Command and Commanding Staff of the 110-th Kalmyk Cavalry Division before the Battles on the Don in 1942: Prosopographic Study

The article analyzes the prosopography portrait of the commanding staff of the 110th Kalmyk Cavalry Division in mid-1942 on the eve of its first battles on the Don. The authors compiled a list of names of all the officers of the compound, including political workers, doctors, veterinarians, lawyers, etc. Then the analysis of the compiled database was carried out according to the following parameters: military rank, nationality, party membership, age, military service experience. The results of the analysis revealed typical and special features of this military unit. The 110th Cavalry Division was dominated by officers with low ranks, only a third of them were regular servicemen and had served even before the war began. The Kalmyk national Unit was not fully staffed by Kalmyk officers, but many of them came voluntarily, including former party and Soviet officials. They contributed to the adhesion of enlisted men and officers, which had a positive impact on the combat training of recruits and their resilience shown in future battles against the division "Great Germany".