Medical and sanitary state of replacement military units of the 1st army of the eastern front in Saransk in the second half of 1918 - the beginning of 1919

Introduction The situation of the soldier masses, especially its medical and sanitary condition, during periods of large-scale armed confrontation, always concerned researchers because of the particular importance of this problem, which remains relevant up to the present time. Scientific interest in this issue, as a rule, is due to the need to identify the causes that contributed to the deterioration or improvement of the level of the medical and sanitary condition in the troops. Purpose of the study is determining the main objective and subjective factors that influenced the change in the medical and sanitary condition of military formations on the example of replacement military units of the First Army of the Eastern Front in Saransk in the second half of 1918 and early 1919. Materials and Methods. The methodology of the research assumes the use of the military-anthropological approach, which presupposes placing in the center of attention a person, in particular, his behavior in extreme wartime conditions. In addition, were used general scientific and special research methods. Results. As a result of the analysis of the whole complex of sources, we found that the indifferent attitude of military technicians to maintaining cleanliness in the places of residence played an important role in worsening the medical and sanitary situation in the troops. The situation was changed only thanks to the initiative and selfless work of a few medical personnel. Discussion and conclusions. The study demonstrates a huge role of factors on which the soldier’s health and life largely depend during an armed confrontation: a high level of discipline that allows for more careful observance of personal hygiene rules; timely dissemination among soldiers of information about possible diseases and the main ways to treat them. The proposed provisions and conclusions create prerequisites for further study not only of the medical and sanitary condition of the armed forces during the Civil War, but also of the military-anthropological aspects of the history of the period as a whole.