Chapter six - The Civil War

Question 1

What were the main reasons for the civil war?

Answer 1

The Bolsheviks seized power by force
Bolshevik ideology alienated aristocrats and bourgeoisie
Some people on the right wanted a return to the Tsarist regime
Resentment from Kadets and right-wing SRs
National minorities saw chaos as an opportunity to fight for independence

Question 2

When did the civil war begin?

Answer 2

April/May 1918
Czechs seize towns on the Trans-Siberian railway

Question 3

When was the Tsar killed?

Answer 3

July 1918

Question 4

What were the names of the leaders of the whites?

Answer 4

General Denikin in the south, Admiral Kolchak in Siberia, General Yudenich in Estonia and Denikin was replaced by Wrangel in Crimea.

Question 5

Which area was held by the Bolsheviks?

Answer 5

They held the central area of European Russia, which included Petrograd and Moscow.

Question 6

What was the role of Trotsky in the revolution?

Answer 6

Control of the Red Army - 3 million men
Recruited 50,000 former tsarist army officers to train new recruits
Any form of disloyalty was punishable by death

Question 7

When did the civil war end?

Answer 7

The whites were defeated in October 1920.

Question 8

How did geography contribute to the Red victory?

Answer 8

Reds commanded hub of communications and railway network in Moscow, armaments factories to produce artillery, rifles and other military equipment and the most densely populated regions of Russia so could conscript large numbers

Question 9

How did unity and organisation contribute to the Red Army victory?

Answer 9

They were united in their aim to survive and had a unified command structure through Trotsky’s leadership

Question 10

How did leadership contribute to the Red Army victory?

Answer 10

Well-disciplined under Trotsky’s leadership. Death penalty was used frequently

Question 11

How did support lead to a red army victory?

Answer 11

Red land policies were popular with peasants - Whites made it clear that land would be restored to their former owners

Question 12

How did national minorities contribute to a red army victory?

Answer 12

Hostility to foreign involvement
Suspicious of whites

Question 13

What were the failings of the whites?

Answer 13

Dried up support from the allies
Portrayed as foreign interventionists
Divided forces
Geographically scattered
Desertions due to lack of discipline

Question 14

What was the slogan of the whites?

Answer 14

Russia One and Indivisible

Question 15

What is the link between the Civil War and increased centralisation of power?

Answer 15

It reaffirmed Lenin’s tendency to control, discipline and lead from the centre - it was established early in the Civil War when they moved the capital to Moscow.

Question 16

What was the Politburo and when was it formed?

Answer 16

The Politburo was formed in 1919 and it was the real centre for party policy.

Question 17

When was the USSR created?

Answer 17

December 1922

Question 18

How did geography lead to the failings of the whites?

Answer 18

Whites were scattered and separated by large distances which made coordination difficult

Question 19

What was the organisation of the whites?

Answer 19

Made up of different aims and beliefs - could not decide if they were fighting for monarchism, republicanism or the Constituent Assembly. Some white generals were suspicious of General Kolchak’s motives or intentions

Question 20

What was the leadership of the whites?

Answer 20

There was little support for the White leaders as they were cruel and treated their men with contempt. High levels of indiscipline and corruption

Question 21

What was the support for the Whites?

Answer 21

White leaders wanted to restore the Russian empire and its pre-1917 borders which antagonised nationalist groups such as Ukrainians who wanted independence.