3 - Civil War and Foreign Relations 1918-1924

Question 1

Why did non-Bolshevik parties oppose the Bolsheviks by 1918?

Answer 1

The Bolsheviks were despised as they:

• crushed the constituent assembly
• outlawed other parties.

Non-Bolshevik parties would NOT accept absolute rule by a minority party

Question 2

Who was the civil war between? (colours)

Answer 2

1. Reds
2. Whites
3. Greens

Question 3

How did the Bolsheviks present the struggle?

Answer 3

They presented the stuggle as a class war

Question 4

What was the real nature of the struggle? (not as a ‘class war’ as depicted by Bolsheviks)

Answer 4

It involved more than just a ‘class war’;

• It gave Russia’s national minorities, e.g. Ukrainians, a cover to establish their independence
• Aso provided a cover to settle personal vendettas (e.g. villages were divided against each other)
• fighting was simply a desperate struggle for food (creating initial military opposition to Bolsheviks)

Question 5

Give 2 examples of the hunger crisis in Petrograd, just before the civil war

Answer 5

1. In March 1918, bread ration in Petrograd reached its lowest allocation of 50 grams a day
2. By June 1918, workforce in Petrograd shrunk by 60% and overall pop decline from 3mil to 2mil

Question 6

What did the hunger crisis (1918) show about the decree of Worker-control (1917)?

Answer 6

It showed that the decree of worker-control was ineffective

Question 7

What ‘white’ units started to appear during the civil war?

Answer 7

1. SR’s established anti-Bolshevik Volga ‘republic’ at Samara
2. White ‘volunteer army’, led by General Denikin, was formed in Southern Russia from Tsarist Loyalists and outlawed Kadets
3. In Estonia, another ex-Tsarist,General Yudenich, formed white army of resistance
4. In Ukraine, Baron Wrangle led ‘Caucasus Volunteer army’ against Bolsheviks

Question 8

Why was there fighting between Czechoslovakian troops and Local Soviets, during the civil war?

Answer 8

There was fighting as:

1. 40,000 Czechoslovakian troops aimed to rejoin allies in Vladivostok, in hope of winning support for independent czechslovakia
2. Local Soviets challenged troops and fighting pursued alng the trans-Siberian railway

Question 9

What were Green weaknesses that contributed to their downfall?

Answer 9

Their limited aims for national independence for particular regions meant that they never formed a common front to challenge the Reds

Question 10

What were White weaknesses that contributed to their downfall?

Answer 10

1. The various white armies fought as separate detachments
2. Apart from their obvious desire to overthrow Bolsheviks, they were not bound together by a single aim
3. They were unwilling to sacrifice individual interests in order to form a united anti-Bolshevik front. This allowed Reds to defeat white armies separately
4. In rare cases where whites did work together, they were too widely scattered geographically to be able to mount a sustained attack on the Reds
5. Whites became too reliant on supplies from abroad, which hardly arrived in sufficient quantities, ar right place/time. This also meant that Reds could accuse them of being in league with the foreign interventionists
6. They lacked leaders of quality of Trotsky

Question 11

What were Red strengths that contributed to their victory?

Answer 11

1. They remained in control of a concentrated central area of Western Russia, that they were able to defend by maintaining inner communication and supply lines
2. Administrative centres of Russia, Petrograd and Moscow, remained in their control
3. Reds kept control of railway network
4. Reds had control over industrial centres. This gave them access to munitions and resources unavailable to whites
5. Red Army was well led by Trotsky

Question 12

What was Trotsky role during the civil war?

Answer 12

He was War Commissar

Question 13

What were some of Trotsky actions, that helped the Bolsheviks win the civil war

Answer 13

1. He banned independence of trade unions, so workers were brought under same discipline as soldiers. (this helped him build red army)
2. Supervised development of new fighting force from his train, motivating them (due to his belief in the importance of morale and dedication)
3. He enlisted large numbers of ex-tsarist officers to train the rank and file into efficient soldiers (attaching political commissars as a precaution)
4. Strict discipline: Imposed death sentence for desertion or disloyalty. Used customary forms of ranks and address with soldiers

Question 14

Give evidence to show that Trotskys role in the war was successful

Answer 14

1. Within 2 years, he turned an unpromising collection of tired Red Guard veterans and raw recruits into a formidable number of 3 million men
2. Political commissars were so successful that they were attached to all gov. departments under Lenin
3. Throughout struggle, Reds were sustained by driving sense of purpose instilled in them by Trotsky

Question 15

Who Trotsky conscript as recruits?

Answer 15

He conscripted:

1. Anyone whos political/social background suggested fighting ability. They were formed into labour battalions behind the lines, digging trenches, loading ammo and pulling heavy guns
2. Peasants (werent very reliable)
3. Workers (VERY reliable and were referred to defenders of the revolution for their work)

Question 16

How did Trotsky justify the severity of the Reds methods

Answer 16

He used the slogan ‘everything for the front’, referring to the dangers Russia felt on all sides

Question 17

Were all of the Reds successes achieved by coercion?

Answer 17

No, some idealists saw Red methods as necessary in creating Proletarian world

Question 18

How strong were the Red Army in comparison to other European armies at the time?

Answer 18

Not very strong: They were short of equipment and expertise, and within Russia, they soon came to outstrip its white opponents in its efficiency and sense of purpose

Question 19

What were the effects of the civil war on the Bolsheviks?

