Fedir Shchus | |
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| Born | (1893-03-25)25 March 1893 Dibrivka,Katerynoslav,Russian Empire |
| Died | 30 June 1921(1921-06-30) (aged 28) Nedryhailiv,Poltava,Ukrainian SSR |
| Allegiance |  Russian Empire(1915–1917) Makhnovshchina(1918–1921) |
| Service |  Black Sea Fleet(1915–1917) Black Guards(1917–1918) Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine(1918–1921) |
| Years of service | 1915–1921 |
| Rank | Ataman |
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| Part ofa series on the |
| Makhnovshchina |
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Organisations Institutions Military organisations Political organisations |
Fedir Shchus (Ukrainian:Федір Щусь, 25 March 1893 – 30 June 1921; also spelledFyodor Shuss) was a Ukrainian military commander (ataman) in theRevolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine during theRussian Civil War.[1]
Fedir Shchus was born into a poor peasant family in the small Ukrainian village ofDibrivka. In 1915 he wasconscripted into the military service and enlisted in thenavy as aseaman on theIoann Zlatoust, a battleship in theBlack Sea Fleet. He did a lot of sports in the Navy, was a champion inFrench boxing andwrestling, and knewjiu-jitsu well, he was able to defeat any opponent with a quick capture without much stress.[2] He returned to his home town after theRevolution, where he established apartisan band known as the "Black Guards" in order to wageguerrilla warfare against thelocal nobility.[3] Shchus believed that because of theabdication of Nicholas II, landowners no longer had any right to their lands, as the Tsarist legal system that upheld theirprivate property no longer existed.[4]
Following the invasion of Ukraine by theCentral Powers in April 1918, Shchus attended an insurgent congress atTaganrog, where it was decided that they would regroup in theHuliaipole Raion and go on the offensive against theUkrainian State and the occupation forces.[5] After the conference, he returned to wage guerrilla warfare against the occupation, harrying the occupation forces and carrying out punitive expeditions against Ukrainian collaborators.[6] In July 1918, Shchus was defeated by the forces of theAustro-Hungarian Army that were occupying Dibrivka, forcing him to retreat into the region's dense forests to regroup.[7]
Following his return to Ukraine from Russia, the anarchist revolutionaryNestor Makhno joined forces with Shchus, making common cause against the forces of the Central Powers. The local landowners andkulaks responded by notifying the Austro-Hungarian Army and encircling the dozens-strong partisan detachment in Dibrivka.[8] In asurprise attack against the Austrian forces, Shchus led half a dozen men in a flanking attack on the town'smarket square, forcing the Austrians to retreat from the village. With the success of their assault, Shchus and the rest of the detachment greeted Makhno as theirBat'ko.[9] Soon after, Shchus joined Makhno in infiltrating a meeting between Austrian officers and supporters of theWhite movement, during which they killed everyone involved by throwing a grenade into the room.[10]
On 5 October, the Austrian forces counterattacked, occupying Dibrivka after levelling it with artillery and driving a wounded Shchus out of the town.[11] On 15 November, the retreating insurgents were pinned down atTemyrivka [uk], where Shchus was shot in his legs before they managed to escape.[12]
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Shchus' tendency to embark on unjustified raids brought him under close watch,[2] with one of his best friends being shot for imposinglevies on peasant property.[13] After some conflict between Makhno and Shchus, due to the latter'sbanditry in the region, the firstRegional Congress of Peasants, Workers and Insurgents confirmed Makhno as commander-in-chief over smalleratamans like Shchus,[14] who was elected to the Insurgent Army'sgeneral staff.[15]
Following the collapse of the insurgents' alliance with the Bolsheviks, on 24 June 1919, Shchus led a 250-strong detachment in a retreat over theDnieper.[16] Having fallen back toright-bank Ukraine, the insurgents linked up withNykyfor Hryhoriv'sgreen army inSentovo [uk], where Hryhoriv himself was assassinated and his forces integrated into the Insurgent Army.[17] During the subsequent reorganization of the insurgent forces, Shchus was placed in command of the cavalry brigade,[18] which numbered roughly 2,000 people.[19] Following thebattle of Peregonovka, Shchus led his cavalry in the insurgent occupation ofOleksandrivsk from September to November 1919.[20]
By March 1921, Shchus was still leading a partisan group, albeit smaller and disconnected from others, and in May 1921, rendezvoused with other insurgents inPoltava.[21] But by this time, the Makhnovists had been militarily defeated, leaving Shchus badly wounded.[22] In June 1921, Shchus was killed in an engagement with theRed Army.[23]
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