I managed to collect all the important existing Spanish, Portuguese and English-speaking sources on the Chaco War and put them side by side with Russian sources on Russian migrants in Paraguay in the 1920s and 1930s. The aim of the Master’s thesis is a critical analysis of the unique situation of Russian migrants in Paraguay in the context of the Chaco War. What was the significance of the White Russian migrants? What was their role in the war? Who migrated and why? What happened after the war? All these are questions that I will try to answer and at the same time critically evaluate the reasons for the outbreak of the Chaco War, the course of the fighting and the reasons for the Paraguayan victory. I will explain how Russian-German Mennonites from Canada found themselves in the Chaco Boreal region on the verge of war, and why and for what reason the Paraguayan government invited them. I will explain the life story and activities of general Ivan T. Beljajev and what his contribution was, not only to the war for the Chaco, but to the Paraguayan community itself and to the natives. At the same time, I will also mention the fleeting stories of other white officers and the activities of general Nikolaj F. Ern. I will draw attention to the growing disagreements in the migrant community and to the role of white officers. Finally, I will especially highlight the legacy of Russian migrants in Paraguay from this period.
|