Answer 19

1. Proved Bolshevik strength and loyalty: of all members in party in 1927, 1/3 joined between 1917-1920 and fought in red army, creating a tradition of loyalty
2. Bolshevik authoritarianism: The focus on authoritarian measures in civil war provided initial framework for future ruling methods
3. Centralisation of Bolshevik control: Rapid Civil War decisions meant that power moved away from cumbersome central committee to the efficient Politburo/Orgburo (1919)

Question 20

What was the secretariat?

Answer 20

The civil service that carried out administration of policies

Question 21

What was the Orgburo?

Answer 21

The organisation bureau, which turned policies into practise

Question 22

What was the Politburo?

Answer 22

The political bureau, responsible for major policy decisions

Question 23

Why did Western Allies want Russia to stay in the war?

Answer 23

If Russia made peace with Germany, Germany could focus on only the western front, and not the western AND eastern front

Question 24

How did the Western Allies try to keep Russia in the war?

Answer 24

They offered Russia large amounts of capital

Question 25

What did the Allies do after finding out that Russia made peace with Germany?

Answer 25

British, French and US troops occupied the ports of Murmansk in the Arctic and Archangel in the White sea to prevent vital war-supplies, previously loaned to Russia, from falling into German hands

Question 26

What were the ‘foreign interventions’

Answer 26

A 2-year period (1918-1920) where forces from a large number of countries occupied key areas of Russia

Question 27

Why was the ‘foreign interventions’ dangerous for the Bolsheviks?

Answer 27

It made an offensive against the Bolsheviks more likely (after the First World War), especially with the creation of the Comintern

Question 28

What did Russia do especially to aggravate Foreign allies (other than sign treaty)?

Answer 28

Russia refused to pay back any foreign debts and froze all foreign assets in Russia

Question 29

Describe some of the invasions that Foreign allies made (in Russia)

Answer 29

1. in 1918, British land forces enter Southern Russia and British Warships enter Russian Baltic waters and Black sea, where they were joined by French naval vessels
2. French established major land base around Black sea port of Odessa
3. April 1918, Japan troops occupy port in Vladivostok. Joined by British, US, Italy, & French troops soon after
4. Czech, Finnish, Lithuanian, Polish and Romanian forces cross into Russia (to gain independence)
5. in 1919, Japan and US troops occupy party of Siberia

Question 30

Why were interventionist attacks not successful?

Answer 30

They were only focused on protecting individual interests, so attacks werent co-ordinated and there was little co-operation

Question 31

Were there any interventionist successes?

Answer 31

Yes (there was one)
- national forces, backed by British warships and troops, crushed a Bolshevik invasion and forced Lenin’s government to recognise the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Question 32

When did the interventionists withdraw from Russia?

Answer 32

• By end of 1919, All French and US troops were recalled
• By end of 1920, All other western forces had left
• By 1922, Japan left Russia

Question 33

Were the withdrawals a victory for the Bolsheviks?

Answer 33

Not really

Question 34

How did the Bolsheviks portray the interventionist withdrawals?

Answer 34

They portrayed it as a victory for the Bolsheviks, depicting Lenin as the saviour of the nation from foreign conquest.
- This helped Russia recover its esteem after its capitulation to Germany

Question 35

What did the Bolsheviks do to Poland in 1920?

Answer 35

The Red Army marched into Poland, expecting the polish to rise inrevolution against their government. However, the Polish saw this as traditional Russian aggression and drove them out

Question 36

What were the consequences of the war against Poland in 1920?

Answer 36

Soviet morale was seriously damages, forcing Lenin to rethink whole question of international revolution

Question 37

What 3 events forced Lenin to rethink idea of international revolution?

Answer 37

1. War against Poland
2. Foreign interventions
3. Failure of communist revolutions in Germany and Hungary

Question 38

How did Lenin change his foreign policy after these 3 events?

Answer 38

1. He decided to wait till capitalist nations grew weaker before taking major steps e.g. invading
2. Comintern would continue calling for a world revolution, but Soviet Russia would soften its international attitude

Question 39

What was the Treaty of Rapallo?

Answer 39

A treaty signed between Germany and Soviet Russia in April 1922

Question 40

Why were Germany and Russia both considered as Pariah nations by 1922?

Answer 40

• Germany: Under treaty of Versailles, Germany had to pay heavy reparations and had beendenied right to rearm
• Soviet Russia: earned hostiity by renouncing all of Russia’s debts and encouraging a world revolution

Question 41

What were the main terms of the Treaty of Rapallo?

Answer 41

1. Russia would provide German forces with military training ground and resources
2. In return, Russia would be granted special trading rights in Germany

Question 42

What was the Treaty of Berlin?

Answer 42

A further Soviet-German agreement in 1926, confirming the main terms of the Rapallo treaty.

Question 43

Which european government was the 1st to give diplomatic recognition to the Soviet Union in 1924?

Answer 43

The British Labour government

Question 44

What were the main terms of the Anglo-Soviet treaty?

Answer 44

1. Britain agreed to advance a 30 million loan to the Soviet Union
2. The Soviet Union would pay compensation for the British financial assets that the Bolsheviks had seized after the Oct Rev.

Question 45

What was the ‘Zinoviev letter’

Answer 45

A letter by ‘Zinoviev’ in 1924, which suggested that the Bosheviks were planning on infiltrating the British Labour Party and using it to bring down the British Gov in an armed insurrectionq

Question 46

What were the consequences of the Zinoviev letter?

Answer 46

The Anglo-Soviet treaty was never carried out as the British Labour Government were defeated in elections (due to worry that relations between labour gov and USSR would occasion a revolution in Britain)