Civil War Flashcards
Causes on the left
Lenin had forced the kadets and right wing SRs out of his government
Lenin had closed constitutional assembly
Bolsheviks were side lining the Soviets and imposing a one party dictatorship
Causes on the right
Aristocrats and the bourgeoisie alienated by Bolshevik ideology
Some still yearned for old tsarist regime like army officers
Food shortages hit bourgeoisie the hardest ad the rationing system meant they were given the smallest share
Other causes
Bolsheviks had seized power by force in Moscow and Petrograd and opponents claimed they had no right to rule Russia
Many were angered by concessions of treaty of Brest Litovsk
Discontent at Bolsheviks inability to solve Russia’s economic problems
Key players in civil war
The reds- Bolshevik red army
The whites- various armies and armed groups made up of Bolshevik opponents and led by former tsarist officers. Attacks uncoordinated and had little in common except for hatred of Bolsheviks
The greens- peasants
The allies- British France and USA sent troops to help whites
Course of events
1918 April-May: the czech legion seized parts of the trans Siberian railway. War begins
August: Denikin and Kolchak’s white army make rapid advances
November: Kolchack declares himself supreme ruler of Russia
1920 Feb: Kolchak captured and shot
May: beginning of Russo- polish war
1921: treaty of Riga signed
Role of Trotsky
Travelled around different fronts of the war in a special train which carried food and equipment for troops and also had a propaganda unit for morale
Ruthless approach ensured red army had food
Insisted on strict discipline
Turned red army into professional military force reintroducing traditional ranks
Didn’t let ideology get in the way of winning- recruited 50,000 former tsarist officers to train new troops
Murder of tsar
At the start of the civil war the Bolsheviks worried that the tsar would become a figurehead for white resistance
In July 1918 the Cheka police guarding the royal family murdered them when they heard the whites were nearby
Although it was carried out by local Bolsheviks almost certain Lenin authorised it showing government was becoming more radical
Reasons for red victory
Reds were united in their aim to survive and ideologically committed in a way the whites were not
Commanded the hub of communications
Became a well disciplined fighting force under Trotsky
Hostility to foreign involvement gave the reds useful propaganda platforms
