Revolutionary Field Staff

an operational organ for the struggle against the counterrevolution that functioned in Mogilev under the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander in late 1917 and early 1918.

The Revolutionary Field Staff was created on Nov. 27 (Dec. 11), 1917, and confirmed by an order of N. V. Krylenko, the supreme commander, on December 10 (23). M. K. Ter-Arutiuniants was the chief of staff, V. V. Kamenshchikov and I. P. Pavlunovskii were deputy chiefs, and I. I. Vatsetis was quartermaster. The Revolutionary Field Staff was directly subordinate to V. A. Antonov-Ovseenko, the commander of the Soviet troops fighting against the counterrevolution in the south and in the Ukraine.

The Revolutionary Field Staff played an important role in organizing the struggle against the counterrevolution in the period of the triumphant march of Soviet power, in particular against General J. Dowbór-Musnicki’s mutinous Polish Corps. The Revolutionary Field Staff participated in forming the detachment of R. Berzin and sent it to the Ukraine for the struggle against the Central Rada. During the German offensive the Revolutionary Field Staff moved to Orel, where it was disbanded on March 12.