Ľubica Harbuľová

The Development of the Events in Siberia in 1917–1919 and the Place in this Process of the Czechoslovak legion

Siberia occupied a specific position in Russian history. In Tsarist Russia, it was the region with the largest area, however, sparsely populated and poorly understood.

Siberia, however, had the opinion of a region with a tendency to separatism. This was favoured by its geographical location as well as the specificity of its economic development and the way of administering the area.

All these factors created favourable conditions for the emergence of “specific” moods among urban intelligentsia, which in the nineteenth century contributed to the emergence of the Siberian regional movement (“oblastniczestwo”). The Siberian regional movement was created in the 19th century, and its basis formed an idea conditioned by the  specificity of Siberia.

The ideas of the Siberian regional movement, however, did not find much support among the citizens of Siberia and the local intelligentsia. The beginning of the twentieth century brought a revival of the regional movement in Siberia. The events in St. Petersburg in 1917 also activated the Siberian regionalists. The events taking place in the European  part of Russia were a signal to increase the efforts and activities of the Siberian regionalists who at that time became the main promoters of the idea of Siberian autonomy. In October 1917, the postulate of the autonomy of Siberia was formulated during the Siberian Regional Meeting, and in December 1917, the Siberian Circuit Convention adopted a resolution on the creation of temporary administrative bodies, which were to become the Siberian Duma District and the Siberian District Council.

The Bolsheviks’ arrival in power in January 1918 interrupted the activities of the Siberian autonomous authorities. In June 1918, the Bolsheviks were forsaken from the Siberian cities, and the Siberian Provisional Government and the Siberian Duma District came to power. During this period, Czechoslovak legion played an important role in internal  events in Siberia. The legion leaders made contact with the Siberian Provisional Government and representatives of the Siberian Central Duma. In time, legion actively participated in internal political events that continued in Siberia up to 1920.