4) Civil War 1918-21 Flashcards
On average how many grams of Bread were people in Petrograd getting in March 1918?
50 grams
Which decrees upset nobles (aristocracy), landlords, industrialists and the Church?
Decrees on Land, Titles and Banking
Who were the Greens?
Subject Nationalities (states that wanted independence and felt let down by the Decree on Nationalities)
Which group wanted the Romanovs to return to power?
Monarchists
Which group opposed the Decree on Political Parties?
Kadets
Which group opposed the dissolving of the Constituent Assembly?
The SRs and the Mensheviks
Which group were against the Decree on Peace?
Nationalists (including Kornilov)
Why did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk upset many Russians?
They felt that the Bolsheviks had failed Russia by accepting the terms
Who were the Whites?
SRs, Mensheviks, Monarchists, Nationalists, Kadets, etc.
Who supported the Whites?
Russia’s former allies in WW1 (UK, France, USA)
Why did Russia’s former allies help the Whites?
1) The Bolsheviks refused to pay back war time loans
2) The fear of communism
Why did the Czech legion join the Whites?
They were angered when the Bolsheviks tried to take their weapons away when they were travelling towards the Western Front
What key cities did the Reds control in the Civil War?
Petrograd and Moscow
What did the Reds have in their controlled territory that helped with their efforts in the Civil War?
1) Controlled many factories for industrial production
2) Control over most of Russia’s population who were conscripted (forced to) fight in the Red army.
3) The Tsar’s old weapons (2.2 million rifles)
4) Railway network - for better travel
What was the Agitprop?
A Bolshevik ran group who used propaganda (through plays, films and posters) to promote the Reds and criticise the Whites.
What did Lenin introduce to help feed the army/industrial workers?
War Communism
How did the Bolsheviks use War Communism to get more food?
Grain requisitioning from peasants
How did peasants react to grain requisitioning?
They stored food away and/or burned grain/killed livestock so the government couldn’t get their hands on it.
Who was used to requisition (take) grain for the Reds?
The Cheka
Who was Chairman of the Supreme War Council?
Trotsky
How many soldiers did conscription supply the Red army with?
Approximately 5 million
What positive actions did Trotsky take to encourage loyalty in the Civil War?
1) The Socialist Military Oath
2) Encouraged education
3) Introduced the Red Banner
4) Led from the front
5) Promoted talented soldiers
What negative actions did Trotsky take to encourage loyalty in the Civil War?
1) Took family members of older generals (those who were generals under the Tsar/PG) as hostage
2) Introduced capital punishment for desertion/disloyalty - eg. decimation
What was the problem with the White’s positioning from the Civil War?
1) They were spread over a large area
2) They controlled few areas of industry/natural resources
3) They controlled sparsely populated areas
What was the highest amount of soldiers controlled by the Whites during the Civil War?
250,000
Why were the Whites unpopular with peasants?
They promised to give land back to the former owners (Admiral Kolchak already did this)
What was the problem with many of the Whites generals?
They were corrupt and lived immoral lives (living in brothels, using cocaine, excessive drunkenness)
What communication issues did the Whites have?
Lacked rail so they used horses and pigeons to deliver messages
What was the problem with foreign support for the Whites?
1) Many thought the Whites were not patriotic/nationalistic
2) Most foreign powers had withdrawn by 1919
