About 36,000 in first battle About 45,000 in first battle The Perm Operation (November 1918 – January 1919), sometimes called the Perm Catastrophe, was a military operation on the Eastern Theater of the Russian Civil War.

At the end of 1918, the situation on the Eastern Front of the Russian Civil War was unclear.

The forces of the Eastern White Movement tried to advance in two directions simultaneously: on the one hand towards the North-West to connect with the Northern Russia Front, on the other hand towards the South-West to connect with the Southern Russia Front and the troops of Anton Denikin and Pyotr Wrangel.

Therefore, on 6 January 1919, White Russian Supreme Commander Alexander Kolchak ordered the 1st Middle Siberian Corps of the Siberian Army to hold its advance and defend.

On 19 January the Red Army began its counteroffensive to recapture Perm and Kungur.