Human resources of the North Caucasus military district in the pre-war period

The article analyzes the state of the mobilization of human resources of the North-Caucasian military district on the eve of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The processes of rapid numerical growth of the Red Army in the last pre-war years, and especially the demographic situation in the country. For example, the most complete and mass recruitment of young people was held in the autumn of 1939 and dealt with socio-demographic, national, cultural and linguistic characteristics of recruiting young people of the North Caucasus region, as well as Rostov, Stalingrad (Volgograd) regions and the Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, were part of the North Caucasus Military District. The author characterizes the integrated preinduction training of young people (training of illiterate and semi-literate, treatment, teaching the basics of military training, etc.). The particular attention is paid to the problems of deploying call among the many representatives of the peoples of the North Caucasus (Circassians, Karachay, Kabardin, Balkar, Ossetian, Ingush, Chechens, the peoples of Dagestan), who have never been subject to compulsory military conscription. We analyzed the specific “growing pains” associated deployment of military records and mobilization work in the mountain regions. The article shows the major differences of socio-demographic, cultural and educational characteristics of young people of draft age and older human contingents (reservists) had a negative impact during the Great Patriotic War. It is concluded that for an extremely short period Soviet military and civilian authorities were able to make a huge leap in the organization of military registration, comprehensive pre-conscription training and attracting young people to serve in the Red Army. It laid the basis for the deployment of mass armies during the war.