Machno operated once more against Wrangel. But the bolsheviks wrote that he co-operated with Wrangel. The fact was that the peasants fought against both Wrangel and the bolsheviks. The bolsheviks, in their turn, fought against Wrangel and Machno, but did not meet with any success. The peasants, including those who fought under Machno' s banner, fought against all foreign troops that entered their territory. It was immaterial to them whether it was the Poles, Wrangel or bolsheviks. If they only succeeded in driving away the enemy they were satisfied. They were not strategists sufficiently to take advantage of their successes. They did not pursue the beaten foe. They were satisfied when he had left their territory. In this respect the peasants are no imperialists, who wish to conquer other domains, but neither are they idealists who, for higher purposes or for the sake of an ideal, pursue the counter-revolution. In their innermost soul they are conservative and do not want to be annoyed or disturbed from the outside. But if this happens, then they rise and start a rebellion, slay their oppressor, and return to< their work in the fields. That is all.
About this time Machno sent a note to the President of the Soviet Republic of the Ukraine in which he laid claim to the gouvernements of Jekaterinoslav and Cherson for himself and his followers, in order that the peasants might organize then> selves as they desired. Besides he demanded the release of his friends from prison. To this note Rakovsky did not give any answer. But the bolsheviks spread the information: Machno works together with Wrangel.
About the end of September, 1920, Machno's forces became considerably stronger. At this time the position of the bolsheviks on the political front was most critical. Machno succeeded in carrying out some favorable operations against Wrangel. He took possession of Gulai-Pole, his native city, and soon also occupied
Mariopol and Alexandroysk. The Soviet government, which only shortly before wrote in its papers that Machno co-operated with Wrangel, was compelled to report that Machno "now" again was operating against Wrangel. Machno again sent a note to the Soviet government, in which he once more demanded the freedom of Wollin and the rest of his friends. As Machno this time had power behind his words, the bolsheviks were compelled to give in. On Friday, October 1, 1920, Machno's friends, the theoretical anarchist W. M. Eichenbaum (Wollin), and Machno's aids, Tschubenko and Gabrilenko, were released from prison, where they had up to that time been held as hostages for Machno. Both the first mentioned were in the Butirky prison in Moscow, the latter in the prison of Charkov. At the same time Machno, who had been outlawed since January 13, 1920, was pardoned. But on October 2 and 3, 1920, there appeared in the Moscow "Isyestija" a report that the Red Army was making progress against Wrangel. From Mariopol and Alexandrovsk, Wrangel had been driven away. Further it also said that Machno again had united with the Red Army. Those on the inside had to laugh over this ridiculous and absolutely unnecessary disfigurement of the truth. The truth was, as appears from the "Isvestija" itself, that it was Machno who defeated Wrangel! But we must admit that, as Machno, after his demands had been conceded to, declared himself prepared to fight with the Red Army against Wrangel, they had some reason for declaring Machno as part of the operating Red Army, and so they did, through their announcement that "the Red Army had taken Mariopol, Gulai-Pole and Alexandrovsk." ! !
In the middle of November, 1920, Wrangel was almost completely beaten. It could be foreseen that the Red Army, which through the peace with Poland in Riga, had become free, would throw itself upon Wrangel and crush him. But the beginning of the end for Wrangel should be credited to Machno.