Призрак генерала на белом коне: политическое использование образа и предчувствие гражданской войны в России в 1917 году
The Ghost of a General on a White Horse: The Political Use of the Image and the Anticipation of the Russian Civil War in 1917

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the usage of the term “general on a white horse” in the political language of the Russian Revolution. Its meaning was influenced by Christian motifs, popular culture, ceremonies of the Tsarist era, and visual images of Napoleon Bonaparte. The image of the “general on a white horse” emerged in public speeches and the press after the revolution and became associated with authoritarianism, mass repression, and a possible return to the Tsarist era. Unlike the images of Napoleon prevalent in the press, the general on a white horse carried exclusively negative connotations. Revisiting this image during political crises, various political forces made it a symbol of a potential dictator’s rise and the demise of democratic freedoms. The image was used to influence the government, unite political parties and society, as well as to accuse and immobilize opponents. Although different individuals such as A.F.Kerensky, L.G.Kornilov, and A.M.Kaledin were referred to as the “general on a white horse” at different times, the image represented a warning of a potential threat rather than a specific associated person. It is important to note that as early as 1917, a shorter form of the expression, “white general”, began to be used by various actors. In this sense, it referred to the potential arrival of a dictator, and during the Russian Civil War, it became a common term for anti-Bolshevik figures such as L.G.Kornilov, A.I.Denikin, P.N.Wrangel, and others. The usage of the image of the general on a white horse / white general in 1917 became part of the cultural preparation for the Civil War. It came to embody absolute evil and existential threat.

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