On some features of the food authorities activity in the Tauride province in the initial period of the civil war in Russia in 1918

Butovskiy Aleksandr Yurievich

The article looks into the activity features of the Food Authorities of the Tauride province during the German invasion in 1918, based on archival and memoir sources, taking into account the latest research. According to the author, the German occupation of Crimea turned into a key factor in the emerging difficulties of food supply for the population of the peninsula. This applies to both the uncontrolled robbery by the occupiers of this part of Russia, and the geopolitical attitudes of Germany during this period. The artificially created difficulties in the work of the food authorities of the Crimea, in connection with the outbreak of the customs war with Ukraine, quite suited the invaders. The difficulties divided the peoples of Russia and significantly hampered the future restoration of the country's unity. That is why the German command was against any unification of puppet regimes in the occupied territories, even under their own protectorate. However, in the future, taking into account the tendencies for the revival of a united Russia, all clearly coming from the Crimea, the German command made a decision aimed at uniting their puppet regimes (in Ukraine and Crimea) operating in the occupied territory of Russia. Most likely, this was due to the realization that only militant Ukrainians would be able to suppress finally these dangerous for Germany political sentiments in the captured Crimea.

Keywords:Russia, Ukraine, Civil war, German occupation, Taurida province, Customs war.