Civil War Flashcards
Trotsky Knowledge - How he organised CHECK
Trotsky and Lenin made some strategic decisions together •
Great motivator
Rallied Red Armies with great speeches
Trotsky held families hostage of soldiers to ensure they remained loyal
.Supreme leader-brave-took forces to fiercest parts of the Front-inspirational
•
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• He attached a political commissioner to each army unit to ensure loyalty
• He reestablished harsh military discipline bringing back the death penalty
• Election of officers by soldiers end as comminsonars introduced ranks
Leadership COUNTER: Trotsky’s brutal displine and decision to conscript soldiers lead to deserters
As it is estaimtaed that nearly four million deserted by the end of 1921, there were also full scale mutinies in the Red Army and other indispline
• Supreme leader-brave-took forces to fiercest parts of the Front-inspirational
• Organised Red Army into a better fighting force more organised than the Whites
• Made Commissioner for War
• He restored displine and professionalism in what was at the time called “Worker’s and Peasant’s Red Army” and turned it into an effective fighting force making it an effective fighting force.
• He attached a political commissioner to each army unit to ensure loyalty
• He reestablished harsh military discipline bringing back the death penalty
• Election of officers by soldiers end as comminsonars introduced ranks Not needed for Prelim
• His Strengths included his energy, passion and organisational abilities
• Leadership COUNTER: Trotsky’s brutal displine and decision to conscript soldiers lead to deserters
As it is estaimtaed that one million deserted by the end of 1919 and nearly four million by the end of 1921, there were also full scale mutinies in the Red Army and other indispline
Discipline by red and whites
- Discipline was tough in the Red Army; the death penalty was used frequently. Unwilling peasants conscripts knew that certain death lay before them if they retreated from battle as they would be machine gunned by their own side
- Dispisclije by the Whites was second rate but still cruel by some leaders which just led to desertertion as they felt like they were back in the Tsarist army
- Poor displije in White Army and corruption
- White Officers lived in brothels of cocaine and vodka
- Trotsky used a carrot and stick approach by according to BBC Bitesize “Trotsky imposed a very tough system of discipline and control over the Red Army. Officers found guilty of cowardice or treachery were executed. However, men who showed initiative and courage were promoted rapidly.”-how Trotsky made reds a better army
Whites had high discipline like reds but also treated Soliders with comtempt
Unity and Disunity
- Disunity
Callum: Kolchak Military Dictatorship and Denikin and Wrangel wanted return to Tsarist System
• Bolsheviks had single, unified command structure
• Whites made up of different groups who had very different aims and beliefs
• -Difficult to develop Political strategy or co-operate
• -little chance of developing a co-ordinated military strategy
• White leaders didn’t trust or like each other so often didn’t work together
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Extra: e.g most of white forces distrusted Kolchak’s motives
Where armies situated
Whites spread around country unlike Reds in centre so difficult to connect
Propaganda
• Both Whites and Reds used propaganda but Reds realised how valuable this was powerful and imaginative images including:
• Whites take land away from peasants
• Foreign invaders supporting Whites -whites foreign puppets
• Red’s offered a wonderful new society for workers and peasants
Above not needed for essay but may be needed for source
- Heavily used by both sides
- Posters main form of propaganda
- Agit prop train
- Whites main messages: Civilised, Reds stealing (food) from Peasants, Reds were Asian (racist)
- Red main messages: We’re true Russians, we’re modern and offering you a bright modern future unlike the Whites, White leaders were foreign puppets
Peasants
- Peasants•
• Supplied main body of soldiers for both sides
• However Peasants ended up supporting Reds more as Lenin promised them land while Whites said land would go back to former leaders. Until grain requisitioning.
• If you look at the war purely in terms of military strength and tactics then the Greens aren’t important. The Greens and Blacks represent the peasants and oppressed communities that would only really do things if either the reds or whites made bad policies e.g. taking grain from peasants and conscription. They revolted in major agricultural areas with the help of some SRs
Greens DW about pre Xmas
Irrelevant
- Made up of peasant armies
- Some fought for the Bolsheviks and some fought against the Bolsheviks
- Most mainly concerned about protecting their own area
- Some armies were little more than bandits who raided and looted neighbours
- Aim was to fight for independence
Don’t worry about
Non Russians and Foreigners
- Non Russiansj
- Ukrainians and Georgians wanted more independence so supported Whites less when they wanted to return to pre 1917 borders and didn’t support the Whites when in their territory
- Foreigners
Helped Whites with supplies and weapons but this aid was half hearted and also allowed the Reds to claim they were the protectors of Russia.
• Allied troops were sent to help reopen the Eastern Front against Germany
• Britain were split on how to help as Conservative Churchill who was War Secretary wanted to help the Whites, Liberal PM Lloyd George didn’t want to anger troops who had just fought in WW1 and Labour which was growing was against fighting Russia’s working class
- Allied troops had no motivation and public support from home and only really supplied Whites with supplies
- British Troops involved: 57,636 French Troops: 15,600 Romania Troops: 50,000
Foreign
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Factories
- Factory
• Area Bolsheviks had also contained main armament factories in Russia so the Bolsheviks could carry on producing war materials.-Much of artillery, rifles and other military equipment of the old Russian army fell into the Bolsheviks’ hands
Railways
- Railways
• Bolsheviks held Moscow and Petrograd so moved their capital to Moscow which was the hub of the railway network.-Easier to transport men and Munitions to battle, unlike Whites working around Bolshevik controlled areas
People (check maybe)
Red Army:
5,498,000 (peak)[4][l]
White Army:
1,023,000 (peak)[m
•
• Some workers, urban workers, soldiers and peasants supported the Reds and urban workers and peasants wanted to protect gains of 1917 and Reds seemed to be likely to protect this (Whites were associated with old system of government)
• Centra area was heavily populated (much more so than White held areas) so the Bolsheviks were able to conscript large numbers to fight. -
In 1918-19 Bolsheviks held territory held 70 million people (sovdepia) compare with approximately 20 million
In the white controlled areas. Gave Reds huge numerical advantage in battles .
• Whites were scattered around the edges of this central area so separated by large distances. This made communications difficult especially moving men and weapons and co-ordinating the attacks of different white organisations-they had no telephone links, they had to use officers on horseback to convey message
Historians
Civil War
Richard Pipes: White Army better than Red Army, but lost because it faced huge disadvantages. Sees the objective factors (like the territory the Reds controlled) as the cause of victory, rather than leadership or motivation.-Resources use
Robert Service: outlines the brilliance of Trotsky through his ruthless and transformation of the Red Army.-Leadership use
Orlando Figes: suggests the crucial advantage the Reds had, which meant more men volunteered to be part of the fighting force, was the claim that they were defending ‘the Revolution’. Also states that the root of White failure was one of politics.-politics use
Source Bonus on decrees
Lenin’s role
The Bolsheviks issued a Decree on Peace (their intention to end the First World War as quickly as possible) & a Decree on Land (their intention to give nobles’ & church land to the peasants as quickly as possible). (Oct 26th 1917)
Lenin act on promises
