Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916-1926

VSEROGLAVSHTAB. The All-Russian Main Staff (Vserossiiskii glavnyi shtab) was one of two main staffs of the Red Army during the civil wars. It was created on 8 May 1918, as the unified replacement for the All-Russian Collegium for the Formation of the Red Army, the Main Directorate of the General Staff, the Main Staff and the Main Commissariat for Military-Educational Institutions, and other bodies. At the head of Vseroglavshtab was a council, consisting of the institution’s chief and two (from 15 September 1919, three) military commissars. In addition to the council, by 1 September 1920 the organization consisted of 10 subdepartments: Organizational; Mobilization; Command Staff; Directorate of the Military-Topographical Corps; Main Directorate of Military-Educational Institutions; Main Directorate for General Military Education and the Formation of Red Reserve Units; Directorate of Central Military Stores; Military-Historical Commission; Uniforms and Weapons Committee; Main Military-Scientific Editorial Board; and Editorial Board of Voennoe delo (“Military Affairs”). Vseroglavshtab also supervised the Red Military Academy and the various manifestations of the Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army. It was initially responsible to the Collegium of the People’s Commissariat for Military Affairs, but from 6 September 1918 it answered to the Revvoensovet of the Republic. On 10 February 1921, Vseroglavshtab was united with the Field Staff of the Revvoensovet Republic to form a unified Staff of the Worker-Peasant Red Army.

Heads of Vseroglavshtab were N. N. Stogov (18 May–2 August 1918); A. A. Svechin (2 August 1918–22 October 1918); and N. I. Rattel′ (22 October 1918–10 February 1921).

VSEVOBUCH. This acronym (derived from the Russian Vseobshchee voennoe obuchenie) denotes the practice of universal military training for civilians in Soviet Russia. It was introduced by an order of VTsIK, on 22 April 1918, and applied to all adult workers and peasant males aged 16 to 40 years, although women could also volunteer for military training. The system was jointly overseen by the People’s Commissariat for Military Affairs and the People’s Commissariat for Education and involved an eight-week program. This was delivered by some 50,000 instructors by the end of 1918. Soviet sources claim that by the end of 1920, 5,000,000 people had received military training. Vsevobuch was abolished in 1923 (although it was reintroduced in the USSR during the Second World War).

Vsevolodov, Nikolai Dmitrievich (4 May 1879–?). Lieutenant (13 August 1901), lieutenant colonel (12 June 1913), colonel (15 August 1916). One of the most notorious and damaging of those military specialists of the Red Army who deserted to the Whites, N. D. Vsevolodov was a graduate of the Siberian Cadet Corps (1896), the Nicholas Cavalry School (1898), and the Academy of the General Staff (1905). Prior to the First World War, his postings included commanding a squadron of the 5th Dragoons (15 April 1908–15 April 1910) and serving as an adjutant on the staff of the 17th Infantry Division (26 November 1910–30 October 1913). Following the February Revolution, he occupied a series of senior staff posts (including chief of staff of the Moscow Military District, from 19 August 1917). In 1918, he entered the service of the Red Army, becoming chief of staff (29 October 1918–20 April 1919) and then commander (6–16 June 1919) of the 9th Red Army. According to Soviet commentators, in those posts he ferried information to the enemy, compromising the position of the entire Southern Front and facilitating the subsequent Moscow offensive of the White forces of General A. I. Denikin, before deserting to Armed Forces of South Russia. Vsevolodov was evacuated with White forces from Novorossiisk in March 1920 and spent a period in refugee camps on Lemnos before joining the emigration. His subsequent fate is unknown.