The “runaway” 110th Kakmyk cavalry division: the reality of the war and historical myth

The article discloses the origin of a historical myth about the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division, one of the divisions which were formed during the Great Patriotic War on the national principle. According to various versions of the myth, this division allegedly “dispersed” in its first battles in the Don region in July 1942 or “joined a criminal group” or even “joined the German fascists” and became the bulk of a collaborationist armed group. The latter argument is sometimes viewed as the main cause for the forced relocation of the Kalmyk people to Siberia in 1943. In reality, as seen from some preserved archival documents, the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division formed on the territory of Kalmykia and financed from the republican budget had a thoroughly selected trained personnel. The division proved itself in the first and following battles in the Don region. First it had to fight against the Wehrmacht’s elite motorized division, dubbed “Great Germany”, which was supported by the 16th motorized division and artillery units. Despite the enemy’s manifold quantitative and qualitative superiority, the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division managed to fend off the fascists’ attacks for six days, held the crossings over the Don river, thus saving part of the army of the Southern front. Only on receiving an order to retreat, did it leave its position and was the last to withdraw from the Don. In the course of heavy fights the division suffered huge losses and casualties. Nevertheless, it remained combat-ready and took part in military operations until February 1943. When retreating across hundreds of kilometers though the enemy’s positions about 300 people fell behind and were marooned. Some of them were captured, some returned home. Some of those captured were forced by fascists to collaborate whereas others finding themselves in an occupation avoided collaboration with the enemy. Those who returned to unoccupied villages joined the Red Army again and honestly went all the way though the Great Patriotic War.