimea. For a while, Crimea was the Taiwan of the USSR, a small outpost of freedom and resistance holding out against a force majeure of murderous communists.
For the micro view, to see how developments in the war impacted home and family life; I recommend Mikhail Bulgakov's The White Guard. A claustrophobic and nerve-grinding book, it shows what families went through, from their hopes to despairs. A tough, but worthwile read, Bulgakov is one of Russia's favorite writer for a very good reason. The narrative places you away from the front and right in the cities caught in the middle of shelling and bombing showing both the highs and lows of what neighbors are capable of when their world falls apart.
