Ivan Sorokin

A cossack from the Kuban region, Sorokin graduated from the Yekaterinodar military paramedic school. He became a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party in April 1917.

During the First World War he served in the 1st Labinsk Regiment of the Caucasian Front as a paramedic. In 1915, he was sent to the Tiflis ensign school, after which in 1916 he was promoted to the rank of "corral" (xору́нжий) .

From 1916 and 1917, Sorokin served in the 3rd Linear Regiment. In 1917 he was promoted and was awarded the St. George Cross of the 3rd and 4th degree.

In early 1918 he organized the first Red Cossack detachment in the Kuban.

Since February 1918 - assistant commander of the Southeast Red Army.

During the First Kuban campaign of the Volunteer Army (February 9 [22] - April 30 [May 13] 1918) he actually led all the opposing Soviet forces in the Kuban Soviet Republic A.I. Avtonomov.

In April-May 1918, he supported the Commander-in-Chief of the North Caucasian Red Army A.I. Avtonomov in his conflict with the civilian authorities of the Kuban-Black Sea Republic. Soon after the removal of Avtonomov because of this conflict and the appointment of K.I. Kalnin in his place, July 21 (August 4) 1918 replaced the latter, after the defeat of the Reds by the Volunteer Army near Tikhoretskaya and Kushchevskaya (Second Kuban campaign), as commander of the Red Army North Caucasus.

By order of the headquarters of the North Caucasus Military District on September 24, 1918, Sorokin was approved as commander in chief of the North Caucasus troops.

Sorokin’s army was 30–40 thousand soldiers of the former Caucasian front with 80–90 guns and 2 armored trains, located in the Kushchevka-Sosyka area and had two fronts:

North against the Germans; Northeast against the Don and Volunteer armies. In October 1918 -he became commander of the 11th Red Army.