South Russian Government, So-Called

the White Guard government in the Crimea in 1920. Formed in June of that year, it was composed of A. V. Krivoshein (head of the government and assistant for civil affairs to the commander in chief, General P. N. Wrangel), P. B. Struve (minister of foreign affairs), M. V. Bernatskii (minister of finance), S. D. Tverskoi (chief of civil administration), N. V. Savich (state comptroller), V. S. Nalbandov (minister of trade and industry), G. V. Glinka (minister of agriculture), and N. N. Tagantsev (minister of justice).

The “South Russian Government” received aid from the Allies, primarily France, and took advantage of the Soviet government’s difficulties in the Polish war. It hoped to maintain its position in the Crimea and to obtain from the Soviet government guarantees to respect the inviolability of the Crimea and the cossack territories of the Don, Kuban’, and Terek. If unfavorable circumstances developed, it planned to put an end to the civil war by evacuating the Crimea.

The “South Russian Government” sought to learn from the errors of previous White Guard governments on Russian territory, but it pursued the same counterrevolutionary policies. On August 10, recognized by France, it became the first White Guard government to be recognized by a Western power. After the defeat of Wrangel’s forces on November 17, the “South Russian Government” ceased to exist and its members went abroad.