169
which consisted of four Caucasian Committees.
435
Nevertheless, the Germans
surrendered and one of the episodes of the North Caucasians’ struggle concluded
with a tragedy.
436
The North Caucasians’ collaboration with the Germans was not a function
of their adherence to the Nazi ideology. It was just an example of their willingness
to work with any and all to advance the North Caucasian cause and to intervene
with German officialdom to win better conditions for their prisoners of war
compatriots. They essentially, did their best to look after these young and often
uneducated men.
After the War, until the late 1940s, the North Caucasian emigres, like their
Russian/Soviet counterparts remained aloof from every kind of political
establishment. The main reason for this reluctance was, naturally, the post-War
agreements between the allies, according to which all Soviet citizens who took part
in the legions and the political organizations against Soviet Russia would be
forcibly repatriated to Soviet Russia. Because of this, during the early post-War
period the North Caucasians were restlessly trying to find secure places for their
survival. The greatest numbers of the emigres therefore emigrated again primarily
to America and Turkey. Some, who had a chance to escape from the repatriation,
settled in camps like Limburg and Mittenwald in Germany. This made Munich, the
435
Related with this issue see Muhlen, Gamalıhaç ile Kızılyıldız Arasında, 162-165 and for the text
of Caucasian Council’s declaration see Kırımal, “Matbuat,” 198.
436
The tragedy on the Drau River is the most famous incident. Approximately 7,000 North
Caucasians were forcibly repatriated from Austria to the Soviets, untold numbers killing themselves
en route by leaping from train wagons. Their commander General Kılıç Girey accepted the same
fate as his men, and was hung im Moscow on 6 February 1946. See, Asuman Ceyisikar, August-
170
closest urban center to these camps as the main center of the émigré activities in
late 1940s and early 1950s. During this early period, these emigres modestly
initiated their political works within some religious organizations, like Islamic
Society of Germany ( Islamische Rat fur Deutschland).
437
The emergence of American-Soviet rivalry in early 1950s provided the
impetus to the re-emergence of the genuinely political organizations and increased
the activities of emigres. American political and financial support was well
received. Firstly, the Americans, as part of their campaign against communist
Russia formed the Council for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia.
438
The first activity of the Council was the establishment of the Institute for
the Study of the History and Culture of the USSR ( Institut zur Erforschung der
Geschichte und Kultur der UdSSR) on 8 July 1950 in Munich.
439
The primary
defined objective of the Institute was, through the “scientists and men and women
of letters who have left the Soviet Union”, presenting “to the free world scholarly
analyses of life in the Soviet Union.” The sole condition to become a member of
the Institute was not being “a Communist Party member or symphatizer.” Beyond
that “all members of the Soviet emigration who have scholarly qualifications are,
October 1965. “Kuzey Kafkasyalı Mültecilerin 20. Teslim Ediliş Yıldönümlerinde,” Birleşik
Kafkasya, (İstanbul), 5: 43-45.
437
Muhlen, Gamalıhaç ile Kızılyıldız Arasında, 232.
438
This Council in relation with the situation and the American policy renamed several times up
until 1953. The American Committee for the Liberation of Russian Peoples, the American
Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of the Soviet Union, American Committee for the
Liberation of Bolshevizm and at last it took the name of the Council for the Liberation of the
Peoples of Russia. J. Layons founded this Council or the Committee. Then some other names that
were representing the anti-Russian or anti-Communist faction like Admiral Kerk and Vice-Admiral
Stevens also leaded it. The Committee’s representative in Europe was Don Levin.
439
This Institute was, later, renamed as the Institute for the Study of the USSR ( Institut zur
Erforschung der UdSSR). For the analysis on the activities and the history of the Institute see
“Sovyetler Birliğini Öğrenme Enstitüsünün 10 Yıllığı,” 1960. Dergi, 6(21): 86-7.
171
therefore, eligible to participate in the work of the Institute irrespective of their
place of residence.”
440
In this framework, the Institute sponsored conferences on the Soviet Union
and gave modest grants for research by émigré scholars and published several
numbers of books, brochures, pamphlets and periodicals.
441
As it is easily understood from these publications, the Americans’ and thus
the Council’s main concern, like the Germans, was the establishment of a
comprehensive oppositional organization, which encompassed all anti-Soviet or
anti-Communist groups. In order to accomplish this aim, they established ties with
the Russian political organizations. The most prominent Russian name for the
Americans during this period was Aleksandr Kerensky, Following several meetings
the Americans managed to establish an umbrella organization in October 1952; the
Coordination Center for the anti-Bolshevik Struggle ( Koordinationszentrum des
antibolschewistischen Kampfes) in Munich.
442
This Conference, in principle,
accepted the February 1917 Russian Revolution as the point of departure and thus
denied all the republics established after the Bolshevik Revolution.
443
According to
the Center’s regulation, the main executive body of the Center would be the Central
440
See the ‘foreword’ that placed in the first pages of all the publications of the Institute.
441
Some of the Institute’s periodicals were as follows: The Caucasian Review, Vestnik (in Russian),
Bulletin (in English), Byulleten (in Russian), Dergi (in Turkish), Ukrainsky Zbirnyk (in Ukrainian),
Ukrainian Review (in English), Belaruskiy Zbornik (in Belarussian), Belorussian Review (in
English). For the detailed list of the Institute’s publications see “Institute Publications,” 1956. The
Caucasian Review, (Munich), 2: 153-156.
442
For a detailed course of events in that period the issues of the Kafkasya (Der Kaukasus) are the
most valuable source. The Russian organizations leaded by Kerensky, under the control of
Americans organized meetings on 28 August 1951 in Stuttgart, on 3-7 November 1951 in
Weisbaden and 19-21 June 1952 in Starnberg.
443
A. Magoma, November 1952. “Muvaffakiyetsiz Bir Deneme Daha,” Kafkasya (Der Kaukasus),
(Munich), 16: 7-10; and, “Weisbadencilerin Münih Konferansı,” October 1952. Kafkasya (Der
Kaukasus) 15: 31; “Weisbaden Toplantısı Münasebetile,” November-December 1951. Kafkasya
(Der Kaukasus), 4/5: 40-46.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |