By spring of 1920 the Red Army crushed the major anti-bolshevists forces, that strengthened the position of the RSFSR. The Supreme Council of Entente, taking into account existing conditions, on January, 16 formally raised economic blockade of Soviet Russia. May 7 its government signed the peace treaty with Georgian, August 10 - the agreement with Armenian and August 11 - with Latvian republics.
The economic situation of the country was remaining difficult: there was no foodstuffs, transport was destroyed, the majority of factories did not work because of the lack of fuel and raw material, the typhus raged in the country.
In such circumstances at the IX congress of the RCP (b), held on March 29 - April 5, 1920, the decision on realization of the uniform economic plan was taken. However its realization was conjugated with considerable difficulties, including external.
On the west of the country Polish armies activated their operations. All attempts of peace settlement of territorial disputes between the RSFSR and Poland had no success, as none of the sides wasn't making a concession - April 21 the Polish government signed the agreement with the Ukrainian Directory in Warsaw, by which it admitted the Supreme government of independent Ukraine. In exchange the Ukrainian Directory agreed on joining to Poland East Galicia, Western Volhynia and a part of Polesye. Simultaneously Ukrainian armies were subordinated to Polish command.
With implementation of Y.Pilsudsky's plan interfered the Ukrainian SSR and supporting it RSFSR. Therefore April 17 he gave an order " to take the offensive against Volhynia and Podoliya ", to crush the 12th and 14th armies of the Southwest front. On April 25 Polish armies started the onset . Armies of the Southwest front suffered great losses and only by the middle of May managed to stop the advance of Poles. With the purpose to prevent defeat of the Southwest front armies of the Western front under command of M.N.Tuhachevsky, not waiting till the end of shifting armies from other fronts, on May 14 passed to the offensive.
Armies of the Southwest front, having taken advantage of shifting part of forces of the Polish army to Byelorussia, May 26 launched a counteroffensive and June 12 released Kiev. The Western front, having received reinforcement, on July 4 resumed the offensive and by the end of month occupied a significant part of Byelorussia, stepping to ethnic borders of Poland. The main forces of the Southwest front continued successful onset in the Lvov direction, and its 13th army conducted severe fights in Northern Tavriya with units of the Russian army of general Vrangel having bursted through from Crimea in the beginning of June.
Stepping of the Red Army to ethnic border of Poland endangered with intrusion on its territory. July 12 the English government directed to the government of the RSFSR the ultimatum (Kerzon's note) with the requirement to hold up the offensive against Poland and simultaneously to conclude an armistice with general Vrangel. However, CC RCP (b) rejected the offers of Great Britain and made a decision to proceed from defensive to offensive war with the purpose to soldier prod Poland and to light a fire of world revolution in the West. In rear of the Soviet armies puppet government - the Temporary revolutionary committee of Poland was formed led by the member of Polish bureau of CC RCP (b) Y.B.Marchlevsky.
Armies of the Western and Southwest fronts continued advance on the Warsaw and Lvov directions. But because they went in divergent directions, interaction between them was broken. The Polish command took the advantage of it and, relying on patriotic rise in the country, managed to considerably strengthen its army. August 14 it passed in counterattack, defeated the Western front and by the end of August threw its armies back to the starting positions. To avoid defeat the Soviet government was compelled to continue negotiations on an armistice in Poland, which was signed on October 12, 1920, and March 18, 1921 the states concluded the peace treaty.
After beginning of negotiations on an armistice with Poland the General command of the Red Army concentrated principal efforts on route of the Russian army of general Vrangel. Armies of the Southern front raised in September 1920, at the end of October passed in counterattack against Northern Tavriya and inflicted partial defeat to the Russian army. In the beginning of November after regrouping of armies the Southern front led by М.В. Frunze carried out a new operation finished with liberation of Crimea and defeat of Vrangel's army. The basic forces of the Russian army evacuated from Crimea to Turkey. |
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