Activities of Revolutionary Committees in cooperation with military units and strengthening the defense capacity of frontline territories: the case of the Voronezh Governorate

The aim of this study is to assess, primarily based on archival sources, the scale and specific features of the work carried out by the Revolutionary Committees (Revkoms) in enhancing the defense capabilities and strengthening the rear of the Red Army, using the example of the Voronezh Governorate, and, consequently, to evaluate the impact of the measures implemented by the Revkoms on consolidating Bolshevik power in the region. The article examines the reasons for the formation of the Revkoms, their distinctions from the Military Revolutionary Committees (VRCs), orders issued to the troops, measures related to the construction of defensive lines, evacuation of the population and valuables, maintenance of order, ensuring the operability of railways, mobilization, assistance to Red Army soldiers, and more. Drawing on historical sources, the study comprehensively covers all aspects of the Revkoms’ activities concerning the issue under investigation. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the use of a number of archival documents previously unused by historians, the presentation of new information absent in domestic historiography or complementing earlier scholarly works. As a result of the study, the prerequisites for the creation of the Revkoms have been identified, distinctions between the Military Revolutionary Committees of 1917–early 1918 and the subsequently formed Revkoms have been revealed. The partial subordination of military units to the Revolutionary Committees is reflected, and the extensive range of measures they implemented to strengthen the defense capability of frontline territories is demonstrated. The study concludes with an assessment of the important role of the Revkoms in maintaining Bolshevik party power in the Voronezh Governorate.