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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-

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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. 

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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. 

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