Editing Cheka (section)

=== Consolidation of VCheKa and National Establishment ===
By the end of January 1918, the Investigatory Commission of [[Petrograd Soviet]] (probably same as of Revtribunal) petitioned [[Sovnarkom]] to delineate the role of detection and judicial-investigatory organs. It offered to leave, for the VCheKa and the Commission of Bonch-Bruyevich, only the functions of detection and suppression, while investigative functions entirely transferred to it. The Investigatory Commission prevailed. On January 31, 1918, Sovnarkom ordered to relieve VCheKa of the investigative functions, leaving for the commission only the functions of detection, suppression, and prevention of anti revolutionary crimes. At the meeting of the Council of People's Commissars on January 31, 1918, a merger of VCheKa and the Commission of Bonch-Bruyevich was proposed. The existence of both commissions, VCheKa of Sovnarkom and the Commission of Bonch-Bruyevich of VTsIK, with almost the same functions and equal rights, became impractical. A decision followed two weeks later.<ref>''[[Izvestiya]]''. February 28, 1918.</ref>

On February 23, 1918, VCheKa sent a radio telegram to all Soviets with a petition to immediately organize emergency commissions to combat counter-revolution, sabotage and speculation, if such commissions had not been yet organized. February 1918 saw the creation of local Extraordinary Commissions. One of the first founded was the Moscow Cheka. Sections and commissariats to combat counterrevolution were established in other cities. The Extraordinary Commissions arose, usually in the areas during the moments of the greatest aggravation of political situation. On February 25, 1918, as the counterrevolutionary organization ''Union of Front-liners'' was making advances, the executive committee of the [[Saratov]] Soviet formed a counter-revolutionary section. On March 7, 1918, because of the move from [[Petrograd]] to Moscow, the Petrograd Cheka was created. On March 9, a section for combating counterrevolution was created under the [[Omsk]] Soviet. Extraordinary commissions were also created in [[Penza]], [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], [[Novgorod]], [[Cherepovets]], [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]], [[Taganrog]]. On March 18, VCheKa adopted a resolution, ''The Work of VCheKa on the All-Russian Scale'', foreseeing the formation everywhere of Extraordinary Commissions after the same model, and sent a letter that called for the widespread establishment of the Cheka in combating counterrevolution, speculation, and sabotage. Establishment of provincial Extraordinary Commissions was largely completed by August 1918. In the Soviet Republic, there were 38 [[guberniya|gubernatorial]] Chekas (Gubcheks) by this time.

On June 12, 1918, the All-Russian Conference of Cheka adopted the ''Basic Provisions on the Organization of Extraordinary Commissions''. They set out to form Extraordinary Commissions not only at [[Oblast]] and [[Guberniya]] levels, but also at the large [[Uyezd]] Soviets. In August 1918, in the Soviet Republic had accounted for some 75 Uyezd-level Extraordinary Commissions. By the end of the year, 365 Uyezd-level Chekas were established.
[[File:Dzerzhinsky 4-16291.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Felix Dzerzhinsky in a meeting among other members of the Presidium of the Cheka, 1919]]
In 1918, the All-Russia Extraordinary Commission and the Soviets managed to establish a local Cheka apparatus. It included Oblast, Guberniya, [[Raion]], [[Uyezd]], and [[Volost]] Chekas, with Raion and Volost Extraordinary Commissioners. In addition, border security Chekas were included in the system of local Cheka bodies.

In the autumn of 1918, as consolidation of the political situation of the republic continued, a move toward elimination of Uyezd-, Raion-, and Volost-level Chekas, as well as the institution of Extraordinary Commissions was considered. On January 20, 1919, VTsIK adopted a resolution prepared by VCheKa, ''On the abolition of Uyezd Extraordinary Commissions''. On January 16 the presidium of VCheKa approved the draft on the establishment of the Politburo at Uyezd [[militsiya]]. This decision was approved by the Conference of the Extraordinary Commission IV, held in early February 1920.