Tver Cavalry School

After the October Revolution , in order to defend revolutionary conquests, the need arose to create a standing regular army of the proletarian state. At the same time, paramount importance was attached to the training of military personnel who had left the people and devoted to the cause of the revolution. One of the main directions in solving this problem was the training of red commanders ( kraskoms ) through a system of short-term courses and schools that were created on the basis of military schools of the imperial army . In February 1918, by order No. 130 of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs in Moscow (4), Petrograd (6), Oranienbaum (1), Tver (1), Kazan (1), thirteen accelerated courses were opened for training commanders for infantry, cavalry and artillery units of the Red Army . The number of courses was constantly growing: in March 1919 there were already 102, by the end of 1920 - 126, in 1921 - 176, in 1922 - 224. Accordingly, the number of cadets increased from 5 thousand people. in 1918 up to 93 thousand people. in 1921 ^[3] .

The formation of cavalry courses in Tver began on February 9, 1918 ^[4] . During this year, 250 people entered the courses. In total, from March to October 1918, up to 400 cadets studied, mainly working-peasant youths, former soldiers, secondary school students, a few former wartime officers, and a small number of intellectuals.

During the existence of the Tver courses and schools, about 1 thousand red commanders were issued. The terms of training were: at instructor courses - 2-4 months, at model courses of command personnel - 1 year, at the 4th school of command personnel - 3 years.

Not only Soviet military personnel were trained in the driving school. So, in 1927, 5 Chinese commanders were trained ^[5]

Tver courses and schools were attended by: N.I. Podvoisky in 1918 , K.E. Voroshilov in 1925, S.M. Budyonny in 1926 and in 1929 .

November 24, 1918 on the Day of the Red Officer , Tver cadets took part in the parade on Red Square in Moscow, which is known in history as the Parade of Red Cadets .

The unifying body for all military educational institutions until the end of 1918 was the Military Educational Directorate at the General Headquarters , reorganized in 1919 into the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions (GU VUZ). Periodically, the GU University organized inspections of military courses, which involved the most trained officers, mainly students of the Academy of the General Staff ^[6] .

Courses were organized as needed, which was established on the ground and in the center under the influence of current events. In this regard, there was no single plan, no uniform terms of training. In October 1918, the First Congress of Representatives of the Soviet command courses was convened, which played a large role in establishing some unity of work. However, to complete this task failed. First, not all military courses were directly subordinate to the GUVUZ, since those that were created in the armies and at front-line institutions were directly subordinate to their command and worked according to their programs and plans. It was also difficult to achieve unity because the courses administered by the Higher Educational Institution of Higher Education could not establish the exact term of their studies, since the combat situation usually disrupted the planned work, forced them to cease classes and withdraw courses like military units to the front. Cadet battalions, reduced to regiments and brigades, participating in hostilities, lost up to 90% of their personnel ^[7] .

In the conditions of the Civil War , in the absence of its own trained personnel, the Soviet leadership began to involve former officers of the tsarist army in the training of command personnel in military courses. ^[eight]

The course manager was called the manager . All matters, as a rule, were decided by the course, economic, and pedagogical councils of the courses. The courses also included a control committee, a committee of civilian employees and a friendly court. Course and economic councils met once a week, decisions of the course council were given in the order on courses. The course council performed administrative functions, imposing penalties on cadets for misconduct. As a disciplinary measure, a fine was imposed. For example, for being late from vacation for one day, a fine of 25 rubles was imposed, up to three days - 75 rubles, for those who were more late, the perpetrators were expelled from the course participants. Penalties and fines could impose a friendly court. For example, for not attending lectures and being late for them, he imposed extraordinary outfits on holidays or fines. As for the daily routine, the students got up at 07:00, then a half-hour gymnastics, classrooms, lunch, drill and dinner. Evening tea was served at 23:30, hang up at 24:00. The daily diet consisted of 200 g of bread, 100 g of rusks, potatoes and roaches ^[3] .

The need for changes in the training of command personnel was determined by the insufficient training of graduates of short-term courses, the variety of types of educational institutions (military courses, schools, technical schools, institutes, Red Army classes, etc.), the lack of a unified program, and different levels of knowledge of graduates. In this regard, on January 19, 1921, it was decided to convert military courses into military schools. Courses with a reduced training period were eliminated by April 1924 ^[9] .

