THE DAY ’S REFERENCE

Nestor I. Makhno (1884-1934) led the peasants’ anarchist movement in Ukraine from 1917 until 1921, referred to as Makhnovshchina . He was born in Huliay-Pole, Katerynoslav Gubernia, now in Zaporizhzha Oblast. While studying to be a teacher, he joined the anarchist movement in 1905. In 1907 he was sentenced to lifelong hard labor for robbing a district treasury to secure funds for his party. Coming back from exile after February 1917, he first became chairman of the district land committee in Huliay- Pole. He formed the “free revolutionary battalions” in the spring of 1918, thus launching his military career. Makhno was no ideologist of anarchism, leaving this function to V. Volin and P. Arshynov. He himself favored a free peasant’s economy and self-determination of local communities independent of any government in general.

In 1919-1920, 20,000 rebels followed Makhno, with peasants making up the overwhelming majority. Makhno’s tactics consisted in forging an alliance with the currently weakest sections against those presenting the greatest threat. He first sided with the Bolsheviks against the Ukrainian government and then against the Whites. He was awarded Order of the Red Army Banner in 1919 for his contribution to the fight against White Army led by General A. Denikin. He fought and killed other Ukrainian anarchist leaders.

The Bolsheviks finally routed Makhno’s units in August 1921. He fled to Rumania, lived in Poland, and then in Paris. He taught a course on the history of guerilla movement. He died in squalor in the capital of France.