Transcaspian Government

The Transcaspian Government (1918 - July 1919) was a "Menshevik-Socialist Revolutionary" coalition set up by the Railway workers of the Trans-Caspian Railway in 1918. It was based at Ashgabat.

Autonomous sentiments were developing amongst the local Turkmen population, with the formation of the Turkmen National Army (TNA) in February 1918. Concerned about this, the Bolshevik dominated Ashgabat Soviet appealed to Kolesov (), leader of the Tashkent Soviet for military support, and declared it would carry out a census of all arms bearing men in the Russian majority town on 17 June 1918. However this sparked off two days of rioting.

The Tashkent Soviet dispatched some Red Guards led by V. Frolov and a Cheka contingent who arrived on 24 June and disarmed the Turkmen Cavalry Squadron, which was the core of the TNA. Frolov declared martial law and personally shot the five members of a delegation of railwaymen that had tried to present a petition to him. He proceeded to Kizyl-Arvat to continue restoring Bolshevik control but local railway workers had heard of the events and armed themselves. Frolov and a number of his bodyguards were shot and the remainder disarmed.

On 14 July 1918 The Ashkhabad Executive Committee was founded by Mensheviks and Social Revolutionaries following their successful revolt against the Bolsheviks of Tashkent. This committee took the name of the Trans Caspian Provisional Government in November 1918, but is generally referred to as the Transcaspian Government.

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