Apollon Kruse (1891—1967): a sketch of the early period of his life

This article examines the early period of the life and career of the Russian and Soviet military man Apollon Kruse, who became a general first in the White and then in the Red Army and escaped every kind of repression. During the Revolution of 1917, Kruse, like many other career officers of the Russian Imperial Army, faced the problem of further professional development. Contrary to popular belief, for a significant number of the officers, military service in one or another post-imperial army was primarily associated with the maintaining of the elite status and gaining new career opportunities. Traditionally, apolitical behaviour of the officers and their commitment to specific corporatism principally allowed them to switch from one army to another one without difficulty. The trajectory of their service was determined by their personal characteristics (first of all, their origin and worldview). These circumstances in particular gave rise to a whole range of identities that could change, depending on the situation. Kruse’s example highlights the evolution of a former tsarist officer and suggests a new approach towards the nature of conformity in his elite group. The article is based on previously unknown archival documents.