Civil War

Question 1

Who were the key factions in the civil war

Answer 1

-Reds (Bolsheviks) vs Whites (Anti-Bolshevik forces)
-Greens (Peasant armies) and foreign intervention

Question 2

What were the consequences of the civil war

Answer 2

-Bolshevik victory under Lenin
-Centralisation of power and establishment of a one-party state
-War Communism introduced but led to economic collapse
-NEP (New Economic Policy) introduced in 1921 to restore the economy

Question 3

Why did the Bolsheviks win the civil war

Answer 3

-War Communism ensured Red Army supply but caused famine
-Trotsky’s leadership improved discipline
-Whites lacked unity and popular support

Question 4

What was the effect of the civil war on Russian society

Answer 4

-Famine of 1921 – 5 million deaths
-Strengthened Bolshevik control – led to creation of the USSR (1922)
-Introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP)