Sub-officer Semashko as a Leader of First Machine-gun Regiment

Abstract. The article is devoted a member of the Bolshevik Party ensign of Russian army A.Ya. Semashko. In 1917 he became a popular speaker of the 1st machine-gun regiment and was very influential to soldiers. Through his work on regiments’ meeting he was chosen a commander of this military unit. Such an appointment was not approved; however Semashko stayed an “informal leader” of gunners. In the summer of 1917 he began to collaborate with anarchists and became an advocate for an armed uprising against the Provisional Government. This position A.Ya. Semashko led to a split in the Bolshevik cells of 1st machine-gun regiment. During the July days he was elected to chief of a “Provisional Revolutionary Committee” – the headquarters of the uprising. Ensign Semashko led the first operations. Subsequently he became one of the main defendants in the case on 3–5 July uprising. Phenomenon A.Ya. Semashko, let us to look at the mechanism of functioning of informal power and the conditions of its origin.

Keywords: Revolution of 1917, Petrograd garrison, A.Ya. Semashko, 1st machine-gun regiment, July days, July crisis, soldiers’ movement.