2.2 Civil War Flashcards
Who did the Reds in the Civil War consist of?
The Reds consisted of the Bolsheviks
Who did the Whites in the Civil War consist of?
The Whites consisted of the Russian Nationalists and monarchists
Who did the Greens in the Civil War consist of?
The Greens consisted of armed peasants and anarchists who used to fight for the Reds and the Whites
Define Monarchists
Monarchists are those who believe the country should be run by a king or queen
Why were nationalists and conservatives determined to overthrow the Bolsheviks?
They were opposed to the Bolsheviks sighning the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and opposed their plans for social change and workers’ influence as well as peasant siezure of land from landlords
What was the main fear of middle-class Russians?
They feared losing their wealth and influence
Why did left-wing groups like the Mensheviks resent the Bolsheviks?
They resented them because the Bolsheviks abolished the Constituent Assembly
What was the Czech Legion?
The Czech Legion was about 40,000 Czech soldiers from the Austrian Hungarian army who were captured in WW1.
What did the Czech Legion do?
The Czech Legion switched sides to fight with the Russians in the hopes of becoming a independent state
What did the Bolsheviks try and do to the Czechs?
The Bolsheviks tried to take their weapons away as they did not trust them.
What happened when the Czechs fought back against the Bolsheviks?
The Czechs now controlled the Trans-Siberian Railway and many other non Bolsheviks joined them
Where were the three main White armies?
The Ural mountains and Siberia, southern Russia and Estonia
What happened to the White army in the Ural mountains and Siberia?
The army had some successes against the Reds but in the summer of 1919 a counter attack broke its power
What happened to the White army in southern Russia?
The army was very succesful as it had advanced within 240km within Moscow. However the Reds fought it off and the General Denikin resigned
What happened to the White army in Estonia?
The army was veery close to capturing Petrograd but was defeated in October 1919 by the Red Army which was led by Trotsky
Which countries were successful in breaking away from Russia?
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
What was the Red Army presented as?
The Red Army became noted for its discipline and its unity. The leader Trotsky was also shown as effective
What things did the Red Army control and how did this help them?
They controlled most of Russias industry as well as all the railways connected to Moscow. This allowed them to produce and move weapons
How did the Reds use propaganda to win supporters?
They presented themselves as the only force that would improve the lives of regular Russians
Which group spread the Reds’ propaganda?
A group called Agitpprop spread the messages through films, plays and posters
How did the Reds manipulate their enemies to ensure they were not fighting all of them at the same time?
They made and broke alliances with the Greens and the anarchists
What were the strengths of the Bolsheviks?
They controlled central Russia, They formed their own powerful fighting force (Red Army) and the Trotsky as the leader
What was Trotsky like as commander of the Red Army?
Trotsky organised the mass organisation of workers and peasants in 1918. He had a lot of energy and enthusiasm
How did Trotsky improve the effectiveness of the Red Army?
Trotsky employed ex-Tsarist officers and made sure of their loyalty by holding their families hostage
How did Trotsky introduce discipline in the Red Army?
Trotsky made sure that all deserters were shot and if any unit retreated one in ten men were shot (decimated). He also introduced education
What were the weaknesses of the Whites?
They were geographically too spread out, they cntrolled few insdustrial areas, they were outnumbered, there was no one leader and they had no plan for Russia
Why did the Whites receive foreign help?
The Whites were helped by western countries who encouraged the Whites and tried to prevent donated weapons and ammo from getting into Bolshevik hands
What were the effects of the civil war?
It made the Bolsheviks sure that their view of the world was right, and they now relied more on force and terror to gain control, Cheka members were now in every Red controlled area and they shot anyone who was considered a enemy. It made the Bolsheviks more organised
What were the negative effects of the war?
It exhausted Russian, the economy was bad, there were protests due to the brutal behaviour of the Bolsheviks