Information from the historical form of the Tver Cavalry School. Comintern ^[10]

• 9.02. 1918 - By order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs No. 130, § 1, item "G", the formation of the Tver 1 Tver Soviet cavalry command instructor courses of the Red Army in Tver began.
• 02/28. 1918 - The formation of the courses is completed and started training with a variable composition.
• 03/23. 1918 - The first graduation of the commanders of instructors of the Red Army among 8 people was made.
• 10.09. 1918 - The variable composition of the courses instead of “instructor students” became known as “cadets” (§ 1, part 1 of the instruction for courses of all military branches).
• 8.04. 1919 - From the composition of the courses allocated to the formation of the Elizabethgrad cavalry courses: 125 cadets, 8 people. command staff, 1 teacher, 5 people administrative staff (hereinafter AChS ) and 7 employees.
• 05.20. 1919 - Courses in full force were sent to the Petrograd Front (179 cadets, 16 members of the command staff, 9 people of the AXU and 38 Red Army soldiers), where they acted against the White Estonians and Yudenich’s troops as part of the Consolidated Cavalry Regiment (later the Cavalry Division) of the Separate Combined Cadet Brigade.
• 08/23. 1919 - Acting on the front part of the courses returned to the city of Tver .
• 08/25. 1919 - Courses of 292 cadets, 17 people. the command staff, 8 employees and 36 Red Army men were summoned to the disposal of the chief of the Tula fortified area , where they acted against the detachments of Mamontov , carrying out guard service.
• 09/16. 1919 - One squadron of courses consisting of 151 cadets, 11 people. command staff, 6 employees and 22 Red Army men returned to the place of constant cantonment in the city of Tver; another in the Consolidated Cossack Ukrainian Brigade was sent to the Tambov province against the detachments of Mamontov and Shkuro .
• 10.10. 1919 - He returned from the Southern Front, acting against the detachments of Mamontov and Shkuro, a squadron of 59 cadets, 4 people. command staff, 14 employees and Red Army soldiers.
• May 26. 1920 - The courses were renamed to the Tver model courses of the Red Army command staff with a one-year training period (Order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of 05.17. 1920 No. 845).
• 07/15. 1920 - One equestrian platoon was sent to the Moscow Front of the cadets to the Southern Front, consisting of 2 commanders, 28 cadets and 2 Red Army soldiers.
• 08/10. 1920 - Sent to the Southern Front against Wrangel (subsequently transferred to the Caucasian Front ) to the 2nd Consolidated Cavalry Regiment of the 2nd Moscow Brigade of Cadets 2 squadrons among 15 people. command staff, 190 cadets, 54 Red Army men and the AHS .
• 11.08. 1920 - 2 platoons, including 2 commanders, 60 cadets and 2 Red Army soldiers, were sent to the 1st Moscow Brigade of cadets to the Southern Front.
• 08.20. 1920 - Courses renamed the 8th Tver cavalry courses of the Red Army command staff .
• 12.11. 1920 - From the 1st Moscow brigade of cadets from the platoons sent on July 15, they returned from the Southern Front. 1920 : 2 commanders, 52 cadets and 4 Red Army soldiers.
• 12/28. 1920 - An honorary standard for military affairs against the enemies of the USSR on the Petrograd and Southern fronts from the Tver Provincial Executive Committee .
• 01/27 1921 - The courses were reorganized into the 4th cavalry school of the Red Army commanding staff .
• 3.03. 1921 - 182 cadets, 8 people sent to Petrograd to suppress the Kronstadt rebellion command staff, 18 Red Army men and the AHS .
• 03.03. 1921 - Sent returned.
• 6.08. 1921 - Sent to Art. Inzhavino against the gangs 7 people. command staff, 100 cadets, 34 Red Army men and the AHS .
• 09/24. 1921 - Sent returned.
• 11.01. 1923 - The school was given the name of the 4th Cavalry Tver school of command personnel named after III Communist International .
• 03/23. 1923 - The school merged with the Moscow District Cavalry School of pre-conscription training with the naming of the 4th Cavalry International School of Commanding Officers named after L. D. Trotsky .
• 09/16. 1923 - The first normal three-year graduation of the Red Army commanders in the amount of 30 people was made.
• 9.12. 1924 - The school was renamed the Tver Cavalry School. comrade Trotsky .
• 03/29. 1927 - by order of the PBC of the USSR No. 166 134 of March 29. 1927 established the annual holiday of the school on February 28 - the day of formation.
• 01/18. 1928 - The name of Comrade Trotsky ", and the school became known as the Tver Cavalry School. The Comintern (Order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 14 of 01/18/1928).
• 1932 - In connection with the renaming of the city of Tver to the city of Kalinin on November 20, 1931, the name of the school changed to Kalinin Cavalry School named after Comintern .

The course participants wore the old dress uniform of the Tver Cavalry School , with which epaulettes and galuns were torn. Everyday uniform was as follows: a cap with a dark green band and a blue tulle , edging dark green; ordinary tunic and breeches , cavalry boots and a cavalry overcoat with a dark green edging. The parades used ulan shakos with a blue bottom and white plume , and, possibly, green-blue uniforms with buttonholes. Orlov on shakos was covered with a cloth star.