Historical and social factors of the political position of the Cossacks of the south of Russia during the civil war (1917-1920)

The article examines the historical and social factors that led to the formation of the political position of the Cossack population of Southern Russia during the Civil War. The relevance of the study is determined by the peculiarities of federal policy in various regions of Russia at the present stage of development of Russian society and the state, taking into account the historical originality and socio-cultural specifics of individual regions included in the federal space. In this context, the history of the Cossack regions of the South of Russia is highly relevant and in demand when analyzing modern regional, political and socio-economic processes, as well as the historical experience of development of individual territories that constitute the Russian Federation. As part of the study, the authors come to the general conclusion that a certain position of the Cossacks, which they took during the civil conflict in the region, was largely conditioned by the general state of society in this period, as well as by the historical contradictions that existed in it between its various social strata during the long historical period preceding the onset of the civil armed conflict.