History of Turkmenistan
Struggle for Turkmenistan After the Russian Revolution

The aftermath of the October Revolution of 1917 in Russia brought significant turmoil to Turkmenistan. Ashgabat became a focal point for anti-Bolshevik counter-revolutionaries who opposed the Soviet government based in Tashkent. In the summer of 1918, the Communists managed to briefly seize control of Ashgabat, establishing a Soviet administration. However, this was met with fierce resistance from local forces, including those loyal to Junaid Khan and remnants of the Czarist regime.
By July 1919, the anti-Communist coalition succeeded in expelling the Bolsheviks and proclaimed the independent state of Transcaspia. During this period, a small British military contingent led by General Wilfrid Malleson entered the region from Meshed in Persia, occupying Ashgabat and parts of southern Turkmenistan. The British presence added another layer of complexity to the struggle. Allegations emerged that British forces or their Transcaspian allies executed 26 Baku Commissars, an incident that became emblematic of the chaotic and violent era.
Despite their efforts, the anti-Bolshevik resistance began to falter. By 1922–23, the last vestiges of Basmachi resistance—an anti-Soviet movement primarily involving Turkoman fighters—were crushed. Survivors of the rebellion fled into neighboring Afghanistan and Iran, marking the end of organized resistance in the region. Turkmenistan was subsequently integrated into the Soviet Union, ushering in a new phase of centralized control and collectivization.